It began in the place where the snow finally melt. 

"Here, stop," said Yixing. "Jongdae, come with me." 

A wave of something hit Minseok like a windstorm. His legs buckled, and his stomach churned. With eyelids quenched shut, he let the momentum run wash through him, then run off. An evil power, a hungry power, and the raw scent of innocence. This was definitely the place. Ahead Minseok could see nothing but the footpath disappearing into the trees. It was both like his vision when he'd touched the ring, and not. The colors were muted, the birds nonexistent. He could hear them, but also he could not. 

"It's as I expected," he said.

As he threw out an arm, his hand was clasped. The templar's warm fingers threaded through his, palms sweaty but comforting. 

"What is?" asked Luhan. 

Minseok opened his eyes. "The Well of Emerald Waters. It's here alright, but not on this plane." 

"You think it's on the other side of the Veil?" asked Kyungsoo, his voice soft and low, but with an insistence in it that required knowledge, more knowledge that Minseok wished to to reveal.

Yixing answered him. "Oh no, not quite that far."

Kyungsoo's nod bespoke his irratance, but he did not press it. Instead, they stood as a group as Yixing and Jongdae disappeared to circumvent the area. Their footsteps brushed against the rocks and brush, and then they too disappeared. It was necessary, splitting up the party as they'd discussed. For in no way was their appraoch going to remain stealthy. Xiumin awaited them all.

"I will go first," said Minseok.

Also as they had planned. 

"You are sure about this?" asked Luhan.

Minseok shrugged. In truth, there was nothing he was sure about. He stood all on edge with his staff out and ready to duel. Luhan stood beside him, shield out and swinging his sword. Jongdae's twin blades had been sharpened the night before until they gleamed from helm to tip. Kris's large muscled body flexed in preparation, greatsword at his hip. Kyungsoo had his crossbow. Shoulder to shoulder they stood, waiting for the sign.

Minutes passed, maybe half an hour. Then Alistair growled, almost silently, and Jongdae appeared from where he had gone.

"Sehun is there, unconscious but alive. No sign of the others. Also, Xiumin is there. Undoubtedly with backup, but they are hidden. There will be magic done here tonight, Luhan, I hope you are ready!?" 

Minseok didn't need to look to know of the feeble smile spreading across the templar's face. 

"What about Tao?" he asked. 

"Right where he said he'd be," answered Jongdae. 

"Good," said the mage. He stared hard at the ground before looking back at the only dwarf who had braved their adventures almost since day one. "Suho, you know what to do, yes?"

The little man nodded. His face knotted in stress, but he looked resolved. More resolved almost than Minseok felt. 

"Let's do this."

Watching Minseok step through the trees, Luhan felt that quenching, searing pain encompassing his heart. Was this it? Was this what his life had been amounting to all this time? Only months ago had he left the comfort of his fellow templars, yet it felt like a lifetime. Anger burned in him, at Xiumin for drawing them here, at the well--whatever it was--just for existing. 

He took a step forward. Immediately, Jongdae put an arm to his shoulder holding him back. Luhan shook it off. 

"I have to stand beside him."

Jongdae smiled, like he understood. "I know. And you will. But let him have this moment first. It's his brother after all."

Kris nodded. "It was fate they stand together today."

"Fate has nothing to do with it," Luhan mumbled, and again stepped forward. Maybe he was a fool, but he would not so ignorant to pretend they might not die. "Let me go," he said to Jongdae. "I won't get in the way. I just need to listen." He also couldn't pretend he didn't hear Kyungsoo's whisper of "idiot" but Luhan didn't care. He pushed his way through the trees, hiding his body, listening ahead.

Something trickled through the brush. A light fog hovered over the ground. Then there were voices. 

"Minseok, brother. How are you? Looking well? You do look well." A laugh. 

"I have nothing to say to you, Xiumin, unless it involves Sehun's safety. You have drugged him. What spell is it?"

