"Isena!" Fenris's voice carried across the courtyard, his daughter sitting up from her place in the shade-covered grass. "Come, I wish to show you something."

Emerald eyes wandered over the untouched armory before settling on a large trunk in the far corner. Thick blankets of dust coated of the unused armaments while the once bright furnace sat dark and cold. The only light fell through cracks in the aging wooden walls and rooftop. Standing in the doorway, Fenris's mind drifted to a time when the Inquisition still called Skyhold home; the time when everything he thought he knew changed.

It's a trap! His own stunned realization echoed in his ears.

No, Fenris, don't leave me, please! The memory of Ana's distress rang clear. He had wanted to comfort her in that moment, to confess his heart one final time, but his strength had left him. Absentmindedly, his hand moved to the side of his neck as the memory of death's frigid claws around his throat resurfaced. I'm so sorry, Fenris, but I can't lose you. Please forgive me. Ana's desperate plea turned apology had been the last thing he expected to hear that day.

"Father, is everything all right?"

Startled by the sudden voice beside him, Fenris chuckled beneath his breath before stepping inside and walking cross the room. "I had thought this lost all those years ago. I threw it down to save your mother, expecting to never see it again." Fingers traced the cold metal latch of a small chest before lifting the wooden lid. A soft golden glow illuminated the edges of the box as Fenris lifted the blade into view, the leather wrapped hilt familiar to his coarse palms. Veins in the metal shone brilliantly as he dragged the flat end against his wrist. "This Blade of Mercy served me well. Many giants fell and enemies vanquished while it remained in my hands."

Isena remained attentive but silent, her golden stare fixed on her Father's demonstration.

"I believe it's time this weapons fell to you." Warmth filled his grin, arm extending the hilt. "Take it."

"It's beautiful." A grin spread in disbelief while wide eyes remained on the gift. "Are you certain?" Cheeks pushed up as her grin became a smile, Isena swung the sword with ease.

"It suits you well, Isena." Ana's voice joined them, her shadow cast along the floor as she leaned against the doorframe. "Take it out and get a feel for it, there are still some practice dummies beside the old tavern."

Excitement flashed in her eyes before she vanished, appearing across the yard and wasting no time stepping into her trained movements.

"I have something for you, as well." Fenris stepped toward Ana, one hand reaching for hers and the other holding her soft cheek.

Her soft gaze never failed to quicken his heart, her sweet scent threatening to buckle his knees. When she smiled, the world faded away, fears and uncertainty settling as though they never existed; even without using magic, her presence convinced him everything would be okay. "What do you mean?" Pulling away she glanced at his hand with a frown. "Fenris, you're shaking."

Beads of sweat formed beneath his bangs, the tremble in his hands proving difficult to control. The small metal cuff warmed against the edge of his thumb as he reached into his pocket. "I admit, I'm unfamiliar with the proper way to do this, but I do not wish to wait any longer.

"Fenris, love, what's going on? I've never seen you so nervous."

With a contented sigh and pounding heart, he met her golden eyes as he sank to one knee and pulled the cuff into view. "When our paths first crossed, I sensed something different in you; different yet familiar. I trusted you faster than I wanted and no matter your actions, I always found my life void without you in it. You're my sun and moon, Anaris, and if there is one thing I know with certainty, it is that I want to spend eternity by your side." He swallowed, the corners of his lips twitching when her eyes widened in delight. "Will you bond to me and be mine in the eyes of law and gods?"

A surge of emotions cascaded over Ana's face, her hands covering her mouth as her eyes glistened. She stared at the silver offering in his hand, the single red gem catching a glint of sunlight. "Oh, Fenris." She whispered, wrapping her fingers around his. "Of course, I will. Nothing would make me happier"

Joy and relief overwhelmed him, his love falling into his arms with a kiss. This moment had filled his dreams many times over the years, but never did he expect to physically experience it.

Apologies for the interruption. Fiora's reptilian gaze stared through the open door. Something is not right.

