Chapter 1 - The Harrowing

The Magi tower had stood in Fereldan for hundreds of years. It stood out on an island, deliberately isolated by the Templars, in the middle of Lake Callaghan. It was tall, eerie and cold, so cold to the outside world. Few non-mage or templar ventured inside. Even fewer of those that were brought to it were allowed to venture far outside it again.

Kali had been trying to sleep for the best part of 3 hours. She had come to the tower when she was 14, when the first glimmer of magical ability had spooked her only surviving family, her father. She had been picked up and packed off by his Templar friend Roxen a day later. Normally she slept like the huge logs on the edge of the forest which she could see out of the south west windows.

But tonight, something was different. In the 5 years of her apprenticeship to date, the air had never felt like this. Groaning, she sat up and threw a spark of fire at the candle next to her bed, narrowly missing her journal. Perhaps she needed a sleeping tea. The herbs were available in one of the stores cupboards. Cullen was one of the Templars on duty tonight. He would let her she mused as she absentmindedly flicked through the pages of the book.

Kali had just made her mind up to go and get the tea when there was a knock on her dorm room. Yes, something was definitely amiss tonight. She threw on her apprentice robes over her underwear and opened the door. The high enchanter stood before her.

"It is time."

The Harrowing was the first milestone of any mage and the one thing all apprentices worked towards. It was a test . . . the test, to see if you were ready to continue on with your magical studies. It defined if you were a true mage, only mages who passed this returned to the circle and Kali was about to learn why.

Knight Commander Greagoir looked to be on edge as they approached him in the Harrowing Chamber. "You are going into the fade Mage. Know this; should you fail at your test and become possessed, we will kill you on the spot. You cannot become an abomination."

"Enough Greagoir," the First Enchanter demanded. "She is ready and will come through."

"I hope your confidence in your apprentice is correct!" spat back the Templar.

First Enchanter Irving gave Kali a half smile before turning to a table behind them and handing her a poultice. "Lithium, you will drink it and enter the fade. There you will seek out and destroy a demon."

"Yes, First Enchanter." Kali relied formally. Inside, her heart was thumping for the Fade was the realm of sleep, spirits and demons. Anything could be waiting for her!

Drinking the pure Lithium increased her senses and her mana caused her skin to start crackling. Apprentices had only ever been allowed the lithium dust and that was only when they had mastered all of the basic spells.

The first enchanter began chanting words and the last thing Kali remembered was Greagoir drawing his sword before she passed out.

"So this is the fade." Kali mumbled as she regained consciousness to find herself in a misty woodland path. All the books she had read on this realm had explained that "The Fade and its inhabitants generally copy locations, objects, people and concepts of the real world, though in a cruel and often confusing way. In addition, these copies are nowhere near consistent, and can alter from moment to moment."

The coldness hit her skin and she could feel it even through the Lithium in her veins. What was the most obscure was the whispering. She could hear whispering but not make it out. Again the books spoke of the Magi being able to hear spirits in this realm.

Pulling herself up, Kali set off down the path. A spirit orb appeared out of nowhere but it wasn't too taxing to defeat. She had practiced and practiced hard at mastering the arcane bolt spell. What she didn't expect was to meet a talking Mouse.

"I have been here a long time. I can't remember my name. Are you doing your harrowing? I did that once."

"You were an apprentice?" Kali asked.

"I was but I failed to concentrate and the Templar's killed my body, trapping me here."

"That's not going to happen to me!" Kali demanded.

"How did you become a mouse?" she asked.

"I needed a form easy to hide from the demons. And now I am stuck in this form," the mouse replied. "But you, you have to defeat the demon. It's your test."

"And I am going to complete it," Kali told him.

"Many have come and said that. Many have failed but we will see." Mouse replied. The creature followed her down the path until it reached a large circular area with a fork at the end leading into two paths.

Mouse told her, "This is where your demon will manifest, but not straight away."

"We should see what's further on." Kali said beginning to get curious about this place, "Maybe I can find something that will aid me in the fight."

Sure enough, a little while further down the path to the left, there was a spirit.

"I am Valour."

"I am Kali." Kali replied circling the spirit slowly.

"She is looking for help to defeat the demon," Mouse informed him.

Kali hissed quietly. She had yet to determine if this spirit was a friend or foe yet Mouse was already giving information away. No wonder he failed his harrowing she mused.

"A demon must be defeated by a weapon also of the spirit realm," Valour informed her.

"And you happen to have a staff and sword behind you," Kali responded glaring at Mouse to shut him up. She was doing the talking now.

"You are observant, human." she swore the spirit of Valour smirked at her behind his bright spirit energy mask.

"What would it take for you to let me borrow one of those?" Kali enquired.

"You would have to prove yourself worthy by fighting me," he responded simply.