There was another laugh, a colder one. Luhan shuddered at the thought of how similar they might have sounded. He knew already that they looked alike, copies of each other in looks and voice. If only life hadn't corrupted the one, they might have been so close. Like twins. 

"You want to know all my tricks without even talking first? Are we not here to negotiate?" said Xiumin. 

Luhan crept even closer. He could see the back of Minseok's robes, knew that Xiumin stood somewhere before him but the foliage blocked his view. There was no sign of anything magical at all. If this was the place where the Well of Emerald Waters stood, it was well hidden. 

"Okay," said Minseok easily. "Let's negotiate." 

"The two gems for Sehun''s life."

Like a switch, Minseok's voice twisted. "No."

"Oh, so you don't care about him after all?" asked Xiumin. "Should I ask your other little friends? Perhaps they will take the bargain?"

"They won't," Minseok insisted. "Especially if you won't also tell us what you've done to the others."

"The others..." Xiumin hummed. "You mean those two lazy humans and the idiot elf? They are, alive. For now."

"I'll give you one gemstone if you tell me where they are."

"Deal." 

Luhan held in his breath. This was not actually part of the plan. But Minseok was already unfolding something from the inside of his mage's robe. It was the pouch in which he'd wrapped the cursed ring. He tossed it forward. Xiumin retrieved it. 

"Tell your templar lover to step out of the shadows, brother. He irritates me, hiding there."  

Minseok startled, and Luhan cringed in shame. But he did as Xiumin suggested. Minseok said nothing to him as he approached. They stood side by side, and for the first time Luhan got a look at the two brothers at the same time. 

"We meet again," said Xiumin with a lazy, gummy smile.

The insinuation sent chills down Luhan's back. He was careful not to reveal that. 

"You don't need to talk to him," said Minseok. "And don't bother trying to come between us. We no longer keep any secrets."

Xiumin's slight frown was the only indication he might have been disappointed, but he shrugged it off. Instead he pawed at the pouch, gingerly unwrapping the cloth with a gloved hand until the ring was revealed. It glittered across the clearing. One streak of its light caught the sun at an angle and flashed against Luhan's eye. He squinted, then blinked for a moment. In that half second he could have sworn he was standing somewhere else... The image of that vision faded almost immediately. Luhan stared around himself, confused, for there was only dull grass and earth surrounded by trees and shrubberies. And in the center, behind some half dead bush, a lopsided well. It was low to the ground, ancient, innocuous. If Luhan had come across it on his own he would not have thought anything of it, just another artifact of a bygone era. 

Was there any way that was the actual well which had caused them so much grief? 

Beside it, partially hidden by its extending stone rim, was Sehun. He was covered almost head to toe in ropes which tied his limbs and forced him to curl inwardly. His face was mottled with bruises, several of the bindings at his wrists looked bloodied. He had likely struggled for a long time before losing consciousness, that or he'd been forcefully put to sleep. He looked small, terrifyingly vulnerable. Luhan knew, however, that in this moment he would not be allowed to get close to the boy until they'd had this scene. Minseok too, for the sake of Xiumin's little game, acted as if it didn't matter. 

"Head west about ten minutes. That's where you will find the others."

"Alive?" asked Minseok.

Xiumin smirked. "Why don't you go and find out. I'll wait here."

"And how about we trade for Sehun's life instead." As Xiumin was about to open his mouth, Minseok continued seemlessly. "You got to begin the last deal. How about one of mine this time? Release the boy, and.. for the sake of our shared blood, I will let you walk away." 

Luhan marveled how Minseok's voice did not tremble. And yet, before when they had traded ideas on how to come into this scene, it had. This was his brother, this was Xiumin, his older brother whom he'd grown up with, played with, loved for so many years. Luhan couldn't really understand. The relationship he had had with his older brothers was nothing in comparison. They were but figures, younger versions of his father, ages older than Luhan and they had never been close. But with Minseok, even if he couldn't forget the past, what Xiumin had done both to their family and to himself, there was still something about the way Minseok talked about him that said he cared. 

