Sitting by the fire mesmerized by the flames, Jayden was aware of Gabriel, Tess and Lawrence talking to him, occasionally nodding and muttering a response, but most of his attention was on everything Rathnal had told him. Flemeth had intended to take Morrigan's body as her own and in exchange for a ritual in a grimoire that Morrigan coveted, the Wardens had agreed to kill Flemeth. He suppressed the part of him that was hurt that she had not confided in him and the horror of what Flemeth had intended to do. It made sense that Morrigan would approach Rathnal with a trade, she would never have believed anyone would help her without wanting something in return. Rathnal of course had refused to tell him what the ritual was for and why it was so important; Warden's secrets were their own yet he had the feeling his friend had wanted to tell him. Rathnal had been eager to assure him that Morrigan believed her mother would not truly be dead and his own theory that Flemeth had turned into a dragon to help them. That was not all of it though, he had also explained that Flemeth had been responsible for making sure Alistair contracted the Blight sickness to ensure he became a Warden. Jayden remembered her predictions of their futures and sighed; Alistair should have stayed in Rainesfere as far away from this mess as possible. Glancing down as Airyl nudged his hand, he gently stroked her ears, the others had fallen silent, watching him. Pushing aside all he had learned, Jayden forced himself to concentrate on what he now had to do, glancing at Airyl. "I wish you were going with me, but where I am going you can't follow. I need you to stay with Gabe, Lawrence and Tess." He swallowed painfully at her whine, gently cupping her jaw. "I need you to stand guard with the others while I go and get Cailan back." He almost smiled at her low growl. "I'm not happy about it either, but Kinnaird and Robert died trying to ensure this didn't happen. We have to finish this." Taking a deep breath, he stood and turned to Gabriel. "If this goes wrong you will be acting Captain."

"Nothing is going to go wrong." Gabriel muttered forcefully, as though will alone could ensure it.

Nodding slightly Jayden glanced once more at the flames, before gathering his courage and leaving the tavern, hardening his heart to Airyl's howl as he shut the door preventing her from joining him. Heading down to the building that had been Cailan's prior to the battle, he hesitated at the door before forcing himself to enter. Three overlapping circles had been drawn on the floor. Cailan, bound to a chair, sat in the middle where each circle intersected, mercifully he was unconscious. Dylan was sitting in one of the circles appearing to meditate. Taking a calming breath, he met Rathnal's gaze as the Commander approached him.

"Are you ready?"

"For this, not ever." Jayden muttered, glancing at Alistair as he joined them.

Rubbing his neck trying to ease the tension, Alistair cleared his throat. "Look, I know you and Cailan aren't on the best of terms at the moment, but I really appreciate that you have agreed to do this."

"I'm not an idiot Alistair, I am well aware we can't have a possessed King wandering around, but I don't have to like it and I absolutely don't have to want to do it."

Nodding Alistair glanced anxiously at the glyphs on the floor. "I guess we better get started." He moved over to the mages, Serris directing him where to sit.

Jayden glanced at Morrigan, Reece and Serris who would be involved in creating the connecting spell. Stephan and Ayanna were present to provide any healing or regeneration necessary. Ser Matthew and Warden Daniel were also available, he assumed in case things went horribly wrong. "So I just sit in the remaining Circle." He murmured to Rathnal.

"Yes, the spell will apparently link you together and then Morrigan will direct the three of you into Cailan's mind." He shrugged. "It is all unbelievable to me, but they seem to know what they are doing." He shifted sheepishly as Morrigan joined them.

"T'is truly inspiring your confidence Commander." Morrigan turned to Jayden. "T'would benefit you to relax and accept the magic, t'will feel strange and given your past experiences your instinct may be to fight it. Remember you need to find Cailan first; he must be freed before the Archdemon is sent from his mind or he may never be free."

"What if I can't access the memory, he was in my mind last time so it just … happened."

"You will have a form within Cailan's mind, it is what your consciousness will create for you. I will link the memory to a rune that I will place at your wrist, a convenient place to reach when the time comes. All you need to do is touch it and the memory will manifest. Now, give me your arm."

