Morrigan emerged from the pool with a desperate gasp for air. Crimson droplets rained from the sky and dripped from her hair and robes, it covered her skin as if she didn't have any at all. Yet her gold eyes were distant, as if her soul had fled her body. She raised a hand in the air like she was gently touching the wings of an insect.

"What... have you... done..." Abelas groaned.

Immediately, Solas held out a hand and helped Abelas back to his feet. There was blood running down the side of his face, but the color was returning to his cheeks.

"A palakenshemlendefeated me. I failed Lady Mythal..."

Morrigan stumbled out of the pool, and water stories over the edges and started to drip it's way down to the grass that surrounded it.

"You will only fail her if you don't destroy the Wellspring, Abelas." Talyn told him.

She went to Morrigan, took her hand, and helped her down the steps that led to the Wellspring. The woman didn't so much as look at her.

"So much knowledge... There's so many voices."

"Focus on the one with the answers you seek." Talyn said to her quietly.

The air vibrated with the force of the rocks that came tumbling off the waterfall. Huge boulders crashed into the Wellspring, cracking the marble and marring the ruby surface. They piled on top of each other until all that was left was dust that hovered in the air.

When Talyn looked at Morrigan again, her eyes were clear, and focused on her. She met her gaze calmly, but she already knew that they were going to have a talk later.

"You're-"

"Keep your mouth shut. Now is not the time or the place." She whispered angrily in the human's ear.

She couldn't believe what Morrigan had just done. The woman was lucky that Mythal was already dead.

"You have ruined this sacred place, leave now or you will never see the sun again, Rasdalalen." Abelas rumbled menacingly.

Solas' rage was so fierce that his glamour melted away. The wolf burned through his snarling lips and in his glowing eyes. She could see patches of fur sprout in random places on his skin as he fought to keep his beast down. The ends of his fingers were black and pointed like claws. He lashed out at Abelas, and three streaks of red appeared across the elf's face.

Abelas stumbled backwards and fell with the force Solas had used. He held his armored hands to his face and moved to his knees. He bent over so his bloody hands and face were pressed into the earth.

"You forget your place, Abelas!"

"Solas." Talyn spoke gently, but her panicked eyes were on Cassandra and Varric, who were standing a ways away from them with shocked looks on their dusty faces.

Solas snapped out of it when she said his name. When he saw where she was looking, his glamour shone on his skin for a moment before settling. Magic was flung from his fingers that were no longer claws, and Talyn's friends dropped to the grass. She would have been concerned if it wasn't for the steady rising and falling of their chests.

Abelas didn't move from his cowering position, and Morrigan was still contending with the thousands of voices that were now in her head.

"Don't worry about them." Solas told her as he made his way over to the human and the dwarf.

"What are we going to do?"

How the hell did this happen? Now Morrigan knew the truth, and two others witnessed something that they weren't supposed to. Their secret was coming out whether they wanted it to or not.

"I will erase their memory of this temple. We'll say that they were knocked out by debris from the stone dragon."

"Memory magic is dangerous! You can't do that!"

One wrong move and Solas could erase their entire lives. Or worse, he could ruin their minds to the point where they wouldn't be able to talk or feed themselves.

Memories of Elfen with Andruil's brand flashed through her mind. Their eyes were white with blindness, their faces slack without thought. So many of her people had been sacrificed for her greed.

Solas shot an annoyed glare at her.

"Would you rather I kill them, vhenan? Because those are our options right now. They cannot walk out of here knowing what they know."

As much as Talyn hated what Solas was about to do, she knew he was right. Varric might not say anything, but Cassandra, the Right Hand of Divine Justinia and one of the most devoted Andrastians she had ever met, would shout to the whole world that Solas the Mage was evil, and so was Talyn for staying by his side.

"What about her?" Talyn pointed to the distracted Morrigan.

"She drank from the Wellspring. I trust her to stay quiet more than Cassandra and Varric."

He knelt down between her friends, and placed a hand on both of their foreheads. He gave her a reassuring smile.

"I am not just any mage, Talyn. Have faith in me. I won't hurt your friends."

