Chapter 1: Harrowed

Marseth looked around himself, unnerved by the shifting, formless nature of the Fade. He looked above him and saw the swirling sky, an undefinable mixture of colors twisting into untraceable patterns. Beneath him, the ground, while it felt solid enough beneath his feet, had a rolling, rumbling look to it, as if it were not solid ground but boiling water. The strangest thing about the Fade was that no matter where he looked, he always had the feeling that it wasn't truly what it appeared to be. Indeed, as he looked around, he noticed that the only definite thing was what he was currently looking at. But once his eyes focused on something else, the corners of his vision were uncertain, the Fade curling and shifting itself freely until he defined it with his own influence.

But of course, that was to be expected. For as long as he'd been in the Circle Tower, he'd learned all about the indefinite nature of the Fade, the realm of spirits and demons, where the only real power was the power of a beings will. And it was his willpower that was being tested at the present moment, which was why he was here in the first place. Marseth's Harrowing was nothing at all as he'd expected. But then again, no apprentice mage ever knew what to expect. And here he was, suddenly tasked with facing a demon of the fade and resisting its influence. He understood why it was so; what better way to ensure a mage would not become a demon-possessed Abomination than by forcing him to actually fend off a demonic possession. But that didn't mean he agreed with it...

Marseth stepped forward, recalling the Knight-Commander's warning about taking too long. He would find this demon, destroy it, and return to become a full mage of the Circle. There was no other option. He stepped forward confidently, certain that his steps would not falter on the uncertain ground. As he traveled, he looked around the indefinite landscape, searching for any sign of something that could be a demon, but there was nothing in sight.

"Well, what do we have here?"

Marseth whirled around to see a elf standing behind him, dressed in beggar's clothing.

"Who are you?" Marseth demanded.

The elf chuckled. "Why I'm an elf, just like yourself. Can't you tell?" the elf asked, stroking a finger along the point of his ear. "Why regard me with such a wary gaze?"

"I know what you are, demon," Marseth spat. "You'll not fool me with such a simple trick."

The elf chuckled. "Of course not. You're a mage of the Circle going through his Harrowing, aren't you? You know all about us nasty demons and our tricks and lies." The elf's body began shifting, until no longer was an elf standing before Marseth but a misshapen, hunching hound-like creature in his place. "So, another morsel tossed into our little feeding pit. How kind of the mages."

The demon reared back on it's hauches, and Marseth tensed, prepared for the attack that came a second later. The demon lunged at him, and he threw himself to the ground out of harm's way. Marseth quickly rolled to his feet and sent a bolt of arcane energy at the demon. The demon laughed as he easily leaped out of the of the blast, then came for Marseth once more, this time landing right on top of him, pinning him the the ground. Marseth pushed with all his might at the demon's jaws, which were snapping at him mere inches from his face, but he could feel his power weakening.

Suddenly, there was a loud crackle in the air, and the demon was lifted off of him, and sent hurtling through the air to land quite a ways away. Marseth, amazed, looked around for the source of his salvation, until he spotted an elf nearby, wearing deep blue robes of the Circle. Electricity still buzzed at her fingertips as she moved to stand beside Marseth. "Why, hello there," she said to him while not taking her eyes off of the demon.

"Th-thank you," Marseth began as he got to his feet, unsure of what to think, but grateful to this person for saving his life. "Where did you-"

"Watch out!" The girl pushed him back a step, just out of the way of the demon's claws, then unleashed a torrent of flame upon the creature, point blank. The demon howled in agony, writhing in pain. However, soon, the demon's howls ceased, and although the flames continued to lick its body, the demon ignored them, turning on the mage and tackling her to the ground. Marseth loosed another arcane bolt, forcing more mana into this one, striking the demon and knocking it off its feet. The girl flashed Marseth a quick smile before resuming her torrent of flames. Marseth rushed forward to help, extending his hands and allowing a stream of sizzling electricty to flow from his fingertips. The demon screeched and howled, but finally, it lay there, still and silent, before finally dissolving into nothing.

"Thanks," said Marseth, letting out a long sigh. "You came just in time to save my hide."

"No problem," replied the girl. "I wasn't going to just sit by and watch as a fellow mage was devoured by a demon."

"I'm Marseth."

"Ryelle."

The two shook hands.

"So, what are you doing here, Ryelle? Mages are only Harrowed one at a time. Or are you...?" A wave of realiztion hit Marseth, and he felt suddenly embarassed. "You're a spirit, aren't you?"

Ryelle laughed. "Well, don't look so surprised. Lots of mages fail their Harrowing, whether they simply take to long and are killed and trapped forever in the Fade, or they succumb to demonic possession. I just wish I could say I belonged to the former." "Oh, wait, don't worry. Demons take over a mage's body, while the soul is trapped within, only able to watch. The soul itself is unaffected, however, so you have nothing to fear from me."

Marseth watched her for a second as if she might suddenly sprout fangs and a tail. When he didn't, he visibly relaxed. "Alright," he said, "so then what should I do now? Haven't I passed my Harrowing?"

"Oh, definitely not," she said, then laughed at Marseth's incredulous expression. "The Harrowing tests a mage ability to resist becoming an Abomination. That demon was trying to kill you, not possess you."

Maraseth sighed. "Well, that's nice. Not only must I avoid being possessed, but also eaten. Those templars always leave out the good details."

"Cheer up," Ryelle said, clapping him on the shoulder. "That's why I hang around here; to help lost little mages like you succeed where I failed. Now, let's go find your demon."

