A/N: This story takes place before my primary Origins story, and introduces the major characters. I made this a separate story for a few reasons, the first of which being that I had already typed them up before I realized that I really didn't want them as a part of my main story. The reason I didn't want them in story is because these first few chapters disrupted the flow of the story I had in mind, and I thought that if they were a part of it I would have to change how I wanted it written. But, I already had started and put a descent amount of work into these first few chapters, so I just thought I'll upload them as a short story consisting of the character's origin stories.

Warning: This story is rated T for slightly violent scenes of action and language.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of the Dragon Age universe. This was created purely for fans by a fan. Read and enjoy!

Gathering Heroes

Chapter One: The Harrowing

"The Circle of Magi exists to protect mages from a world that fears them, or so the young apprentices that are brought there are told. In truth, it exists as much to protect the world from the mages themselves. A time once existed when mages ruled the known world, bringing down ruin upon their enemies until at last they were overthrown. Now they are watched carefully by the Templars, mage-hunters aligned with the Chantry priests who would not hesitate to strike down any mage at the first sign of corruption..."

The sound of her footsteps echoing off the stone was the only thing in Selene's ears as she ascended the tower. The templar had come to get her long after she had settled for sleep, his hand crushing her arm in an iron grip, roughly shaking her from slumber and yanking her from her bed.

Now they walked up and up the tower, staircase after staircase, though to what she had no idea. Selene had lived in this tower for almost 10 years, ever since she was seven, and something like this had never happened to her. They had gone up past the libraries, past the apprentice chambers, even past the mage and enchanters' quarters. She had thought of asking the templar where he was taking her, but she quickly squashed the thought, knowing that he most likely would not answer her.

Finally, they reached what she knew had to be the top floor of the tower. The tower's top floor was a massive, open chamber, usually reserved for special occasions that required all the mages and templars to gather in one room, and she had only been here once before.

Standing inside the room were several more templars, including the Knight Commander, and First Enchanter Irving. Selene struggled to figure out why they would be here at this time of night, why her presence was necessary, but came up blank.

Luckily, she did not have to wonder for long. The templar released his hold on her arm, and the First Enchanter moved to intercept her. However, before he could speak, the Knight Commander's voice split the silence.

"Magic exists to serve man, and never to rule over him. Thus spoke the prophet Andraste, as she cast down the Tevinter Imperium, ruled by mages who had brought the world to the brink of ruin." He preached, gazing at her with his hard eyes. "Your magic is a gift, but it is also a curse, for demons of the dream realm, the Fade, are drawn to you, and seek to use you as a portal to this realm."

Had she not been so tired and confused, Selene might have been offended that he felt the need to tell her this like it was news. After all, that has been said to her times beyond counting since she came to the tower years ago.

The First Enchanter now spoke up, his croaking voice tired and resigned. "This is why the Harrowing exists." The Harrowing! Now it all made sense. This was the ordeal awaiting all apprentices of the tower, in order to become true mages of the circle. However, what the Harrowing consisted of was not exactly clear. Was she supposed to perform some kind of advanced spell work, to prove her capability?

The First Enchanter's next words swiftly dashed that idea. "The ritual sends you into the Fade, and there, you will face a demon, armed with only your will."

Selene was floored by the revelation. She was to battle a demon? She knew she needed to prove her skill, but this was so extreme. She hesitated for a few moments before asking tentatively "I'm to face a demon? Why not some other task?" The First Enchanter opened his mouth to respond, but the Knight Commander cut him off again.

"Because, you must prove you have the will to resist a demon's temptation. If you fail, it is better you do now when we are prepared, rather than later, when you could unleash havoc upon the tower."

Selene knew exactly what they meant by them "being ready". If she failed, she was dead. Certain things were as simple as that in this place. First Enchanter Irving gently gripped her arm and turned her to face him.

"The Harrowing is a secret out of necessity child. Every mage must go through this trial by fire, and as we succeeded, so shall you." Now he leaned in, speaking in an earnest whisper. "Keep your wits about you, and remember that the Fade is a realm of dreams. The spirits may rule it, but your own will is real. And-"

"The apprentice must go through this test alone, First Enchanter." She jerked around to face the Knight Commander, looking into that cold face of his. It seemed to soften just a little bit, and he gestured towards the center of the room. "You are ready." He intoned with a surprising gentleness.

Selene turned to face where Gregoir had directed her. There, inside that pedestal in the center of the chamber, was lyrium. She had never actually seen it, as it was forbidden to the apprentices, and it was just as she had imagined it. It was a glowing blue, surrounded by a shimmering white mist, and it seemed to call out to her, urging her towards it.