"Are you really that sentimental, brother?" said Xiumin after a short spell of time. 

"If you're so curious, why don't you find out? Brother?" replied Minseok, again without pause. 

The tension of inevitable, impending battle clutched at Luhan's nerves. There was no way this ended without a fight. It's what they came to do. And Luhan might be dumb in love, stupid about Minseok, lax in his observational skills, and a little forgetful when it came to his own sense of danger, but there was one thing Luhan could do well, and that was wield a sword. 

A twig cracked on the ground behind them. Luhan didn't turn, but his knuckles tightened around his shield. On bended knees he readied his stance, twirled his sword around once, relaxing his wrist. He sensed more than saw the others lining up in a ring: Jongdae and Kris on his right, Kyungsoo on Minseok's left. There was no way Xiumin let them take Sehun without this fight. 

On the other side of the clearing, similar shapes appeared in the shadows where they stayed, just out of range. To Luhan's visual they remained fuzzy but in his core he sensed the raw power of magic, of maleficar, the band of apostate mages Xiumin had no doubt cultivated over the years.

"Seems you've lost a few friends," said Xiumin with a chuckle. "Tell me, where's your glorious mentor, the dragon?"

Minseok didn't flinch. "Around, maybe. We haven't seen him lately." 

"Is that so? Too bad..." 

There was no way Xiumin believed their lie, and no way Minseok expected him to. On the table with all their cards laid out, there would be few surprises between brothers. Luhan only hoped their one twist would work they way they hoped. Because if it didn't, this might truly become their end. 

"Who goes first then?" asked Xiumin?

Minseok smiled. 

The first crackle of magic ripped through the air. Luhan couldn't tell from which mage it originated, but both Minseok and his brother were already in motion, ducking below the fray and trading spells. Adrenaline hit Luhan like an explosion. From deep in his gut he voiced a great shout. Then he flew across the clearing. The shout drew the maleficars' attention onto him instead of his friends. With shield up, he felt their spells hit and bounce back. One almost knocked him to his knees, but Luhan pressed on until he faced his first opponent face to face. A mage smaller than himself leered at him before casting a fireball. He ducked, but hairs on Luhan's forehead were singed. A second later he tore his sword against robes and flesh. The man dropped to the ground with a heaving, gurgling groan. Luhan around to see the rest of the battle. 

Kris and Jongdae were already surrounded, dueling back to back against as they twirled and spun against the incoming attacks. Kyungsoo was already by Sehun's side, but hiding behind the well where he could barely be seen. The effects of his crossbow though were evident. One soared across the clearing with such precision it nicked Xiumin on the outside of his ear. The mage frowned and wielded towards the offender, hand coming away bloody where he clutched his head. It was a good distraction for Minseok, but the mage barely missed Xiumin with a glancing blow of magic. The fail didn't stop him at all. Luhan watched entranced as his body darted here and there, flying towards his enemies, ducking when they returned a blast. There were two more maleficar behind Xiumin's form on the ground, though the brother was in no way severely injured. Luhan charged towards them. 

"Minseok!" screamed Xiumin, still sending off frighteningly powerful blows. "You're outnumbered, you know that, right?" 

Jongdae echoed a painful scream and went down right at that moment, his leg and most of his right side immobilized by a crackling energy which danced angrily against his skin before fizzling out. Kris crouched down immediately before him. Then he too was hit with a minor version of the same spell. Luhan shifted gears and got there a second too late, threw up his shield and let out another raging bellow. He dropped his sword, closed his eyes and from deep within his chest drew upon the templar's magic which would dispell the enemy mages' magic. It burst like a sonic boom, relieving the area in front of him. Three of the maleficar were thrown back by its power. A few more just out of range merely topped to the ground, clutching their chests with clenched fists as they ached and recovered.

