Disclaimer: I do not own anything of the Dragon Age series

Interested in how Alexander Amell looks? Put 'William Moseley' into Google images. Pretty, sexy, intelligent and powerfully built he has it all, and yes I do have a crush ;-)

Out in the centre of the northen tip of Lake Calenhad a giant tower, the tallest west of the Frostback Mountains, sat upon a small island. The broken remanents of the Imperial Highway showing how it was once connected to the rest of Fereldan. Standing as a bastion of power and influence the fortress tower of Kinloch Hold was unmatched in Fereldan even by the smaller, less glamerous Fort Drakon and had weathered countless attacks upon its liege lord throughout the centuries. Now however the broken spans of the white highway running across the black waters of the lake signified not an attempt to keep something out but instead to keep something in. The fortress tower had been turned against its inhabitents untill it became a fortress prison. The Tower of the Fereldan Circle of Magi.

The full moon rose above the tower throwing the bright white bones of the highway into stark relief against the inky black of the deep water and the sparking obsidian of the tower itself. But the silver moonlight was unable to penetrate deep beneath the water, into the cellars and dungeons of the tower where someone was waiting. Had any of the inhabitents known what was coming they would probably have been astonded and pleased by the irony of the situation. For as the symbol of the Chantry was the blazing sun, it seemed perfect that the first steps to tearing down the prison this island had become were taken in the light of the moon.

The newly harrowed mage Alexander Amell, Alex to his friends, sat in his cell in the base of Kinloch Hold, known to the common man as the Circle Tower. The tall man had ice blue eyes, blonde hair to just below his ears and a young, handsome face.

Currently he was trying to deal with the fact that at age 22 his life was at an end. He was going to be made tranquil before the week was out.

'Jowen you idiotic moron!' Alex seethed aloud as he punched the stone wall of the dungeon cell in frustration. And then regretted it as his fist throbbed.

Jowen had been Alex's best friend since coming to the tower 4 years ago. Not, as most assumed, because it made Alex look much better as Jowen was so terrible at magic, but rather because Jowen shared his love of learning. Descended from a noble family in Kirkwall Alex's branch of the Amells had diversified becoming traders based out of the Fereldan port city of Amaranthine and before his incarceration by the Chantry Alex had spent his time learning about the geography, culture and history of the different nations of Thedas.

'After all' Alex thought as his mind wandered back to happier times. 'You can't do business if you don't know what the different nations produce in abundance or what they desperately need, what they need but cant stomach trading for directly because their mortal enemy owns it and of course the different etiquete for each land. After all you definatly can't do buisness if you offend everyone at the table within the first 10 seconds because you don't know the culture'

A smile appeared on Alex's face as he contemplated what his life would have been like without magic, or better yet if he had never been found.

'I'd have a loyal guard force with a dear friend as captain around a nice home in Amaranthine' hemused using the warmth of the daydream to fend off the fear of being made tranquil. 'loyal friends would command the ships of my merchant fleet with my best friend commanding the flagship as they traded across the oceans and seas of Thedas, Minrathros to Par Vollen, Val Royeaux to Denerim, Seheron to Kirkwall.'

A heartfelt laugh filled the empty dungeon as the image of Jowen commanding his flagship entered his head. Poor Jowen who went green at even the sight of the lake!

Alex cursed as the thought of his best friend brought him back to reality with a crash. Jowen had been desperate to avoid being made tranquil as Greagoir thought him to weak to even give him the despicably harsh swim or be beheaded test that was the harrowing.

'And of course' Alex growled to himself 'Irving just went along with it. Not even attempting to defend those in his charge for whom he is their only hope! Is it any wonder Jowen panicked!

Alex had been tutored by a number of apostates before being found by the templars and despite his, unorthodox, education he had taken to the instruction and education side of the Circle like a fish to water, rapidly increasing his already impressive skill set until he was master of several chunks of the Primal, Spirit and Creation schools. Sure there were large gaps that a true master of each of the schools wouldn't have, his command of fire was terrible for starters, but as mages usually focused on a single school the varied skill set and the sheer natural power he could put behind it made him the feature of many of the towers templars nightmares. Jowen however, while he could master the theory perfectly, inevitably found the execution of said theory incredibly illusive, even with Alex's tutoring. Obviously Greagoir thought this failure of skill meant Jowen shouldn't even be given the chance to defend himself but rather be sentenced to certain death at the templars whim rather than almost certain death on his own merits.

As soon as they had learned of the fate in store for him Jowen and his girlfriend Lilly had planned to destroy his phylactery and then escape quickly. But they needed his help to do it. Alex had agreed in a heartbeat after all friends have each others backs no matter what. Unfortunately they had been caught. Jowen had fled trusting Alex's exemplary record and his own shouted admission of blackmail to protect Alex.

Unfortunately Greagoir was out for blood. 'And as always Irving is happy to provide it." Alex snarled bitterly to the empty cell.

BOOM!

Alex jumped as the explosion rocked the tower.

'WHAT IS GOING ON UP THERE?!' he screamed out hoping for something, even if it was just yells from the templars guarding the dungeon entrance far above.

As the explosions continued magic started to ripple through the air 'Maker almighty!' Alex exclaimed slightly panicked even as the ambient magic beginning to flow through the tower left him with a massive head rush as he gathered it to himself. 'What in the name of the black city is going on?' Desperate for information he let his mind slip lightly into the fade, feeling the next plane of existence that gave Mages their power.

He quickly shut it down as the tidal waves of power caused by so many Mages calling forth their power at once washed over him. 'Well' he thought in shock 'It appears that Jowen wasn't the only blood mage in the tower.' The touch in the fade was unmistakable, upstairs Mages were calling forth Primal, Creation, Spirit and Entropy galore but there was a fifth signature as well, one that it would take a great many mages to generate, not a majority, but a significant number.

'It wood seem that the forbidden school is not so forbidden' Alex called out with a chuckle even as the desire to join the fight against what could only be the templars burned in his gut 'Maybe Irving isn't so useless after all, maybe he was just angry because me and Jowen caused him to start his attack early. Now if only I could get out of here and Join the fight!'

As if summoned a stone fist blew the door to the cell block open.

Alexander Amell stood their in shock. When the door had blown open from a stone fist so powerful it blew the magic resistant door into splinters he had expected to see Irving, Toren, Uldred or even his best female friend Enchanter Tria Suranna.

Which is why he was completely speechless upon seeing Senior Enchanter Leora running towards the door of his cell.