She obeyed the urge, her feet pulling her closer and closer, her arm extending forward. Her fingers brushed the liquid, and it was if someone had shocked her with lightning. A tingling, near painful electrification shot up her arm, and it felt like her blood was white hot in her veins. A blinding white light filled her vision, and then as quick as it all happened, the feeling faded away and her body felt numb. The white fled her vision, and was quickly replaced with utter darkness.

Selene felt herself fall away into that cold and dark numbness, and didn't even feel it when her body crumpled to the ground.

She was in another world.

That was always so apparent whenever Selene entered the Fade. Everything seemed unreal, as if looking at it through a haze, and nothing seemed able to decide how it wanted to look. Trees rose, collapsed into boulders, flattened into fields of grass, ever changing and whimsical.

Remembering Irving's words, she focused her mind, willing the world around her to remain steady. It heeded her, settling into unusual rolling hills, covered in huge spiked objects that seemed to be somewhere between trees and rocks.

Well, nowhere else to go but forward. Turning, she began to walk, but noticed something out of the corner of her eye. Turning, Selene let out a gasp. Off to the side of the area she stood in was a horrid looking statue, a tall, gnarled humanoid with huge, claw-like blades instead of hands. A savage grin curved across its face, eyes seeming to stare right at her.

Suppressing a shiver, she turned away from the stone horror and began to move off down a nearby slope. She was in the midst of admiring the shimmering scenery when a bolt of electricity slammed into her chest, sending her reeling.

Selene straightened, glaring out at her attacker. A wisp hovered above the shifting ground, buzzing menacingly with more electricity. "Ouch! I thought wisps were supposed to be helpful." She cried, glaring out the angry spirit. Wisps were frequently summoned by mages for minor magical assistance, but this one seemed to have no desire to help.

Summoning her mana, she retaliated with her own bolt of electricity, though hers was far more powerful. With a loud pop, the wisp flashed into nothing, and Selene grinned happily. Here in the Fade, magic came much more quickly, so fast she didn't even need to weave the patterns of energy that helped focus the spells.

Satisfied that nothing else would attack her, Selene moved ahead, taking out a few more wisps and looking around for whatever it was she was supposed to face.

"Someone else thrown to the wolves, as fresh and unprepared as ever. It isn't right of the templars to do this, not you, me, or anyone!" Selene, jumped at the voice and twisted around, searching for the speaker. "Hello? Where are you?"

"Down here." Raising a brow, she slowly lowered her gaze to the ground. Staring up at her with disturbingly intelligent black eyes, was a rat. A rat that had just talked to her. As if the Fade wasn't freaky enough on its own.

"A talking rodent, of all things. Maker, can this night get any worse?" She moaned, raising a hand to pinch the bridge of her nose. First, she gets dragged out of bed for her Harrowing, then finds out the Harrowing consists of her being thrown against a demon. Now, to top it all off, she was standing in the middle of some Fade field talking to a rat.

"Oh, I can assure you, it'll only get worse after me. You're in the Fade." The creature said, shaking its furry head in what had to be sadness.

Selene rolled her eyes. "I'm perfectly aware of where I am, Spirit." Even if she wasn't in the Harrowing, it was still painfully obvious where she was.

"Then you know what lies before you? You know that you will be forced to engage a demon, with only your wits to protect you. You know that if you fail, you will die." The mouse gazed at her with disturbing intensity, black eyes burning.

Selene couldn't keep the tremor out of her voice. "I am aware." She would be lying if she said she wasn't afraid. The knowledge of what would happen if she failed ran echoed in the back of her mind, filling her with dread and worry.

If possible, the mouse seemed to quirk a brow at her. "Are you also aware of the time limit?"

"What?" Selene let out a gasp, staring incredulously at the creature before her. That was a lie, it had to be. The templars were capable of many things, but that was cruel beyond belief. Light surrounded the animal, and with a flash, in its place was a man, standing noticeably taller than Selene.

"Well, then let me inform you. If you haven't awoken before the templars feel you should, they will kill you, "just to be safe". That is what they did to me. I was an apprentice, just like you." That seemed a bit off to Selene. He didn't wear the blue robes of an apprentice, but instead the red robes of a senior enchanter, and he looked a bit old for an apprentice..