Taking a calming breath Jayden held out his hand, Morrigan taking hold of his wrist, the fingers of her other hand pressing lightly to his forehead.

"T'is likely this will feel strange, but t'is no stranger than other magic you have experienced in your exploits."

"Good to know." Jayden murmured.

"Now focus on the memory so I can anchor it."

Sighing Jayden concentrated, thinking of Andraste and the memories she had gifted him, focusing on her voice raised in song, the flames she had made her own and the love and acceptance of the Maker surrounding her. He was aware of a burning sensation on his wrist, gritting his teeth to avoid crying out.

"T'is done."

Glancing down Jayden frowned, it looked as though he had been branded with a symbol, his skin inflamed, raised and hot to the touch. "Is that permanent?"

"No, once used it will be as though it never existed."

"And you are sure this will be with me in Cailan's mind and all I have to do is touch it and the memory will project out."

"As certain as I can be." She raised an eyebrow at his disbelieving look. "T'is uncharted territory for those of us here at least. We have pooled our knowledge and resources. T'will be enough."

"I hope so." Jayden muttered, chewing his lip nervously before stepping into the circle and sitting down. "Just relax." He murmured to himself. "Because of course it's that easy." He flinched at the first wave of magic, immediately tensing, every instinct screaming to fight it. He realised then why Dylan had been meditating. He focused on his breathing, on relaxing his body and when the second wave washed over him, he surrendered to the magic.

xXx

"Well, we aren't in Ostagar anymore so I guess we made it." Alistair muttered, pleased to realise he was wearing his armour and his sword was at his side, before remembering it wasn't actually a sword. Don't think about it.

Jayden stared curiously at his own arm, it felt real, everything felt real unfortunately including the pain from his ogre inflicted injuries and the burning sensation of the brand. "I can feel pain here." He murmured.

"It is the echoes of your real body." Dylan stated anxiously. "Remember you can get hurt here too, so we need to be careful."

"Got it." Glancing around Jayden frowned slightly. "This is the docks in Denerim, I suppose the most likely place he would be is the palace." He took a step forward glancing at Dylan who stopped him.

"This won't be like Denerim, remember that. There could be traps, or these streets could be a maze we will never escape from. What we need is a guide."

Jayden watched as Dylan performed a spell just as he would, were he truly in his own body, raising an eyebrow as a silver wolf appeared before them. Its form flickered, more transparent than solid, but it looked at them then moved off with purpose. "Was that form deliberate?"

Shaking his head Dylan shrugged. "I guess I must have been thinking of Airyl, I always feel safer somehow when she's around. We better go."

They followed the wolf through the maze of streets that seemed to shift and move as they passed through them. Jayden realised without their guide they would have become hopelessly lost. Glancing up he sighed in frustration, the palace which is where he presumed they were heading, seemed as far off as when they had been at the docks.

"It's like the Fade here." Dylan murmured as they turned a corner and suddenly found themselves at the Palace gates. "One moment you are miles away and the next you are a step away."

Jayden glanced around startled, wondering if this was a little like Rathnal's experience while in the Fade at his visit to the Circle, it was unsettling to say the least.

"I hate the Fade." Alistair muttered, remembering the demon that had taken Bethany's form in their mission to the Circle. It still haunted him that he had truly believed he had been with his wife.

"Just stay close." Dylan murmured.

The wolf continued on into the courtyard, the three men following.

Dylan hesitated at the doors. "This probably isn't going to be the Palace; it could be anywhere. Just be prepared for anything."

Nodding Alistair moved forward pushing open the doors revealing a long dark corridor beyond, all three jumping at the shriek that seemed to come from the far end. "Of course, it would be creepy." Alistair muttered, forcing himself to follow the wolf and step inside, Dylan and Jayden hurrying after him.

Frowning Dylan saw light ahead on the left, seeming to emanate from a doorway hearing a woman laugh. "Be cautious, this could be a trap." Easing around the open heavy arched door, he saw a woman holding a young boy maybe two years old who was giggling.

Jayden swallowed painfully, recognising Queen Rowan from her portraits, though here she was far more beautiful. "These are Cailan's memories." He whispered, glancing up the corridor realising it was full of doors, most were closed, but the wolf was sitting outside the next open door waiting patiently.