He closed his eyes, and the air around the three of them shimmered with magic. His hands started to glow with a violet light, it seeped from him and spread from their foreheads until their bodies looked like they were wrapped in silk.

She felt Morrigan standing by her side as she anxiously watched.

Nothing was different when he was done. The magic in the air died down and the silky violet wrapped around their bodies dissipated, and they were still sleeping peacefully. No one would be able to know the damage caused until they woke up.

Solas didn't miss a beat between the two on the ground and the crimson covered woman next to Talyn. With a hard edge to his voice, he said, "it is within your best interests not to lie to me. What do you know? What did Mythal's priests tell you about us?"

Morrigan just blinked.

Talyn grabbed a hold of her slippery arm and dug her nails into her skin. She only put the necessary amount of pressure to bring Morrigan out of her head. The other woman tore her arm out of her grip and cursed at her, but there was life in her eyes.

Solas repeated himself.

For the first time since Talyn had met her, Morrigan was nervous and unsure. She looked to Talyn for confirmation, but it still took Talyn a long moment to figure out that Morrigan had been asking her if it was alright with her eyes. It took another moment just for Talyn to get over how strange that was.

"Tell him."

"I know that Talyn is not of Thedas, but a land called Elhysia. But she has a connection to this earth that no one else has. They called her the "Guardian with Many Names." I know she is Elfen, but I don't know what it means. I know her mana was stolen, but I don't know by who. I know you two are connected, and you're both from Elvhenan but... I don't understand any of it."

She put a hand to her forehead like she was in pain. "I keep hearing "Evanuris", and "Banalla", and "the Sahl'Adahl." But I don't understand what it means, and they won't go into detail no matter how much I ask."

Talyn and Solas shared a look.

Even in death, Mythal's priests would protect Solas. They weren't going into detail because any other information about Talyn would reveal Solas.

Talyn turned to Morrigan. "I know you're confused. But I swear that once Corypheus is dealt with, we will explain everything. Please keep this to yourself."

Morrigan let out a half-hearted snort. "Who would believe me anyways?"

She did have a point. The longer Talyn thought about it, the more calm her nerves became. She knew that she would have to tell her companions the truth eventually. But what had just happened was not the way to do it.

"Do you know how to defeat Corypheus?"

Morrigan shrugged. "Not exactly. They told me we need to summon Mythal."

Talyn frowned. "Mythal is dead."

Morrigan was starting to return to her old, arrogant self. "Of course she is, if she ever existed in the first place. I'm sure they don't actually mean Mythal herself. But we have to go to a specific location, do a specific ritual, and we will have the answer we seek."

Of course they had to. Because nothing could be simple when it came to asking ancient souls for help.

An angry, resigned sigh left her lips.

"Fine. Let's get out of here and do this fucking ritual before I lose my mind."

She didn't want Morrigan to drink from the Wellspring, but she did. So Talyn might as well follow the advice she gave her.

She grabbed Cassandra and hoisted her over her shoulder. She did the same thing with Varric with her other shoulder.

Solas spoke to Abelas in their language, telling him to get up and lead them out of the temple.

Then they made their journey back to the others.

A few days later, Morrigan and Talyn were standing in a grove protected on all sides by tall rocks. A shrine to Mythal was smoking with incense and the herbs they had just burned, and they were standing face to face with a woman she thought she would never see again.

This woman was not Mythal. Her aging face did not carry the delicateness of an elf's, and her short, round ears were a dead give away she was human. Dark red horns sat on top of her snow white hair, and her armored hands ended with claws. She looked like Morrigan, which made sense, since Morrigan had called her "Mother" when they both noticed she had appeared shortly after the ritual they had done.

And yet, Talyn could see the hidden face beneath the human, a face nearly identical to hers. She could picture where white hair should have been pale gold. She could see Mythal in the way the woman walked and spoke with an air of authority that only Lady Justice had. And those gold eyes held a wisdom far beyond this woman's years.

Only two people in the world had eyes that vibrant of a gold. The Twin Dragons of Fate and Justice.