"I was called for my Harrowing, and that was the last time I was within the mortal realm. They must have killed me, because I was unable to leave, forever trapped within this ever-shifting world." He lowered his head in sadness, emotion cracking his voice. "So much can be lost in this realm. My real name was one of those things. I learned to take the shape of a mouse, something small to hide from the more dangerous creatures. That is what and who I am now, just Mouse." Well, that pulled at the heartstrings. Selene felt guilty for her lack of trust earlier, as this poor soul seemed completely lost.

He lifted his gaze to meet hers, a fire entering his voice. "All thanks to the Templars. But I will not allow another apprentice to fall to their cruelty. Please, let me help you. Let me help you beat this demon, and the templars who wish you dead." Well, talk about good luck.

"Very well. My name is Selene, and you can come with me. What do you know of this place?"

Mouse appeared to lower his gaze in embarrassment. "Not very much, I'm afraid. I know what places to avoid, until you are ready. It will help you be prepared before you take on this demon."

Nodding her head, Selene set off, moving further down the path, Mouse shifted back to a rodent, skittering after her. A few more wisps appeared, and Selene decided to be creative, taking them out with a flurry of arcane bolts instead of her usual fire or electricity.

Eventually, the path widened, and it split off to the side, leading into a wide, circular area surrounded by fire. The fires were arranged in an almost tribal pattern, like…like they were waiting for a sacrifice.

She took a step forward, but as soon as she stepped towards that circle, a sinister feeling crawled up her spine, and the air shot up to ridiculous temperatures around her. This was where the demon waited.

"The creature is contained in there. They bring it here, lure it with the promise of a meal, and then bind it to this place to wait for apprentices just like you." Mouse snarled from behind her. "You should wait. You are not ready to face that beast yet." Nodding in agreement, Selene retreated backwards, and the air temperature lowered back to within her comfort level.

She and mouse set off, following the path as it moved up past the demon's lair. The ground leveled out again, and more wisps appeared, crackling with electricity. Selene's magic came to her at stunning speed, a shield erupting between her and the wisps. She felt their electrical attacks strike her barrier, and as soon as they ceased, she pulled the energy back towards her, creating a band of magic that swirled in the air around her torso.

Grinning at the new challenge, she extended her arm, the energy rushing forward. Two of the wisps fell to the attack, and the remaining one unleashed another bolt of electricity. Redirecting the arcane energy, Selene pulled it back towards her to intercept the wisp's assault. It only just managed; the spells cancelled each other out, fizzling into nothing.

Summoning more of her energy, she retaliated with a stream of fire, which engulfed the wisp, snuffing it out of existence. Selene, not even out of breath, felt a bit of sadness. This was one of the few chances she has to truly exercise her magic, truly test herself. While she prayed that she would succeed, it saddened her that this might be her only opportunity to fully exercise her abilities, especially with the extra power the Fade granted her.

She and Mouse moved forward, until she spotted a very strange sight. At the top of an incline off to the left of the curving path they traveled upon, was a man. Only, it wasn't a man, was a spirit that looked like a man. He had his back to them, working in what seemed like a forge. Selene couldn't help but giggle at how ridiculous the forge looked in the middle of this barren, rocky area of the Fade.

The spirit whirled to face her, its form shimmering as if trying to catch up with the movement. The 'man' was dressed in armor, his head hidden by a helmet. Glowing behind the eye sockets were glowing pits, shimmering even more intensely than the rest of his form. Its form. Oh, sprits confused her.

"Another spirit. It never seemed to live up to its name." Mouse's voice rose up behind her, sounding oddly contemptuous, but she ignored him and continued forward. This didn't seem like a demon, and something about it intrigued her. As she moved in closer, the spirit spoke.

"Another mortal thrown into the flames and left to burn, I see. Your mages have devised a cowardly test. Better to pit you against each other, to prove you mettle with skill, than to be sent unarmed against a demon." His words instantly brought up memories of her duel from almost a year ago. She had dueled against Talia Surana, another gifted apprentice, one of the only duels the templars had allowed in a long time.

It had been quite the event, and it had felt good for Selene to finally vent her frustrations against the other mage. She and Talia had not gotten along in years, and were fierce rivals within the tower. The First Enchanter had felt that they needed to let off some steam against one another in a somewhat controlled setting, and had persuaded the Knight Commander to agree. It had been quite the test, pushing Selene to her limits, and ending in a draw.

"Well, I already dueled someone, and I'm still here doing my Harrowing. What are you? Can you help me at all?" Selene, asked, eyeing the spirit curiously. She hoped that it could offer some kind of assistance.

"I am Valor, and no I cannot help you. My purpose is not to assist you, but to seek perfection. That is why I forge the weapons, forever seeking perfection in the pursuit of Valor."