Alistair stared at the memory feeling a rush of pain of having never known his own mother. He glanced behind him as Jayden gently squeezed his shoulder. "I'm alright." He whispered.

Having moved on ahead, Dylan glanced curiously past the wolf, recognising the General and a little girl he presumed was his daughter. He couldn't help smiling as she ordered Cailan around, the young prince eager to please. "The Queen was clearly ordering people around even at a young age."

Watching his sister Jayden felt a deep ache within his heart, he had almost managed to bury it, but seeing her brought the pain and grief of their fractured relationship to the surface. He swallowed painfully as she smiled at Cailan, remembering when a smile from her could lighten his heart.

"We should move on." Alistair whispered, eager to find Cailan and free him from the Archdemon. He gave an impatient hiss as the wolf stopped at another door, glancing through and seeing Cailan holding a baby, Anora hovering over him anxiously. He saw his own father and Jayden's parents. Glancing anxiously at Jayden, he realised his gaze was locked on his mother; seeing tears in his eyes he moved closer to him. "It isn't her, just like it isn't my father, it's just his memory of them."

Nodding Jayden forced himself to move, glancing into the last open door hearing Alistair suck in a sharp breath, he understood why, it was the memory of Cailan meeting Alistair for the first time as his brother. The pair jumped as Dylan joined them.

"Why these memories?" Dylan murmured.

"Maybe they have a strong emotional attachment for him." Alistair murmured as he glanced at the closed doors, nipping at his lower lip before moving to a random door and trying to open it, finding it locked. "Maybe this is how the Archdemon is keeping control. Maybe if we found a way to open the doors Cailan would have more control."

"That's a good point, the more space taken up by his own memories, maybe the less room the Archdemon has." Dylan moved to a door finding it impossible to open, as were the doors on either side.

"I can't open any of the doors either." Jayden muttered. "Let's just find Cailan. Hopefully when we find him we can find a way."

The corridor abruptly ended, the wolf leading them into a massive chamber. The floor was of black marble, with huge depictions of dragons in gold on the walls. Massive dragon statues that stood from floor to ceiling lined both sides of the room forming a corridor through the centre towards what appeared to be a huge black marble altar, torches depicting dragons were interspaced throughout the room. Kneeling before the altar, secured to the floor by chains and a collar around his neck was a blond-haired man.

Jayden grabbed Alistair's arm as he quickened his steps. "Wait, how can we be sure that it is Cailan?" They both turned to Dylan.

Hesitating Dylan glanced around. "The wolf is gone, it did its job, but you're right, we should be cautious." Slowly they approached the man, stopping as he turned all three paling at eyes that were black as oil.

Cailan narrowed his eyes as he looked over them consumed with anger and hatred.

Kneeling beside him, Alistair gently grasped his hand, bringing it to his chest as he placed his hand over Cailan's heart. "Brother."

Jayden glanced at Dylan anxiously realising he would have heard.

"It's alright I know. We didn't know what we would face here so he thought I should be prepared. Seeing them together though, I'm amazed I didn't see the similarities before now."

"Brother." Alistair urged. "I know you are still there." He forced himself to remain calm despite Cailan's hate filled gaze. "I saw the memory you have of me when we first met, when I found out who I truly was. When I found out we were brothers. You promised me nothing would come between us." He saw Cailan blink and shift slightly. "Brother, if you were truly lost to us you wouldn't be kept in chains, he is afraid of you, afraid of your strength and resilience, you have to fight."

Through the sludge of the corruption that bound him as tightly as the chains Cailan shuddered, desperation, anger and fear for his brother gave him the strength to push it back, though he knew it might only be for a moment. "You should not have come." He whispered brokenly. "You cannot help me. He will kill you; he will kill you all."

"Not if we stand together. Dylan, can you destroy the chains?"

"I can try."

Cailan watched as Dylan tried a variety of spells, the chains remaining unaffected.

"This is going to get that thing's attention." Dylan muttered trying another spell, Alistair using his sword to try and break the chain links.