"Fiora?" Ana rose, placing the jewelry on her left ear. "What is it, what's happened?"

A surge of power to the north. I can no longer sense the magic of my sisters and that of the queen is fading quickly. We must leave at once

"Mythal." Ana stated, her stature hardening before she glanced to Fenris. "We have to act before she can finish whatever she's started."

Summon the Dread Wolf. I will take you.

ii

The flight across the mountains held an eerie silence, the air growing unnaturally cold as the magic thickened. Ana's heart raced with anxious anticipation; speaking of defeating her mother was far less daunting than flying toward the battle. Only two outcomes existed: victory or death.

"Ana." The unease in Fenris's tone mirrored the suspicion in his eyes. "Do you smell that?"

"What is it?" Solas shifted, head turning to look forward as though he might see through the clouds.

Standing, Ana frowned, the wind pushing her hair over her shoulders, nostrils flared in disgust. "Blood." She turned forward. "Too much blood."

"Do you also sense the magic?" Solas's eyes narrowed. "It grows more sinister each moment. Even more than Corypheus's powers."

We are here With a powerful flap of her wings, the clouds parted and Fiora descended, collective gasps of horror slipping from the three warriors.

"I don't believe it." Shock held Fenris's voice at a whisper, wide-eyed and pale, his brows turned upward.

"What could have done this?" Fury twisted Solas's features while his words quivered with hopelessness.

A pause lingered as Ana took in the carnage before them. Three dragons slaughtered, their blood painting the stone courtyard. The Gamordan Stormrider lay in the center, several stone pillars collapsed on her tail, wings flat above her body; she was slain mid-flight. Innumerable slashes covered her scaled body, a massive puncture wound where her heart once thundered and a pool of blood spread beneath her.

The Hivernal and Kaltenzahn lay in a mixture of ice and rubble, the marbled archways and statues once lining the path to the castle doors now a tomb for the sisters. Scorched and frozen stone hinted at the valiant fight put on by the defeated dragons, smaller trails of blood leading up the steps toward the castle the only clue leading to their adversary.

My sisters. Fiora lamented, landing beside the Stormrider. What have they done to my sisters? Eyes closing, she pressed her head against her fallen comrade.

"Perhaps they turned on Mythal, the way Fiora did?" Fenris examined the wounds, hand on his hilt. "These were inflicted with a blade; the edges are clean, and the wounds widen as they go down."

No! Fiora turned her head. The Queen suffered no betrayal. We came of our own will and were not commanded to stay. I was as free to leave with my sister of bone as I was free to stay! Folding her wings, she moved past them, massive talons pulling the rubble from the other two. Perhaps I should have.

"Fiora, whoever did this had enough power to defeat three high dragons. Had you stayed, you likely would have suffered the same." Ana's words were met with silence, the dragon continuing to unearth her kin.

"Up here!" Solas's cry echoed from the top of the first set of stairs. "This one lives!"

With a glance and impossible speed, Ana and Fenris closed the distance to join him. Hands flying to cover her open mouth, Ana's heart sank further into her stomach. "Dirthamen."

The blonde elf sat against what remained of another archway, one hand limp beside him and the other clutching something against his chest. Groaning at the whisper of his name, cool blue eyes peered at the group through blood-stained lochs. The armor once covering his shoulder had broken during the battle, his bare chest riddled with cuts and burns. His left leg had been crushed and his skin held no color. "Lady Anaris… You're here."

"What happened?" Ana knelt, her fierce eyes demanding his compliance. "Who is responsible for this?"

Dirthamen snorted, wincing as he failed to straighten. "He came faster… than we expected. When the Veil fell… his wrath flooded us." He glanced to the fallen dragons. "He absorbed their power. We never stood a chance."

"Who did this?" Solas repeated Ana's question.