"Are you alright?" Luhan whispered to the two warriors.

Jongdae coughed. Kris moaned, but his deep grumble was assent enough that they were alive, although mildly powerless. There was an echoing screech descending from the skies. 

Luhan looked up, scanning the treeline as he waited on backup. Seconds later the forest behind Xiumin lit up in a swath of fire. The trees themselves turned to cinder in  as the roaring fire blinded their eyes and sent gusts of hot air across the clearing. Men screamed and fled from the opposite treeline, drawing more of the hidden maleficar into the clearing. Luhan counted another dozen, including some who were not even mages, but rogue bandits with curiously lifeless eyes. 

"What in Andraste's bones are those?!" cried Jongdae as he whimpered. 

Half of the men were lit up and on fire, yet their bodies continued to move, their arms still wielded weaponry, their mouths continued to shriek. 

"Necromancy," Luhan gulped. They watched as a few of the burning bodies disinigrated into to ash before collapsing around Xiumin's feet. More at least of the animated corpses continued to function. Xiumin cursed and spun around, inciting the bodies with another wave of cruel, dark magic, before he turned again and faced down the great dragon, whose name was Yixing, who came to a thunderous landing in the very forefront of the burning forest. 

"And, there you are," said Xiumin, leering ominously to a beast any sane person would be wise to run from. Something about his tone send a chill through Luhan's body. It was not merely the words of a mage who was ready to face it, but a mage who was ready to deal with it. 

"Minseok!" Kyungsoo's warning charged across the battleground. 

The small little man had been busy in between shooting off bolts. He had Sehun mostly untied and cradled across his lap. At first it was not immediately understood what warning he was shouting about. Before coming into battle, they had guessed Xiumin would not have left the necklace on Sehun's person but would have already acquired it. If that was Kyungsoo's message... but, Kyungsoo wasn't looking at Sehun. Instead he shouted at something to the side of the clearing.

Minseok twirled around, scowling in fright at the sudden appearance of a new group of maleficar, all with staffs or hands raised, each of them directed towards the dragon. All at once a great spew of ice magic bombarded the dragon. Yixing howled in anger. His great body writhed, scales flexing, some deflecting the magic, others incorporating it. In his core was a body of fire. The ice hit him especially hard, and though for a while it would not be enough to immobilize or kill him, if he took enough hits... it just might do such damage. 

All of them, Minseok, Luhan, Jongdae, and Kris had to suddenly duck when Yixing let out a reverberating blast of fire over their heads. Most of it hit the frost wall held up by the mages, though a few faltered. It was not enough to stop them. The mages redoubled their efforts but before they released their magic, Yixing hunched, burly legs digging into the earth. He took off once more into the air in the midst of a flurry of icy magic. They could not detain him, but Yixing's presence in the air meant the others had lost their support on the ground. 

"We must take out those mages," Jongdae hissed. He tried to move, yet his leg would not support him. 

"Yeah, try not to take them out so fast you don't leave enough for the rest of us," said Kris blankly, his lips set in a crooked grin.

Jongdae actually smiled. "Was that sarcasm? From a qunari? Why Kris, I think I'm actually... touched."

"No time for this," huffed Luhan. Minseok and Xiumin were still dueling together at a great range. Much of Minseok's left arm was blackened from some costly blow. Blood trickled from his temple. Xiumin was starting to look the same, although both mages were nowhere near worn to their limits. The problem was that Xiumin had backup, and Minseok had none now except Luhan and Kyungsoo, the latter of whom was protecting Sehun, and Luhan Jongdae's and Kris's injured bodies.

"Get to the treeline," Luhan told them. "Protect yourselves, wait for help." 

From somewhere in the distance, he heard a howl, but in the mess of the duel, and the mages' skyward attacks, and Yixing's thunderous, enraged dragon circling somewhere overhead, Luhan couldn't tell if that was their sign or not. He met eyes with Kris and the two warriors shared a nod. Then the qunari heaved, gathering his remaining energy, and began dragging himself and Jongdae to safety. 