But that wasn't true, because Talyn had seen those eyes somewhere else as well. Morrigan's face was an exact match of the old woman's, but those shiny gold jewels that were punched into her face were unmistakably Mythal's.

A sense of dread filled her core. This was worse than she thought.

"Mythal." Talyn greeted the woman bitterly. "It's been awhile."

That smirk that graced the woman's lips was all she needed as confirmation.

"Sixteen hundred years, to be exact. That was right around when you let my stepdaughter murder me."

Talyn crossed her arms over her chest and shrugged. "You seem to be doing just fine."

"What are you talking about?! You are Flemmeth, my mother. Mythal isn't real!"

Mythal barked out a laugh that made her cringe. "My Wellspring is real enough, child. You drank from it. You believed my priests automatically when you learned of Tarasyl's origins. Yet you cannot believe I am an Elvhen goddess?"

Tarasyl. She hadn't been called that name in so long, she had forgotten that at one point it had belonged to her. It was unnerving to hear it again.

"Well, that made sense to me! Ancient magic threw her into the future. This... this doesn't make any sense at all."

Talyn couldn't believe it. Mythal had managed to cling to life in a human's body. Mythal had the answers they sought. Mythal. The traitor that caused all of this in the first place.

She hadn't taken her eyes off of Mythal once.

"Your mother is Flemmeth. But she is also Mythal. This is what happens when two souls share a body. The stronger one always ends up in control."

Mythal grinned in triumph. "She was begging for justice! I could hear her wailing through that fucking Veil, all the way to my little corner of the prison you made. She was praying to Andraste. But she found me instead."

"So, in return for this favor, you stole her free will." Talyn snorted. "Classic Mythal. And you really wonder why I didn't stop her from killing you?"

To be fair, Talyn hadn't actually been there that day. But she knew what the Huntress was going to do, and she didn't bother to tell anyone.

Betrayal seemed to run in the family.

Mythal raised an eyebrow.

In a cold voice she said, "I answered your summons to help you. But, if you want to act like an ungrateful child, I can just take Morrigan and leave."

Mythal had her there. Because Talyn did need to know how to kill Corypheus, and now that she knew why Morrigan felt so untrustworthy to her, she couldn't abandon her to her fate. Even though she did do it to herself.

Morrigan was technically her cousin. Family.

And she truly didn't know just how fucked up her own mother was.

So Talyn repressed a sigh, and gave in. In a much more pleasant tone, she asked Mythal, "do you know how to kill Corypheus?"

"In due time, Tarasyl. That's not the only reason why I'm here."

She pulled the clawed gloves of her armor off to reveal hands spotted with age. Her palms were glowing with a soft white light.

"I'm here to Mark you. To make you a true Banalla."

That took her completely by surprise.

Yes, Talyn had the blood of gods in her veins. Before her mana was stolen, she had the power to level entire villages. But a Banalla was not considered a god until they went through a Trial to prove themselves worthy of the title, and a ceremony to make it so. But Talyn had been born the day Elhysia was attacked. She had been whisked away by her mother's most trusted friend, while every other Banalla was sent to the Beyond. She never had the chance.

"Mythal... I don't have mana. I can't go through with it."

"How stupid are you?" Her ancient aunt snapped at her. "Mana is for mages. Were you born a mage, or a Beast?"

Talyn's next response was, "I can't shift."

She snorted. "Mythaun, your grandfather, was our king. And he couldn't shift either. Come up with a better excuse."

"I never went through a Trial."

Talyn could tell that Morrigan was Mythal's child with the way her eyes rolled at her.

"Your life has been your Trial. And I have deemed it a success. So get on your knees, and lets do this before your incessant whining makes me change my mind."

She blurted out, "why?"

Mythal had plenty of opportunities to do this thousands of years ago. Why did she want to do this now, in a different world where ancient beings no longer mattered?

Her voice was strangely kind with her response. "Do you know why your mother was known as the Dragon of Fate?"

"No."

She knew nothing of her mother, besides the tales and legends her people had told her as she had grown up. Not even Solas said much about her, and he had met her himself several times when he traveled on his own in the Beyond. Talyn had told him not to, because she didn't want to know about the family she had abandoned.