Selene raised a brow, waving an arm to the weapon racks surrounding the forge. "You craft these weapons?"

The spirit's form swirled as it replied. "Without a doubt. In this realm, everything that exists is the expression of a thought. Do you think these blades be steel? The staves be wood? Do you believe they draw blood? A weapon is but a single need for battle, and my will makes that need reality." It was similar to what the enchanters had taught her. The fade was a realm where your will could be made reality, and everything was only what you believed it to be.

"Can I have one?" Selene asked. Valor simply narrowed his eyes at her. Well, time for some persuasion.

Selene opened her mouth to convince the spirit, but Valor cut her off. "Do you truly desire one of my weapons? I shall give one to you..." Selene straightened, a smile lighting her face. That wasn't so hard. "...If you agree to duel me first. Valor shall test your mettle, as it should be tested." He nodded his head firmly, and Selene deflated.

"Let me get my facts straight. You won't help me unless I fight you, most likely to the death?" The spirit nodded, seemingly happy with such a decision. Well that was a major letdown. She slumped in disappointment. She had really been hoping she could get some kind of help. Then, a thought occurred to her. "How do I know you aren't a demon?" She accused, staring at him with suspicion.

Valor's whole form flared in rage. "I am no demon! How dare you accuse me of being some creature preying on the essence of mortals? I am a being of honor and Valor. I am a warrior!" He roared, a sword materializing in his hand.

Selene crossed her arms over her chest. "Prove it." Valor seethed, before suddenly halting, and then he seemed to calm, the sword dissipating into nothing.

"You are more intelligent than I thought. However insolent you may be, you have proven yourself a mortal of formidable will. You may able to resist tricks, but can you defeat a demon in battle?" The sword halfway rematerialized, a not so subtle question.

She sighed sadly. At least if she lost to him, her body wouldn't get possessed and decapitated. "I guess we'll have to see." Selene raised her hands, unleashing a blast of fire. Valor reacted with deadly speed, a shield appearing and absorbing the blast, literally. The flames vanished into the shield, which glowed red-hot for only a moment. He rushed her, sword slashing for her throat. She ducked backwards, attempting to retreat away from him. Valor persisted, his sword slicing into her arm.

Selene lashed out with a wave of force, pushing the spirit backwards and to the ground. Raising her hands, she unleashed a stream of electricity, aimed straight for his head. Before it could strike, Valor raised his shield, and it absorbed her spell again. Pulling himself off the ground, he stared at her, his whole form quivering in anticipation. Suddenly, without moving forward, he slashed his sword through the air in her direction. The seemingly pointless movement was actually a dangerous attack, for in the sword's wake traveled an arc of energy, which rushed towards Selene at deadly speed.

Caught off guard, she quickly summoned a magical shield, but she didn't have enough time. The unfinished spell shattered under the assault, and she was thrown backwards, slamming into a nearby boulder. Selene gasped in pain, her back screaming from the impact. She only just managed to summon a shield to block Valor's sword. The blue wall of energy buckled under the force of the blow, but it held. Focusing, she pushed the energy outwards, knocking Valor backwards.

Pulling herself to her feet, she let out an arcane bolt, which struck Valor in the chest. The spirit reeled backwards, and she fired off several blasts of fire. Valor weaved and ducked, his shield absorbing the attacks or simply dodging. He sent out another slash of energy, but this time she was prepared, blocking it with a wall of arcane power.

The spirit rushed her again, but she pushed forward with her hands, a wave of force knocking him backwards. Before he could steady himself, she sent out another arcane bolt, and he was knocked to the ground. Now that the spirit was down, she began to charge up a large amount of electricity, aiming for a more powerful strike. In the Fade, it came much quicker, and she unleashed a large stream of energy.

Valor raised his shield, which absorbed the electrical attack. Selene cried out in fury, astounded that he so quickly absorbed her spell. Strangely, the electricity did not disappear like her other attacks. It crackled around his shield, and then it began to move up his arm, across his shoulders, and down to his sword. He then raised the weapon, which hissed and snapped with electricity. She realized what had happened a second to late. He had redirected her spell and was now turning it against her. Her own bolt of lightning streaked through the air towards her, and the shield she desperately raised wasn't quite enough.

The lightning slammed into her shield, blasting through it and hurling her backwards. She slid down the slope, her robes ripping along the stones. Her hair fell free of the bun she had tied it in when she awoke, falling around her face in a curtain of blonde waves. The spirit came down the hill, sword pointed for her chest. She sent out a blast of fire, but he simply stopped and absorbed it with his shield.