The mages whom Luhan had overpowered earlier were beginning to sit up. Luhan drew once again into the core of his being, and unleashed another blast of magical dispellment. A few of the maleficar toppled back to the ground, but more of them this time had been ready for him. They bowed in the gust but did not fall. It was likely too that Luhan's magic was less powerful, and it would continue to become so each time he expended it. 

"Minseok, cover me!" Luhan shouted, as he dashed towards the well to Kyungsoo and Sehun's side. 

The mage nodded, grimacing as he too fell back onto the spot where the two lay. Xiumin let him retreat, seemingly not interested in their proximity to the well. His corpse soldiers at his heels, he advanced slowly on the four of them, as if he had all the time in the world. Abovehead, Yixing reappeared and took out more of the dead bandits, Xiumin shielding himself from the surge of fire. For his efforts though Yixing barely dodged another wind of icy magic. His tail and one of his hind legs caught the brunt of it, and the dragon howled again in anger, soaring wildly out of control. 

They heard the booming thud of the dragon toppling to the ground somewhere farther away. Luhan cringed, knowing the dragon would be grounded until it could recover, knowing that they now had no one here to help them, at least for the moment. He held his shield level with his head as spell after spell bombarded them, protecting himself and the two others, and then Minseok once the mage landed heavily by their side as well. More blood spewed from his head wound. His staff arm was chapped with splinters, the staff itself bowing from a nearly brutal snap. His other arm hung as if dead at his side. 

"We're done for if..." said Luhan. He grunted then from another magical bombardment. 

"Shut it and keep that shield up," said Kyungsoo without mirth. "We still have one weapon at our disposal." He was looking at the bracelet which he'd already removed from his ankle. The third and last gemstone that would open the well lay on his palm, clutched and tangled between fingers, dirtied and sweat-slicked from their battle. 

Minseok hissed. "You cannot," he said, still radiating spell after spell, everything he had in his arsenal, at the oncoming attackers. 

Luhan heard Xiumin issuing orders fo the frost mages to find the dragon. They could not expect help on that front. More of his own band of mages were either dead or injured, and the corpses were steadily falling to their feet. Still they were overpowering. 

"I've got to stop Xiumin. That's the only way," said Minseok with gritted teeth. 

"How?" asked Luhan. He was already drawing upon his magic for a third and possibly last time. Whatever he did after that would be too costly to his body. 

Kyungsoo was shaking his head. "You won't be able to. Let me."

"Let you what?" asked Minseok.

He glanced back and frowned. Luhan too gasped. Kyungsoo stared at the well beside them, at the gem in his hand. He was out of bolts for the crossbow; he truly had only one option. 

"No," said Minseok. "You cannot."

"But it would work," the other man replied.

"You don't know that!" 

"No. But I do know we will die if I don't try it."

Minseok huffed. "You don't know that either." He was breathing heavily, his energy like Luhan's almost at the breaking point. 

In the distance there was another howl, followed by more. Backup was on the way. And Luhan knew that Kyungsoo's determination was only because he wanted whatever power lay in that well so much that he would risk everything to try it. 

Minseok's staff finally snapped. He'd been using it like a shield. They heard Xiumin laughing. 

Luhan sighed. "Minseok, at your word, I can disarm Xiumin if no one else. If that buys us enough time to..." To do whatever it was Minseok and Kyungsoo had been cooking up all this time. 

"I don't... It might not..." Minseok stuttered. He was now directing raw energy from his palms, or at least from the good one he still had. "Okay, fine. On my mark though, and not a moment sooner. As soon as... as soon as we're gone, you are to stay with Sehun. Get him to the trees if you can. Get him to Jongdae and Kris. Wait for Tao. Don't go anywhere unless it's absolutely necessary." He stopped, pulled Luhan's shield to cover them directly and stared right into his eyes. "You stay alive, do you understand?" His voice warbled. If there had been time, if this had been another place, Luhan might have kissed him. 