"My brother, Falon'Din." His gaze directed them to an unmoving armored corpse across from him. "I begged him… to see truth, but his loyalty remained." Blood oozed from the corner of his mouth, his breathing shallow and erratic. "Please, I don't have long… Take this… your mother said to tell you… it's the key…" Turning his hand, his fingers opened to reveal a small oval shaped gem, its crimson sheen reflecting the storm brewing in the heavens. "Free… the dragons." With his final breath, Dirthamen's eyes fell vacant, his body limp.

Hesitation controlled Ana's movements, her fingers twitching before reaching for the gem and examining it.

"The key to what?" Fenris spoke to the very thing she wondered.

"Why don't we go find out?" Ana's voice lowered to control the tremble. Something evil awaited them within the castle; something evil and powerful. Even with her supernatural abilities the fear of failure haunted her mind, she had prepared to face her mother, but this was not Mythal's doing, this was an enigma she had not prepared for.

Fenris met her gaze, his ice blade drawn. "I am with you."

"As am I." Solas nodded in agreement, his hand clapping her shoulder. "Whatever awaits us inside, will face all of us."

ii

The large, once ornate wooden doors hung open, broken and splintered beyond repair. The spacious throne room appeared empty, the lit torches along the walls doing little illuminate the slender figure behind the throne. Lightning flashed across the blackened sky, the glass wall behind the silhouette cracked, damaged from multiple points of impact.

"It seems she spoke truly." A deep voice greeted them.

"Who are you?" Ana hissed, eyes melting black. "Where is Mythal?"

The figure chuckled before turning to step into the torchlight. "You are every bit the abomination I predicted." An elven man stood before them, golden hair flowing over his shoulders and past his hips, brilliant green eyes filled with arrogance staring down at them. Green vallaslin climbed his neck and face like vines of thorns, the marks glowing when his gaze met Ana's.

The edge of Fenris's blade dropped to the ground with a crash, his eyes fading black. "What did you say?"

The man glanced at him, the vallaslin beneath his elegant robes illuminating his figure. "Silence, dog. I gave you no command to speak."

"I will not ask again." Ana snarled, her own vallaslin shining crimson in response. "Who are you and where is Mythal?"

With a smirk, the stranger grabbed the top of the throne, throwing it down as Mythal's aged and withered body tumbled across the floor. "I am El'gar'nan, girl, and you will kneel before your king."

Horror widened Ana's eyes, her breaths growing shorter with each roll Mythal's body completed. The once powerful goddess now lay still, battered and bloody, skin wrinkled with age. White wiry strands of hair matted around her sunken eyes; shriveled lips parted from her last gasp for breath. It appeared her soul had been sucked from her body.

Regaining composure, Ana's stare found the vacant setting in her mother's collar, a spot large enough to hold the jewel Dirthamen passed on and El'gar'nan seemed none the wiser to its existence.

"Kneel before me and I will make your death quick, creature." El'gar'nan demanded, his arm extending toward her.

"Creature?" Vallaslin glowing with the rage in her chest, Ana stepped forward, fangs bared. "I suggest you consider who you address, unless you want your throat ripped from your body."

The elven god snorted, a disgusted smirk flickering across his face. "You have your mother's looks and your father's temper, shame."

Ana straightened; her expression softened as his words caught her off guard. "Father? You know who my father was?"

"I see your mother told you nothing." His gaze dropped to Mythal's corpse for a moment. "I shouldn't be surprised; betrayal was her second nature." He paused, apprising Ana. "Your mother was promised to me. She was to be my queen, and we were to rule our people as one." A wicked scowl crossed his face as he stepped forward. "I was young and foolish, I loved her enough to overlook her- indiscretion. But once the purity of our bloodline became tainted? Once she combined the Elvhen lineage with a beast? Unforgivable."

"I don't understand." Claws broke the soft flesh of her palm, the pain grounding her and focusing her thoughts while fingertips grew wet. "What are you trying to say?"

"Ah, forgive me, I forget lesser beings often need the simplest of things explained as would a child." His lip twitched with arrogance. "I presented my betrothed with a choice: terminate the abomination growing within her or die with it. She fled, hiding among the nomadic clans to the south." His gaze moved to Solas before returning to Ana. "It would seem judgement has finally caught up with you both."