She pulled herself off the ground, flinging her hair out of her eyes and retreating further away from the spirit. They stared each other down, until Valor moved forward again. Selene reacted with a bolt of electricity, which he redirected back her. This time, she was ready and easily blocked the weaker strike, then sending out a wave of telekinetic energy that sent the spirit reeling. She began to charge up more lightning, raising her hands to strike. Valor raised his shield, and she halted in her attack.

Still crackling with electricity, she stared at the spirit. She could not contain all this energy for long, but she couldn't hit him while he had that shield. Then it came to her. He could shield himself, but not everything around him. Extending her arm, she released the lightning, sending it streaking forward. He raised his shield, but the lightning was not aimed at him.

It slammed into the ground next to his feet, the explosion throwing him off his feet. He lost his grip on his shield and it went sliding down the slope towards the mage. She kicked it even further away from Valor, and then sent out another wave of force, sending him skidding across the ground. He slashed his sword wildly, another arc of energy lancing towards her head.

She ducked under the strike, lashing out with another arcane bolt. The sprit rolled out of the way, and attempted to rise, but she sent him flying with a focused bolt of telekinetic energy. His sword flew out of his grasp, and fast as a snake, she lunged forward and scooped it off the ground.

Darting forward, she slammed him to the ground and pressed the blade to his throat. "I win." She panted, grinning triumphantly at the spirit. He stared at her for a moment, before him and his sword dissolved into glowing blue energy, which swirled away from her and reappeared up by the forge, as if he had never moved.

Still panting with exhaustion, she dragged her feet up the slope to the spirit. "You have proven your valor. You are a fine warrior, mortal. Here is one my weapons as a token of your victory." He extended an arm, and a staff on a nearby weapons rack disappeared, rematerializing in his outstretched hand.

It was a simple thing, looking like nothing more than a long, oddly shaped branch. When she touched it however, she felt the power, felt her mana reaching out into the staff, and flowing back into her even more powerful. She had never held a true staff before, and it was very apparent that it truly was a focus for her magic, even here in the Fade.

"Thank you, Valor. This will surely help me against this demon." She grinned at the spirit, but he shook his head.

"Do not thank me, mortal. You may die yet." On that happy note, she turned away from Valor and moved down the slope, Mouse scurrying after her.

They had only taken a few steps when a snarl ripped through the air. On the path ahead of her, a spirit appeared. The only problem was, it wasn't wisps this time. It was a huge wolf.

It growled, translucent hackles rising. With an echoing howl, the spirit beast rushed forward, intent on tearing her throat out. The time to test the staff abruptly thrown on top of her, Selene whipped the magical weapon forward, pointing it straight at the wolf. A bolt of arcane energy streaked forward, striking the creature square in the face. It flipped over and backwards, crashing to the ground spread out on its back. Before the wolf could rise, she unleashed a surge of fire, which engulfed the spirit and snuffed it out of existence.

"I sense something else up ahead. Another spirit of some kind. It's not the one hunting you, but still, be cautious." Now Mouse decides to notice spirits. She crept slowly up the rise ahead, staff snapping with electricity. Edging over the top of the rise, a gasp ripped free of Selene's lips. Sleeping on the ground ahead of her was a monstrous creature. It looked like it should be a bear, but it was horrible twisted, with huge spines jutting out of its form, huge tusks protruding from its maw, and its flesh rotting and grotesque.

One of the beast's grey, rotting eyes opened, staring straight at her. "So you are the mortal being hunted. And the small one, is he to be a snack for me?" It spoke very slowly, as if it was only half-awake.

Light flashed next to her, and Mouse reverted to a human form. "I don't like this. He isn't going to help us." With a groan, the beast rose to its huge, clawed feet. Selene retreated backwards a step, watching it warily.

"No matter. The demon shall have you, eventually. Perhaps there will even be scraps left for me." It said hungrily, but still very slowly, as if the beast could hardly stay awake.

"What manner of spirit are you?" Selene asked slowly. Mouse gave a snort next to her, gazing with contempt at the spirit.

"It's a demon, one that could be more powerful than the one hunting you." The spirit- demon, she reminded herself- lowered itself to the ground, seemingly intent on going back to sleep.

"Be gone. Surely, you have better things to do than bother Sloth, mortal. I tire of you already." Ah, so this was a demon of Sloth. As their name would dictate, Sloth demons were extremely slothful, lazy to the point of being almost none-threatening.

"Sloth. That is what you are?" Obviously, this thing was here for a reason, and it was time to find out what it was.