They traveled for a long time. Marseth felt as if they were traveling in circles, although he never once saw anything that looked familiar. He began to think to wonder how much time had passed in the realm of the living, and asked Ryelle, who replied that she'd been in the Fade so long that she could no longer keep track of the time in the mortal world. One of the many dangers of the Fade is that nothing is what it appears to be. What you perceive to be reality in the Fade is merely an illusion, shaped by what you beieve to be the truth. Learn to see through the deceit of the evils of the Fade, and you will see everything for what it is. The words of advice given to him by the First Enchanter just before he entered the Fade resounded in Marseth's ears. He thought he'd understood what they meant, and that whatever challenges he would face, he would face with confidence. But now, he felt unsure. How could he be sure that anything what it appeared to be? How could be sure that Ryelle was truly a friend? How could he be sure that Ryelle was even a person? His suspicion began to grow, until a terrible thought occurred to him.

"Ryelle, where are we going?" he asked innocently.

"Like I said, we're going to find your demon."

"Yes, I know, but where exactly are we headed?"

"Well, it's hard to say exactly. The Fade isn't like the living world. The Fade is home to a great many creatures, all shaping it and changing it with their will. You should know this. There is no such thing as 'where' here, so I can't really say where we're going."

"Then how do you expect to find this demon?" This time, Marseth couldn't keep the accusation out of his voice. Ryelle looked over her shoulder at him, eyes narrowed.

"Just what are you accusing me of? If you believe I am being dishonest in my intentions, you are free to continue your task alone."

"How do I know you're not just stallling for time to keep me in here?"

Ryelle laughed aloud mockingly. "It would make no sense for me to get you killed just to take possession of a corpse. Demons crave to experience life in the mortal world, so why would I – a spirit, not a demon, mind you - waste my time trying to kill you?"

But Marseth refused to be dissuaded. "But you could if you wanted to, correct?"

"Yes I could. There is almost no difference between demons and spirits other than their intent. You could call a Spirit of Valor a Valor Demon and it would still be the same thing. Just because I could possess you if I wanted does not mean that I will."

Marseth was about to argue when, with a loud crack, a black cloud appeared from nowhere and engulfed Ryelle. Marseth could see her struggling within, her arms and legs flailing wildly as the cloud began floating in the air, but it was no use. Marseth looked around wildly for the source, until he spotted, standing on a cliff high above him, a figure looking down upon them. It was a huge creature, with six massive arms covered in bony spikes, its torso covered in flesh so thin Marseth could see the impression of the underlying bones that weaved together like so many interlocked fingers. And at the waist, its legs disappeared beneath tattered cloth, though the dusty smoke crawling through the many tears suggested the demon had no actual legs. It glared down upon Marseth with cold, glowing yellow orbs.

"And so my feast finally arrives."

From within the black cloud, Marseth could hear Ryelle scream, and his attention was torn from the demon to the more pressing matter. "Ryelle!" he called as he ran into cloud after her. But as the black mist surrounded him, he felt something change. Something was off within the cloud, and Marseth struggled to backtrack and find his way out, but the darkness around him was disorienting, and the chaotic nature of the Fade made it nearly impossible for him to navigate his way out. As his panic started to rise, he heard Ryelle's screams.

"Ryelle!" he called out.

"Help me!" was her desperate reply. Marseth couldn't tell where her voice was coming from, and he wandered in circles trying to find her to no avail.

"Help me!" she cried out again.

"I can't find you!" Marseth called back.

"Help me!" Her pleas continued, and Marseth was becoming more and more deperate.

"How can I help? Tell me how to find you!" But it was too late. Maraseth heard a violent scream of agony, and then all was silent. He ran aimlessly, hoping that he would stumble across something; anything that would help him save Ryelle and defeat this demon.

"You will not save her."

Marseth halted the moment he heard the voice, and he could feel it starting to creep within him. The voice had been barely more than a whisper, cold and sharp. It slithered into his heart and constricted around his soul.

"She is gone. There is nothing you can do. And why should you? She is not of the mortal world, not anymore."

Its grip around his heart grew tighter with each word, pulling him down into the darkness...and for some reason, he didn't want to resist.

"Why should you concern yourself with a spirit? Why risk your life from someone who squandered theirs long ago?"

Marseth felt himself...agreeing! The demon's whispered words tugged at him, urging him to give up, to stop fighting; he suddenly wanted to simply let go...

"Don't listen to it! Don't give in!"

Ryelle's voice broke through both Marseth's stupor and the blackness. Sight returned to Marseth, and he realized that he was lying on the ground, with the demon he'd seen before hunched over him, leering at him with a low, yellow glow of hunger in its eyes. A short distance away, Marseth could see Ryelle standing on the other side of some sort of barrier. She was screaming frantically, urging him to get up and fend off the demon, but the fog was coming back over hius mind, and her voice began to fade away, replaced by the lethargy and apathy he'd felt before.

Help me, Ryelle! pleaded the part of him that still held on. And to his surprise, he received an answer.

I can help you, but the demon is keeping me away from you so he can have you for himself. You have to help me get inside. You can let me in if you try. Just keep resisting the demon, but don't resist me when you feel me.

Marseth was losing his ability to focus, his will being sapped away with each moment. His energy was almost entirely devoted to fending off the demon; nevermind trying to resist Ryelle when he felt her try to enter his mind as well, even if he'd wanted to...