Glancing at his wrist Jayden felt his anxiety spike, if they couldn't break the chains before the Archdemon appeared they were going to be in a world of trouble.

"What is that?" Cailan asked in alarm, seeing the inflamed brand.

"Magical backfire." Jayden muttered; whatever Cailan knew he imagined the Archdemon would also know.

Dylan bit his lip preparing himself for another spell, crying out in shock as the chains suddenly split and like snakes shot at him, clamping around his wrists and ankles.

Alistair cried out in alarm as chains wrapped around his body dragging him away from Cailan.

Jayden managed to dodge the first strike of the chains, but not the second, his arms pulled apart so there was no way he could activate the symbol, his heart pounding as a huge dragon materialised before them. This was not the dragon he had seen in the Deep Roads however, there was no visible taint to the creature, its scales gleamed and it had both eyes, it was as magnificent as it was terrifying. He sucked in a sharp breath as the dragon looked at them, the voice seeming to boom around the room.

"I told your King someone would try to rescue him and look, there are three of you. You were foolish to have come here so unprepared, your minds so clearly on display. As your King could tell you, I can make you relive your most painful memories or adapt them to my whim. Let me show you."

Alistair and Dylan gasped in alarm as the chains dragged them across the floor towards Urthemiel.

Jayden stared in astonishment as both men were suddenly in the bodies of their much younger selves and by the way they were acting they didn't have access to their adult memories.

xXx

"I wish I knew what was happening in there!" Ayanna whispered to Stephan.

"Maker knows, there is no way to tell."

"I am sure we would know if something was wrong." Daniel stated as he joined them.

"Something like that?" Ayanna hissed, moving to Alistair as his body became rigid, his pallor ashen as he gasped for breath. They turned as Dylan began shaking, struggling against something they couldn't see.

"Damn it." Stephan hissed, moving to Dylan scanning him as Ayanna concentrated on Alistair.

"He is being tortured!" Ayanna hissed, glancing at Stephan who nodded, the same seeming to be true for Dylan.

Wringing his hands, Teagan dropped to his knees beside Alistair. "Can you help them?"

"We can try." She focused her healing magic on the echoes of pain vibrating through Alistair's body, Stephan working on Dylan.

xXx

Alistair cowered in the stables as Isolde brandished the whip, howling in pain as it struck him again.

Collapsing to the ground he felt blood run down his back, pain leaving him almost senseless, shuddering and sobbing painfully. "Stop!" He pleaded. "Please, I'll be good I swear!"

"Leave him alone you bastard!" Cailan screamed. "It is me you want to hurt, let him go."

"But his pain hurts you worse than your own." Urthemiel purred. "And that is so very satisfying."

"You should have been drowned at birth!" Isolde screamed, as another stroke cut deeply into flesh, the boy howling and trying to crawl away from her. "You are a bastard; no-one cares about you! No-one will help you."

Curling in on himself Alistair tried to protect his head, choking on tears of pain and grief. He didn't want her to be right, but even his own parents hadn't wanted him. He suddenly knew she wasn't going to stop; no-one would come to his aid; he would die here in this stable never even knowing who his parents were.

Struggling against the Templars, Dylan cried out in grief and fear as the hilt of the Templars sword crashed against his twin's temple, watching her crumple to the ground to be cradled by his father. He screamed as he was dragged away, desperate to get back to Sophia, the pain of their separation worse than the blows that quickly left him unable to move as he lay sobbing on the ground.

"Stop this!" Jayden roared, struggling violently with the chains holding him, his throat raw from screaming his pleas for them to be freed, trying to ignore Cailan who was now rocking and sobbing. Anger and hate surged through him as he realised their struggles were weakening, fearing the Archdemon truly intended to kill them. "You're a damn coward, Urthemiel!" Jayden snarled. "No wonder the Tevinter Empire stopped worshipping you!" He tried to ignore the fact he was shaking as the Archdemon came into form before him.

"If you want my attention so badly you can have it, boy!"

Jayden saw Alistair and Dylan returned to their adult bodies, both young men disorientated and still shaking. The wounds were gone, but he had no doubt they could still feel them. He saw Cailan reach out to Alistair desperate to comfort his brother, pulling him close as Alistair gripped his arm. Dylan met his gaze, the look passing between them that they had to stay strong. He steeled himself as Urthemiel brought his great head close to him.