Fire erupted around Ana's arms, the ground beneath her feet cracking under the burst of power. "You want me dead? Let's see you try."

Fenris moved beside her, blade at the ready, his daggered eyes glaring beneath his white bangs. "If he wishes to harm you, he will have to go through me."

A blue aura coated them, Solas's voice coming from behind. "Be cautious! El'gar'nan is unlike any enemy you have faced!"

"You will address me as king!" The ancient elf roared; his hand thrust forward before a magical blast split the floor in two. "Come, face your death."

With a nod, Ana rushed in, Fenris circling around. Orbs of fire leaped from Ana's palms and raced for El'gar'nan, but he made no attempt to dodge. The earth trembled, smoke filling the room as each blast met its mark with ease.

"Too easy." Ana laughed, using the rising smoke for cover, as she circled her opponent, Fenris following suit.

El'gar'nan's figure remained stationary, a shadow through the smoke. For all his bluster, Ana had expected more of a fight. "I'm disappointed, I expected more of the one who killed my mother!" Anna grinned; claw extended toward her enemy's throat before her eyes glimpsed Fenris's blade crashing down from above.

"Surely that's not all you have to offer."

The annoyance laced in El'gar'nan's tone chilled Ana's spine. Disappointment quickly gave way to trepidation, Ana's heart leaping to her throat as a firm grip diverted her reach and wrapped around her wrist. How did he see her through the smoke? Had he anticipated her attack?

The sound of a weapon clattering to the floor suggested what she feared most; had he seen Fenris as well? How was he able to counter them simultaneously? As the smoke cleared, Ana's face blanched; not a single hair had been singed by her attack. Strained grunts pulled her gaze upward, El'gar'nan's other hand wrapped around Fenris's throat, his feet lifted from the ground.

"Pathetic." He scoffed, his grip tightening on Fenris, causing him to squirm and claw at the unmoving hold.

"Let him go!" A roar unleashed, flames engulfed her free hand before swiping across the would-be king's face. Fingertips connecting with smooth flesh, claws extended, digging into his cheek and lacerating the skin while the flames enveloped his incredulous face.

Agony merged with fury in the form of a scream, El'gar'nan's hands releasing them both as he clutched his wound. Ana's focus remained on Fenris, reaching for him the moment she gained balance. For the first time in a long time, genuine terror flooded her veins; this fight could cost her everything.

"Ana, go!" Fenris commanded, hand around his neck as he gasped for breath. "Solas, get her out of here!"

"Not without you!" The crack in her voice surprised her, brow melted in fear as their hands nearly touched.

Ana had seen many expressions cross her lover's face, but the sheer panic that drained the color in his dark skin her hair froze her core. An enraged hand latched to the back of her head, thrusting her back before she realized what happened. The only certainties were the hard stone floor she tumbled across and the startling realization she was no longer the most powerful one in the room.

Blood stained the silver fur draped over El'gar'nan's shoulders, his skin burned and grotesque while his murderous gaze targeted Ana. "I had planned on killing you quickly, but now–now you will suffer." Fingers threading through Fenris's white locks, he grinned at his hostage's pained cries. "I will enjoy this." Tossing Fenris to the ground between them, his gaze remained on Ana, a single word uttered with malice. "Athrú."

Tears flooded Ana's eyes, Fenris unable to hide his pained expression. No sooner had the word left El'gar'nan's lips, anguish consumed Fenris, his hands flying to his head before slamming his brow into the ground. The change became noticeable almost instantly, white fur growing from every inch of flesh, cracking bones filling the space between tormented screams.

"Fenris, no!" Ana's face twisted, heart shattering in her chest. Bloody hands clamored on broken stone floor, desperate to reach him.

"Ana, we have to go!" Solas fell to one knee, his arms wrapped around her in restraint. "If we stay here, we die!"

