Amell

The bag was roughly ripped off of her face, and she was dropped unceremoniously to the floor. She cried out at the abuse, she had always been good at the circle was any of this necessary? Her knees were scraped from being dragged up the many stairs and she was out of breath from fear. They came to her room and grabbed dragged her out, shoving a bag over her head so she wouldn't know how to get to the harrowing chamber. Her heart was still racing when Lucrezia surveyed the room, at the center was a pedestal with glowing blue light enveloping the entire clawed top. Lyrium, this is the first time I've seen it in its raw form. My god I just want to go back to bed, NO I'm strong, and I can do this. She stood up straight and tried to make herself appear as dignified as she could with her hair all over her head, they didn't even let her brush it before they dragged her up here. Surana did it just fine, they bragged about how quickly he did it and Cullen complimented him on it and everything! If he can do it so can I, I'm just as strong as he is.

She just then realized Knight-Commander Greagor was speaking about the joining; she missed it almost completely catching just the last few lines. Before she could retrace her steps Irving approached her, staring down at her with a mixture of pride and caution 'Are you ready for the Harrowing?' She nodded confidently, not trusting her voice to not crack with all the pressure building in her chest. They moved aside and she stared down at the Lyrium, it was so close and it seemed to make the air shine and smoke. She was frozen to the spot, staring down at it with disbelief I'm not ready; I don't want to touch it. What would happen if I turned around and ran away? For a few moments she just stood there thinking out different scenarios and finally she closed her eyes and let out a deep breath. She moved forward and touched it quickly; the burning it sent up her arm surprised her. The books hadn't mentioned that, they didn't talk about the overwhelming burning and smell of smoke in her nose, the floor fell away. Everything was spinning, and darkness consumed all of her senses.

In one moment she stood with the Knight-Commander and Irving standing beside her with a handful of Templars around, the next in the middle of some complex world. She stood and felt the world shift with her; the next thing she knew she was back on the ground. It's moving, why is it moving?! Slowly she stood up and got her bearings, the whole world seemed to glimmer like water. And then she saw it, the black city, its black towers frightened her and suddenly it was like it turned to her, staring and judging. She moved forward unthinking down the path before her almost like it reminded her, whispered to her 'remember why you're here'.

She moved down the path, until she almost stepped on top of a mouse. A shout of 'hey wait!' and then she almost fell on her face. She looked around for the voice bewildered until she realized where it came from and steadily looked down; she had read enough books to know what was going on. Before she could even speak it morphed into a young man right in front of her, he smiled looking friendly enough. 'Another one are you? Here they go tossing another mageling down to the wolves'. As friendly as he seemed, his voice was sad and almost condescending. 'Another one, how many others are there?' she blurted out to him, she didn't hear his response she was too busy thinking How many people have died here, how many people that will never become mages. Will I be one of them? 'No, I won't let you distract me spirit.' It probably seemed random to him, she cut him off and stood up. And gathering her courage she said 'either move aside or help me, I am done speaking.' She moved on, and heard the timid footsteps of the man following behind I did it! I've got a helper, am I supposed to have a helper? Shrugging her shoulders, she moved on best not to dwell on it better to watch him carefully though.

She met two other spirits after her encounter with her companion, the spirit of valor and the sloth demon. Valor she convinced not to attack her and received a very nice staff out of the encounter, and sloth with some well-placed riddles taught mouse to become a bear. She was ready for the main demon of her harrowing; she began to make her way to the burning circle in her dream world. She was so proud of herself, she didn't even see the oncoming threat; and suddenly she was slammed to the ground with what felt like a brick wall on top of her. She slammed her staff up out of instinct, and barely stopped the hot iridescent mouth from clamping around her throat. 'AGHH! What the hell?!' she screamed as the ghost wolf pressed down against her. Right before her arms gave in she let her powers loose, a burst of arcane energy spread out in a wide circle blowing any enemy to the ground and catching everyone off guard, including Lucrezia. Purely on instinct she slammed her staff against the side of a wolf and heard a crack, the next one she shot with a bolt frying it and it disappeared like smoke. She stood ready for more action, but mouse had taken care of the rest and he only stated 'let's move on'.

She entered the burning circle on numb legs with butterflies in her stomach, the demon rose like magma, and stared at her with the burning eyes of hell 'Mouse, you have brought me another meal'. Its voice was like metal screeching and it hurt her ears terribly, and mouse yelled back at him 'I don't need you anymore!' It hissed in annoyance and murmured low in its throat in a language she did not understand. The feeling of betrayal came and went quickly not now. Not here, you're still at danger its right there, ACT. She gathered a bolt of arcane energy and hit it right in its face; magma flew as it toppled over. With her and mouse's teamwork he was gone within minutes, it wasn't hard and she stood rigid knowing something was amiss. How is it a wolf was stronger than an actual rage demon, impossible. 'We did it!' Mouse shouted to her 'You're not like the others you know, you could help me escape! You've got potential you know. Maybe you can help me."

She barely heard him her fingers were shaking so hard, and she giggled sounding almost delirious. I did it; I can't believe I did it! Wait, what's that sound? The ground shook and she felt like the whole world tilted away from her, forcing her onto the ground of the fade. When she turned to the source of this disruption she screamed, mouse had turned into the largest demon she had ever seen. He stared at her through eyes silted only a slim line of the glittering blue they were moments before, and he lunged his long claws tearing into her shoulders drawing blood. She screamed trying to fight him off, but with each swipe she felt her life being sucked into him her energy being drained. No matter what she did she couldn't cast spells her mana had been sucked into him almost immediately, and with each passing minute her head became foggier. "No…I won, I did it…this can't happen, please" No mercy was given, he tore at her until she little more than rags and blood and right before she thought death would take her. He merged his whole being into her, the feeling of suffocation and immense pressure held her in place. Black smoke filled her nose and her mouth, and she screamed flailing against him until it was like a hand took her and shoved her back.

It was like putting on a mask, or being trapped in a large glass box with nowhere to go but watch whatever was about to happen. She was back in the harrowing chamber, but she wasn't at the same time. She hurt everywhere her mind screamed at her to fight but she just wanted to sleep, she closed her eyes and for a minute she almost gave up. Cullen's scream pulled her back into reality, her hands were grotesque and had puss filled orbs bubbling against her palms that oozed thick black liquid. Her mouth oozed more of it, and she felt her face bulge and convulse twisting her features, her hair fell out in clumps around her feet. And then it moved she was its silent puppet dancing to its commands and her power had never been more magnificent. It crashed into Templars around her, thick shards of ice piercing through their armor and leaving them gurgling on crimson red blood. She screamed at the sight and tried to cower away, instead she lurched forward fire blazing from her fingertips cooking the Templars in their shells in front of her.

The Templars poured through the door of the harrowing chamber, the senior mages right behind ready to heal and deflect spells. Kill me please, it hurts. I don't want to kill anyone, PLEASE! They couldn't hear her but the demon did, and he cackled his voice was sick in her ears; and then he turned and rushed plowed through the Templars until he reached a window. Mouse hurtled them from it, she felt her stomach drop as they fell almost seventy feet into the water below and she knew it would kill them. Mouse however was having none of that, he pushed the water up so it caught them midflight as harmless as jumping in from the tower's bridge. Water and muck rushed into her mouth and nose, she tried to look back to go back home. All she could do was scream inside of her world of pain and blood, and feel the black sickness of the demon moving through her veins and beg for death. And then they were gone, over the hills moving faster than she would ever be capable of, gone from the only world where she felt safe. Maker help me.