"Let us see what haunts you."

Jayden became rigid as he felt Urthemiel dig into his mind as easily as he had the first time, the barriers protecting him shattering.

Urthemiel sighed. "Such exquisite pain, such loss in your short life, but this is not a fitting punishment for such arrogance to come here and think you can remove me from your King's mind! Perhaps we should show the King and your companions what you are truly capable of. The memory you fear others discovering."

Jayden felt his guts twist despite knowing this form wasn't truly real, as the scene of the Templars attacking Anders and of his and Morrigan's arrival played out. He didn't dare look at the others, knowing with sickening certainty that if they made it out of this his freedom and likely his life would be stripped from him. His hands shook as he saw Anders held as a human shield, seeing again the terror and defeat in his eyes. He took a calming breath, no matter what he faced because of this, he would do it again and that gave him a measure of comfort.

Despite the pain of his body and the grief that threatened to crush him, Dylan forced himself to focus on what was happening. His eyes widened as he recognised Anders and then as he saw the first arrow fly leading to the death of a Templar who had terrified all of the mages in the Circle with his cruelty. A Templar fell to Morrigan and the final again was stopped forever by an arrow. He stared at the captain in a whole new light, because it wasn't just the killing of the Templars, having seen the memory he now knew that he had at some point helped to destroy Anders's phylactery and now he believed that his brother who had lived in the Wilds was in fact Anders alive and well. He felt panic squirm in his gut and pound at his chest, he would never breathe a word of what he had seen, but if the King revealed what they had seen it would be Aeonar or more likely death for his Captain.

Having mastered his pain, Alistair clenched his fists wanting to rip the Templars apart himself. Bethany had told him what had happened, but seeing it for himself left him enraged.

"Did you know about this?" Dylan murmured.

"We have never spoken about it, but I know what happened. He did the right thing." He realised Dylan was just staring at him. "No-one deserves to be treated like that and certainly not just because they were born with magic."

"He killed Templars." Cailan whispered in horror, glancing at Alistair and Dylan who both had cautious looks on their faces. "Can you imagine the toll that must have taken on him, having to kill to save his friend. Maker, I suspected some Templars would be brutal, it is the same in all professions, but what they intended to do is sickening." He glanced at Alistair. "Why did he not tell us?"

"What would you have done?" Alistair asked quietly. "None of us really believed him about the blight, would you have taken him seriously about this and if he had confessed to killing Templars how could he know for certain you would not inform the Chantry."

Cailan lowered his head. "Maker, I keep failing him."

"It is not Will you have failed." Dylan stated sharply. "Well maybe a bit, but it is the mages who have been abused. He could have turned away, pretended it wasn't happening. That is what the majority of non-mages do. Instead, he risked his life to help, because make no mistake, they would have killed him too given the opportunity and they would have made it slow and painful."

Cailan felt his cheeks colour, he had never given much thought to mages and certainly hadn't thought to interfere with the Templars and the Chantry on their behalf.

"Murderer." Urthemiel purred, regaining their attention.

Though terror flowed through him Jayden forced himself to speak hoping to buy them more time. "Think what you like, I gave them the opportunity to stop what they were doing. They would have brutalized and then murdered him. They were corrupt! They had taken their sacred duty to protect mages and twisted it to their own desires. Anyone more powerful than another has a duty to protect not harm." He trembled as Urthemiel's laughter boomed around the chamber.

"Are you trying to caution me, boy? I have done things you cannot imagine. I have travelled paths that you cannot conceive. I am a God, I do as I please, when I please."

"You are powerful there is no doubt, but you do not have to use that power to destroy. You can command the Darkspawn to lay down their weapons. We can find peace." He stepped back as Urtheimel's head lowered, hitting the tail and having no-where to go.

"I will not stop until the whole world is mine, until all creatures bow to my power."

"But it isn't your power, is it?" Jayden croaked, forcing up the last dregs of courage. "It is the blight that is the power." He collapsed to his knees as the roar seemed to shake the room and drive through his mind like nails.