"Yes. I am Sloth, a creature of the Fade. Unlike yourself, mortal, I have other visitors, who'll serve their function. Only the mortals like yourself are truly annoying."

Selene raised a brow. "Mortals like myself?" Sloth yawned, before continuing.

"Yes. Many mortals dream. They come here often." He yawned. "You are not one of those. You are aware. A mortal with power, and will. The sort that some spirits hunger for. I might be inclined for such a meal, myself. It would be interesting to see the realm of mortals through your eyes, live in your form. But I am disinclined to begin such a struggle." Sloth yawned again resting his head on his spiked paws.

"Oh, lucky me." Selene gave a nervous chuckle.

The creature glared at her. "Indeed. Now, what is you want of me."

"Well, I could use some help defeating a demon." Selene said, waiting to see the demon's reaction.

One grey eye opened again, looking her over. "You have that very nice staff. You seem to have everything you need. Go, and be valorous. You don't need me."

"He seems powerful." Mouse said, strangely sounding almost hungry. "Perhaps he can teach you to be like him."

His open eye swiveled to Mouse, narrowing in annoyance. "Like me? You expect me to teach the mortal my form? She is too attached to her shape to take this one."

"Well, Mouse here can change his shape. Perhaps you could show him yours." The other eye opened, and Sloth stared at her with more interest.

"You are a smart one. Yes, this one gave up his attachment to the human form long ago. He would be a capable pupil." The demon said slowly, looking closely at the two of them with its dead eyes.

"I don't think I would make a good bear. How would I hide?" Mouse asked, a tremor in his voice.

Selene turned to face him. "You can't hide forever Mouse. With this form, you might be able to stand up for yourself in this realm."

"That is true. I am quite powerful in this form, when I wish to be." Sloth said with yawn, now returning to almost boredom.

"I welcome the opportunity, if it is my choice. The mages in the tower are quick to volunteer others, as you well know. I will try. I will try to become a bear, if you'll teach me." Mouse sounded almost defeated, his shoulders slumping as looked intently at the demon.

"That's nice. But teaching is so exhausting. Away with you now." Sloth closed his eyes, settling back to slumber.

Selene's eyes widened. "Wait! Mouse wants to learn, you have to teach him. You can't just go back to sleep!" Sloth opened both eyes, gazing at her in annoyance.

"You wish to learn my form, little one? Then I have a challenge for your friend. Answer three riddles correctly, and I will teach you. If you answer wrong, I shall devour you both. The decision is yours." He gazed at her expectantly, waiting for a reply.

Well, that came as no surprise. The demon will give her what she wants, but with a price. "You expect me to make a deal with a demon? I'm not a fool."

Sloth stared at her, the interest slowly fading away the longer they talked. "I do not seek to trick you, only present a simple challenge. My terms a very clear."

Perhaps the demon was telling the truth. It seemed too bored to be a threat, and she was very good at riddles. "Fine. Give me your riddles, Sloth."

The demon perked up, a bit of hunger entering its rotting eyes. "Truly? This gets more and more promising. My first riddle is this:

"I have seas with no water, coasts with no sand. I have towns with no people, mountains without land. What am I?" That was a tricky one. Desert came to mind, but that wasn't it. Oh, she had it.

"A map." Selene said hopefully.

Sloth narrowed his eyes. "Yes, that is correct. My next riddle: I am rarely touched, but often held. If you have wit, you'll use me well. What am I?"

Rarely touched but often held. Something that is used well with wit... She thought hard for several moments before she answered. "My tongue."

Sloth snorted. "Yes, your witty, witty tongue. My final riddle: I often spin a tale, but rarely charge a fee. I'll amuse for an entire eve, but alas, you won't remember me. What am I?"

This was the hardest one. It'll amuse you for an eve, but you won't remember it. "A dream." Sloth growled in anger.

"Yes, you are right. Fine, I shall teach my form to the little one. Listen closely." He rose to his feet, and set about explaining to Mouse how to assume the shape of the monstrous bear. Finally, he snapped for Mouse to attempt it.

Light flashed, and where a human had been standing, there was now a large bear. A normal bear. "Is this right?" Mouse asked tentatively.

Selene pursed her lips. "Well, it's a bear, so it's close enough. Thank you, Sloth, but now its time for us to go."

"Good riddance. Now I think its time for a rest." Sloth lowered himself to the ground, closing his rotting eyes and returning to sleep. Turning on her heel, Selene steeled herself. She had a staff, she had a strong companion, and she had her own will and power. It was time to face the creature.