"And you," he said in return, voice hard with emotions. 

Minseok smiled, and it was almost enough. Then he looked at Kyungsoo, they passed the bracelet between them, and whispered, "Let's do this." 

The mage sprang suddenly into action, standing up and shouting, "Xiumin!" 

He waited until his brother was looking. Xiumin actually stopped and smiled pitifully, condecendingly, at the battered mage standing amidst a barrage of embittered magic. 

"Minseok?"

"Kill me and you lose the whereabouts of the last gem," he challenged.

Xiumin's smile barely faltered. "Is that so?" 

Kyungsoo was rustling at Luhan's side, slipping closer to the edge of the well behind Minseok's back. Luhan stared pointedly at Minseok's only good hand, waiting for the sign. 

Xiumin, however, continued talking. "I think it's probably not so secret though. You have it. Or your darkspawn friend there has it. Or does Luhan have it?" He cocked his head in curiosity. "Either way, you're so nicely gathered in one spot. It'll be easy to take it from you." Slowly, he advanced towards them. Luhan kept staring, waiting for the mark. He closed one eye, clenched at his bones, seizing every ounce of remaining power that he had to give. 

"You're done for, brother."

Minseok smiled. "You keep calling me that, but you've never yet called me by my name. Why is that? Too scared to remember that beyond our shared blood, we were once good friends, close siblings in heart and name. You doted on me, I recall. I chased after you all my childhood, and you let me do it. You protected me wherever we went. You--" 

Xiumin sneered. "You were spoiled, and a brat. That's what I actually remember. And don't think you can buy yourself any time with this little heart to heart chat."

There was a loud plunge as Kyungsoo disappeared into the well. Xiumin froze at the sound of it. Minseok's hand jerked. Luhan let loose the dispelling force he'd been holding inside. A horrible cry wreaked from his gut as every limb, every muscle, even inch of skin, even the hair on his head streaked through with magic, the last of it he had in him. Xiumin fell to his knees. Even Minseok caught a twinge of it and went down. He crawled along the ground, bracelet obscured in the palm of his bad hand. 

"You want the last gemstome, Xiumin, you better go after it. Leave your magic here though." He choked out a laugh. 

Xiumin howled fiercely and drove himself back to his feet, stalking towards them. Luhan was already dragging Sehun away from the scene. 

Minseok beckoned his brother, almost politely. "Two stones against one. Weren't you just dying to see its powers for yourself?"

His brother scowled, continuing towards the well. When he stood before Minseok, he wrenched down and heaved him up. Together, both dirtied and exhausted, they were nearly indistinguishable from one another. 

"Only if you go with me. See how your friends fare on their own without you to protect him." He issued a sneer at Luhan, creeping away with the unconscious Sehun. At Jongdae and Kris who would be semi-noticeable beyond the treeline, exhausted and injured almost til death. There had been no sound from Yixing now for a long while. 

Then, even more pronounced than when he'd first heard them, the sound of howls. Of wolves, and a man, and maybe one fierce mabari hound. The scattered and worn out maleficar looked askance in the direction of the commotion, at the next wave of oncoming defenders. Xiumin looked practically furious.

"A second ambush, brother?  You almost impress me--"

But with a strength of energy no one had thought he possessed, Minseok turned the tables, flung his brother around, and tossed him into the well. Then he stood over the edge of it, with the bracelet hanging from his hand, staring into the depths. "No, brother, we shall soon see how impressive you are when faced with something even greater than yourself." He looked back momentarily, grimaced, then smiled at Luhan, a sad pitiful shade of his emotions. Then, whispering over the well in a strangely eery, otherworldly voice that was nothing like his own: "Here lies the abyss, the well of all souls. From these emerald waters doth life begin anew. Come to me, my child, and I shall embrace you. In my arms lies eternity..." He jumped in after them.