But she couldn't help the curiosity burning inside of her.

"My sister is the only elf we know of born with the Sight. And moments before I banished her to the Beyond, she told me, "Where ever Tarasyl goes, her people will follow." "

Her people will follow.

"But the Dalish and the city elves never listened to Solas when he tried to show them the truth."

Mythal sighed dramatically. "Maybe Tarsula was wrong after all. You seem to be too stupid to be what she said you were."

She continued, "idiot girl, she said her people, not the people. Who are your people?"

Who were her people?

The people who lived in Skyhold were her people. The refugees from Haven and the mages she saved from the war. But then there were the people in the towns and villages they had passed through, the soldiers that pledged their lives for the Inquisition's cause. Every single person that had been touched by the Inquisition's generosity worshiped the ground she walked on.

She remembered Cullen's words on the battlefield just days ago.

Every person here would rather die than let a blade touch you.

"That still doesn't answer my question. Why would you bother to help me?"

She grinned mischievously. "Did I ever tell you why I supported Solas stealing you from Andruil? Or the war you two started over those slaves?"

Talyn's silence was the only answer Mythal needed.

"I'm not going to tell you again. Kneel."

Her heart hammered in her chest. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen, but she still couldn't believe it was. She didn't know what would happen, or why this was happening.

But she fell to her knees in front of Mythal the Traitor, Mythal of the Evanuris with Banalla blood underneath her skin. The woman who ruined the very beginning of Talyn's life. And she let this woman Mark her.

She spoke in the Common Tongue, so Morrigan could understand as well.

"Tarasyl, Daughter of Tarsula, Sky Sister of the Dragons, you have proven yourself worthy of the sacred blood you carry."

Mythal placed her glowing hands on Talyn's head. She could feel the warmth spreading through out her whole body.

The warmth intensified. It felt like her forehead was being cut into, and liquid steel was being poured into the wounds. A high pitched noise rose from her throat, and her fingers started to claw at the hands planted on her head.

Mythal dug her nails into her scalp, keeping her head in place. She tasted copper.

Then her tattoos exploded with light.

She had to close her eyes, or else be blinded. She felt something strange and powerful rise inside of her, and then it settled as a pleasant burn in her heart. The light that was shining through her closed eyelids disappeared.

When she opened them, she didn't feel any different, aside from the stinging pain on her forehead.

When she looked up at Mythal, there was something different about her human face. A vallaslin of gold vines spread across her forehead like a crown. Her eyes were glowing with an ethereal light.

Talyn frowned at the sight of the vallaslin.

Mythal noticed her look, and she smirked.

Mythal continued, "you kneel before me as Tarasyl the Sky-Sister. Now rise as Talyn Fen'Tarasyl, the Guardian, a Goddess of War."

" I don't..."

"You won't feel anything. You've always been a Banalla. Now, you will simply be recognized as one."

Her heart sank. "So I still can't do magic?"

As usual, Mythal ignored her question. "I'm only going to give you three pieces of advice. The first, is that Corypheus is tied to the Blight through his dragon. It is not a true Arch Demon, therefore it can be killed. Kill the dragon, kill Corypheus."

Mythal turned to Morrigan, who Talyn had completely forgotten about.

"Talyn was formerly known as the Sky Sister of dragons. These dragons are different from the Old World, but their very bones still recognize her soul. By the laws of nature, they cannot harm her, and she cannot harm them. That is where you come in. You are not a true dragon like me, daughter, but I can still show you how to take on it's shape. It's no different from the other forms I've taught you."

Morrigan tried to respond, but Mythal ignored her.

"Talyn, you must tell your people who you are. You have no choice, if you want to be prepared for what's to come next. Trust what Tarsula said. She has never been wrong before. The third piece of advice I have for you, is that the answers to all your questions lay in the Beyond with your mother."

"What do you mea-"

"What did I just say? We don't have time for your childish confusion. Corypheus will be returning to the Temple of Sacred Ashes, and you must get there before him. If he is not defeated there, Thedas is doomed."