Moving down through the sharp, twisted trees down the slope, she and Mouse quickly eliminated a pack of spirit wolves. Curving back from where she had came, they finally reached the circular, smoking area where the demon was supposed to reside.

As if on cue, a pool of fire and molten rock appeared on the far end of the area, and a figure rose from it. It was a being of pure liquid fire, its shape hominoid only in the vaguest sense. Glowing pits of fire glowed white hot from its long, deformed face. Mouse's voice rose up behind her.

"There is a spirit of Rage." Hands trembling, she slowly moved forward, and the creature began quivering in anticipation. Its voice rose to greet her, deep and echoing in a way that was clearly and sinisterly inhuman.

"And so it comes to me at last. Soon I shall see the land of the living through your eyes, creature. You shall be mine, body and soul." Shoving back her fear, she tried her first tactic to turn this creature away from her.

"Even if you were to succeed, the Templars would cut you down before you could see anything of worth." The spirit laughed, swelling with glee.

"They are welcome to try!" It turned to look at Mouse, speaking hungrily to him. "So, this is creature is your offering, Mouse. Another plaything as per are arrangement." What? Selene whipped around to face Mouse, and the lying traitor had his face hidden behind his hands. Voice trembling, he replied to the demon's statement.

"I'm no offering you anything! I don't have to help you anymore." The demon cackled happily, its form rippling in amusement.

"Oh? And after all the wonderful meals we have shared? Now suddenly the mouse has changed the rules." It laughed again, its deep, menacing voice sending chills straight down her spine.

"I'm not a mouse now, and soon I won't have to hide. I don't need to bargain with you." The demon's laughter ceased, and it leaned forward, hands curling into claws.

"We shall see..." With stunning speed, the demon surged forward, flaming hands outstretched. Selene retreated backwards, but tripped over the end of her ripped robe. Crashing to the ground, she looked up as the rage demon lunged for her. Just as it was to reach her, a huge paw slammed into its flaming chest, sending the creature flailing backwards.

Mouse, in his bear shape, charged the demon, slashing at it with his claws. Its fiery form burned at his paws, but still he attacked, forcing the demon away from her. The demon roared in fury, its form welling up as it swatted at his massive shoulders. Mouse howled in pain as his fur and skin burned, and the demon cackled in glee. Recovering from her shock and fear, Selene lashed out with a bolt of arcane energy.

The spell struck the demon, and it roared in anger, turning to face her. It waved one of its hands, and suddenly all around the perimeter of the clearing, wisps appeared, crackling with energy. Several of them unleashed bolts of electricity, which struck Mouse and allowed the demon to begin to get the upper hand, each blow burning Mouse painfully and forcing him backwards.

Desperate, Selene turned her attention to the wisps. A barrage of arcane bolts, jets of flame and bolts of electricity felling each of them. The last two simultaneously unleashed electrical strikes, one getting through her defenses and sending her reeling in pain. A pair of arcane bolts took them out. Finally, she wheeled about to face the demon. Mouse had been pushed far away from her, and the demon seemed relatively unfazed.

Raising its hands, the rage demon unleashed a fireball, which slammed into Mouse's chest and hurled him backwards, leaving him crumpled and a smoking heap. The demon attempted to move in to finish him, but Selene released a fireball of her own. It slammed into the back of the demon's head, or at least what was supposed to be a head. Completely unharmed, the demon turned to face her.

Obviously, this thing was immune to fire. It laughed again and shot out a jet of flame, which soared towards her head. Ducking under the assault, she let tendrils of electricity shoot from her fingertips, snaking all along the demon's form. It grunted in pain, but was barely slowed by the assault, lashing out with its burning hands. She retreated backwards, a surge of force shoving the demon backwards.

Selene didn't know what to do. This demon was immune to fire, and it resisted her electrical attacks. If she could get a good lightning bolt out, maybe she could hurt it badly enough, but that required a lot of energy, along with time to charge up that she didn't have. An arcane bolt pushed the demon away from her, and she lashed out with another electricity spell. The demon cackled madly. "You can't hold me back forever, mortal. Soon, you shall be my doorway to the physical realm."

She retreated away from the demon, but it continued after her, laughing all the while. Just as she was getting to her wits end, it came to her. This thing was immune to fire, but how about its opposite. Raising her hands, she focused her mind, releasing a jet of icy cold frost magic. It slammed into the demon's chest, and it howled in pain, reeling backwards as ice blossomed across its form.