"It seems you need another lesson in my power. Memories are simply materials I can bend to my will, like a smith shaping iron. Your memories can take whatever shape I desire. For example, what do you think would have happened had you not been rescued from that ship?"

Staring at the Archdemon in growing horror, terror clawing at his gut, Jayden wrenched at the chains trying to reach the brand on his wrist. He heard Alistair cry out in panic before everything shifted around him.

Urthemiel swept aside Jayden's memories, hunting down the one he had thought about from their last encounter. The memory that with just a little reshaping would break him.

Staring in horror Cailan watched as Jayden was transformed into his seven-year-old self, the room around him twisting into the deck of a ship, knowing where this was heading. Terrified he strained at the chains. "Please, I am begging you, do not do this to him. He has been hurt enough!"

"Nothing will be enough." Urthemiel hissed. No mortal in his long years had ever been able to force him out of their minds until this one and it had gnawed at him until he felt near to madness. He would not allow any threat to his power and here in Cailan's mind he was in control, he would not be taken by surprise by a memory; even a memory that had felt so real he had believed the Maker was with them. He had been tricked and, in his shock, he had fallen foul of the arrow that was the cause of the loss of his eye. For that alone he would make the mortal suffer.

"You are afraid of him." Cailan murmured, staring at the manifested dragon with wide eyes. "He pushed you out of his mind, likely something no-one had done before him." He realised too late the wrath his words were creating.

"I fear nothing! I am a God!" Urthemiel roared.

"I am sorry, I misspoke!" Cailan cried out desperately as the dragon vanished. "Take your anger out on me, not him!" He yelled, staring at where Jayden was surrounded by Orlesian's on the ship. "Maker, what have I done?"

Jayden shuddered as the Archdemon concealed his adult memories from him one by one, until the blights were tales from the past and all the memories that existed for him were those he had up until the memory he was now in. He stared fearfully at the manacles on his wrists; the pain of the cut the dagger had made on his hand, the lump where he had been kicked in the head and the ache of his stomach as real to him as they had once been.

Urthemiel smiled smugly, this time there would be no rescue, they really had no idea just how powerful he was, or how cruel his vengeance could be.

Heart pounding Jayden was led off the ship surrounded by people whose language he did not understand, whose hate filled looks instilled such dread and fear that it was all he could do not to cry. Even if his father did come for him, he would never find him. He began to struggle, fought against those holding him, but he was still dragged into a building, forced down so many steps until his legs ached, before being shoved into a cell. He was forced to his knees by the woman gripping his arm, his tormentor on the ship. He looked up at the man he was being presented to, a wicked smile on a face that terrified Jayden more than anything so far.

"Let us send the General a gift." The emperor stated, a cold smile remaining on his lips speaking in the common tongue for Jayden's benefit. "The hand of his son for starters, I think. Take your time, remove each finger first."

Dylan stared in shock, both at the revelation of who he was and what was about to happen to him. He tried to speak but found he had no voice, staring at what was unfolding before them, helpless and terrified. He glanced at Alistair who was straining against the chains, his face flushed with fury, his eyes locked on the child the captain had become.

Jayden stared at the man unable to move so deep was the shock, she had spoken truly, they really did mean to send him back in pieces. The desire to survive broke through the paralysis of terror and he struggled against the woman holding him, trying to get to the door. He screamed and begged, but hands grabbed him and he was dragged over to the slab in the centre of the room, kicking and punching even as he was lifted and chained to it. Heart pounding Jayden stared as the emperor stood over him.

"This is your father's fault, boy."

"My dad will kill you all!" Jayden screamed, struggling against the chains holding him.

"I think not." He grabbed Jayden's hand, pinning it to the stone. "But he is welcome to try."

Eyes locked on the dagger, Jayden saw the flash of metal as the blade swung down, he screamed in pain and terror and couldn't stop.

"No!" Dylan roared finally able to speak, struggling violently. "You can't do this to him, you have made him a child for Maker's sake!"

"Now do you understand? I have no mercy."

xXx

Author note: Thank you for reading. It is always appreciated.