Fenris's cries changed with his body, his shoulders tripling in size while his legs curved and stretched, a large tail resting between them. Cries of pain evolved into animalistic howls and snarls, once emerald eyes now crimson staring down a long snout of sharpened teeth. Fingers and toes grew to padded claws, pointed ears shifting to sit atop his head. Where Fenris crouched moments ago now stood a werebeast, lips curled in bloodlust and claws eager for slaughter.

"Kill them."

Without hesitation, the rabid beast lunged forward with a roar, his only intent obeying his master. This has to be a dream disbelief paralyzed her, it has to be.

A second roar rattled the room, Fenris forced back as what remained of the roof caved in. Standing over Ana and Solas, Fiora parted her massive jaws and roared once more before grabbing them, one in each front claw, and lurching heavenward.

"No, wait!" Ana watched the castle as they fled. "We can't leave him!"

There was no choice.

"Fiora is right, Ana." Solas called over the rushing wind. "Fenris is gone. He would have killed us both without hesitation."

Eyes filling with tears and head growing heavy, Ana's lungs struggled to breathe. Lips opening and closing a dozen times, the scene repeatedly replayed in her mind. Fenris's screams of agony still deafened her while El'gar'nan's pompous grin burned a new fury within her breast. "Put me down."

"Ana-"

"I said put me down!" A scream, hands trying to force the dragon's talons open.

Fiora complied with silence, gliding into a small grove and landing with barely a sound. We cannot tarry, the false king will come.

No sooner had her feet touched the solid earth, a blend of torment, despair, rage, and heartbreak roared from Ana's lips, her cheeks glistening with the flood from her eyes. Fingers dug into the dirt while her stomach twisted in knots; if ever there was a time she wanted to die, this was it. Had she been smarter, faster, Fenris would still be with her. How many times had her rash desire to fight and her arrogant confidence placed him in unnecessary danger?

"Ana?" Solas's voice held soft compassion, his gentle hand resting on her shoulder.

"It should have been me." A whisper between sobs as she sank to her knees. "I never should have let Fenris attack, and now he-he's-" The words caught in her throat, fist slamming into the dirt. "This is my fault! What was I thinking? I should have–" Arms wrapped around her churning stomach, devastation screamed through her open mouth while tears soaked the ground. She had been cut and stabbed more times than she could count, but they paled in comparison to the pain welling in her chest; the agony of her heart shattering.

Sinking to the ground beside her, Solas pulled the broken Ana into his chest, one arm wrapped around her shoulders while the other cradled her head as she sobbed into his tunic. "Anaris, listen to me." Head tilting, his lips moved closer to her ear. "There was nothing you could have done. El'gar'nan cursed him with a single word; that is a power beyond anything you or I are capable of."

"I can't leave him, Solas, not like that."

"And you won't." His voice cracked with a stifled tremble. "We will return to Arlathan, to Skyhold, gather Isena and Amelas and find a way to fight back, but for now, what he needs of you is survival." Hands moving to hold her face, his hazel eyes met her tear-stained gaze. "You cannot save him if you are dead."

"Lifting the Veil caused this. All of this."

"Anaris, do not be foolish." His chastisement caught her focus. "We had no way of knowing what we released, just as we had no way of knowing the true cause for the war we raised the Veil to stop." A familiar flicker crossed his expression; for the first time, he gazed at her with the same pain-filled empathy as he had when they were young. "Ana, I know I am the last person with any right to ask this, but do you trust me? Can you trust me?"

For a moment, it was not a seasoned goddess with bloodstained hands staring at the Dread Wolf, but a young girl who knew nothing of pain or betrayal. The Solas she knew all those years ago still existed and he was here, now, when she needed him most. "Yes." She swallowed, blinking back another surge of tears. "I trust you Solas."

"Then come with me. We will defeat this false king and end this. We will win this battle."

"No." A final tear fell down her cheek, golden eyes steeled with renewed focus. "I am done allowing my enemies to take what is mine. No longer will I cower in the shadows; El'gar'nan wishes a war? I will bring him a reckoning."