Now knowing the demon's weakness, she lashed out with every ice spell in her arsenal...which was about one. Ice was not her specialty, so mostly she just sent out streams of frost repeatedly. The demon was screaming in pain and fury, as its body was slowly encased in ice. It struggled to melt the frigid covering, but her magic was powerful enough to hold against the heat it generated. Finally, with one final howl, the demon was fully covered.

She knew it wouldn't stay frozen for long, so she set about summoning the spell that would finish this fight. She began to move her hands in circular patterns around her body, fingers trailing electricity. In the Fade, magic came faster, but she also had a greater capacity for mana output, so she could make this lightning bolt extremely powerful.

The electricity built in the air around her, the tendrils growing in strength the more she weaved the patterns of energy with her hands. Finally she tensed, the power reaching its peak. The demon snarled, its head melting free of its icy prison. It saw what was coming, and screamed in appropriate rage. Allowing herself a smile of triumph, Selene extended her arm, releasing the energy.

A massive bolt of lightning raced forward, slamming into the demon's chest. Not even having time to give a final cry of pain, the demon exploded into thousands of icy chunks, which quickly melted and evaporated into nothing. Gasping at the loss of energy, Selene realized what she had just done. She had defeated a demon.

She had passed her Harrowing.

Selene beamed in victory, barely noticing her exhaustion after that last spell. She turned to Mouse with a grin, but he still was crumpled on the ground. "Mouse!" She rushed forward, gathering the last of her strength. She reached him, the gentle blue light of a healing spell lighting her fingers. She reached out, finding the burns with her magic and quickly repairing the damaged skin and tissue.

After a few moments, he rose, turning back to his human shape. "You did it, Selene. You actually did it! When you first came, I hoped that maybe you would be able to...but I never really thought any of you were worthy." Selene tensed, backing away from the spirit who had been helping her. In the heat of her battle, she had almost forgotten that the demon and Mouse had been working together, preying on innocent apprentices.

"You mean the apprentices that came before me. Did you even know their names, or were they just meals to you?" She couldn't help the fury that entered her voice. Mouse had become no better than the demons. He shook his head, raising his hands to placate her.

"You don't understand. The others weren't like you! The templars set them up to fail, just like they tried with you, and there was nothing I could do to help them."

Selene scoffed, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "That is a lie. Why would this test exist if they wanted us to fail?"

Mouse scoffed in return, gazing at her as if she were a child. "You are so naive! The templars don't want to test you, they want to kill you! Just like they killed me!" He yelled, face reddening, before he seemed to calm, voice softening. "You are different they others. You are a true mage, one of the few. Look at what you did. You secured the help of two spirits, and defeated the demon yourself. You have the potential to be so much more." Selene narrowed her eyes, suspicion crawling up her spine. Mouse had done nothing but butter her up, and belittle the other mages he had helped kill. He was playing her own pride in her accomplishment, seemingly trying to convince her that she was some unstoppable force of power.

"So what is it you want me to do now, Mouse?" Her voice was careful, guarded. Nevertheless, he brightened, giving her a small smile.

"You defeated a demon! With time, you shall be a master Enchanter with no equal. And maybe there is a place in that for someone as small and forgotten as me." A chill crawled through her blood, draining her face of color. "You can help me. It may be possible for me to leave this horrible place, find a home in your world in your world. All you have to do is let me in."

"The rage demon wasn't my real test, was it?" Selene backed away from Mouse, realization hitting her like a punch to the gut. He was no forgotten spirit, no lost soul. He was a demon, one far more dangerous than the one she had just battled.

"What? Of course it was! What else could threaten an apprentice of your-" He paused, shaking his head in defeat. "You are a smart one." A sinister smirk curved across his face, and when his spoke again, his voice was different, even lower and more sinister than the rage demons had been.

"Killing is a warrior's job. The real dangers of the Fade are preconceptions. Careless trust...pride." Light swirled around him, and he swelled to massive proportions, becoming a gigantic violet creature, heavily armed and armored, with thick spiny skin and huge claws.

Selene stumbled backwards, trying to ready herself for a fight. But she would loose. There was no way she could defeat something of this magnitude, a Pride demon. However, it seemed a fight was not inevitable.

"Keep your wits about you, mage. True tests never end." Strangely, the demon of Pride vanished, and then everything faded to blackness.

A/N: Well, if you are reading this, I would like to thank you for reading chapter one. It means a lot to me that you would take time out of your day (or night) to read my work, and I hope you enjoyed it. If you have any questions, or advice, or constructive criticism, I will reply as soon as I can. Chapter two will be up soon, so be ready!