"Very well, I am ready." Kali replied. There was no point wasting time. If she couldn't prove herself to him then she stood no chance with the demon.

"Very well."

Valour immediately changed colour to red and started to charge her. Kali focused hard and hit him with an arcane bolt. It was the right spell. Spirit against spirit, Valour went flying back. Mouse, next to her, darted out of the battle zone as she recharged ready for her next spell.

She rolled to the left and evaded his sword when he charged her a second time landing another bolt on his right side. Valour gave a little roar and changed direction but she was swifter than him and on her feet backing away to avoid his next volley before landing a third hit. That caused Valour to turn brilliant white again.

"You are worthy," he responded simply pulling the staff from the weapon stand and handing it to her. "Use it wisely."

Kali took it and the moment the staff hit her hands it materialised into a real staff not just a shining spirit one. She could however sense the spirit energy throbbing within it.

Bowing respectfully at the spirit she said softly, "Thank you I will."

Valour promptly disappeared.

"Well you were a lot of help," Kali laughed as Mouse skulked forward into her view once more.

"As I said, I am stuck in this form. I am too small to be any help. But perhaps . . .,"

"What?" Kali asked as she examined her new staff further.

"There is more than one demon here,"

Oh great, Kali mused. Now she had to fight two!

"Sloth is further to the west."

"Sloth?" Kali asked. Okay well, the order of strength in demons went Rage, Sloth, Hunger, Desire and then Pride. Rage demons tried to provoke and feed off your rage. If she met one of those, she had to remain calm. Sloth on the other hand was a whole other board game.

Sloth Demons could change form and tried to deceive you by giving you what you dreamt most about. Well if they could be bothered, that is. They didn't call them sloth for nothing!

"Yes, he's in the form of a bear," Mouse told her.

"And what do you want me to do? Kill him too?" Kali asked.

"No I was thinking, maybe we could reason with him. Ask him to teach me how to become a bear. Then I can help you fight your demon and when you leave I am safer," Mouse pleaded.

Kali shook her head in wonder, "But he's a demon,"

"Yes, but well, some negotiate,"

"This I have to see." she muttered, equipping the staff and starting down the path west.

Sure enough, a bereskam was lazing on the ground.

"Sloth!" she demanded as she approached him, poised ready to conjure a spell if necessary but he just yawned lazily at her.

"Sloth!" she demanded again loudly.

"Awwwwwwwwww, I am not your demon mage. Why bother me?"

Kali blinked rapidly. She had not expected that. Still, it didn't mean she trusted him.

"How did you become a bear?" Mouse scurried forward.

Sloth laughed. "I willed it so. You can do that in the fade. You became a mouse," he snorted at him.

"Can you teach him to be a bear?" demanded Kali.

Sloth sat up and fixed his gaze intently on her. "No one has ever made that request before. But I am tired."

"Hmmm, some demon you are!" Kali goaded him. "Do I have to fight you?"

"What fun is there in that?" the demon mused, "It will only anger your demon if I step in. Although, it would be fun to change the battlefield. He would not expect such a move."

"Right," Kali folded her arms looking down at him, "So what will it take to get you to help?"

"Ahhh, I do not have much fun or wit in this realm,"

Kali bit her lip not to comment on the intelligence of a demon.

"Answer 3 riddles. Get them correct and I will teach him."

"Very well." Kali accepted, not 100% sure if he would honour this or it was sloth messing with her head but what other options was there if he refused to fight her?

Sloth smirked at her, "The first riddle is: I have seas with no water, coasts with no sand, and towns without people and mountains without land. What am I?"

Kali grinned. That was an easy one, "A map!"

"The second riddle is: I am rarely touched, but often held. If you have wit, you will use me well. What am I?"

Kali breathed out and started thinking. Absentmindedly she licked her lips and that was the moment the answer dawned. Smiling she answered, "My Tongue!"

She noticed that he wasn't smirking at her any more.

"The third and final riddle is: Often I will spin a tale, never will I charge a fee. I'll amuse you an entire eve, but, alas, you won't remember me. What am I?"

This one took a little longer. Getting frustrated Kali found herself wondering if the fade was just a dream but then why would she dream of a demon asking her riddles? But hey, that was okay because if it was a dream she would wake up and forget about it. "Hang on," Kali said softly, "A dream! The final answer is a dream."

"I misjudged you human," Sloth replied, "You have won your challenge. I will teach him."

Kali sat down and waited, hoping this would not take long. Mouse kept assuring her that her demon was not there yet. She wondered how he could know that. Something wasn't entirely right about Mouse she decided. Something she didn't quite trust but she was now stuck with him.

Poof! Finally Mouse became a bear, "I did it! Look! Now I am big enough to be of some use to you."

"Very good, now come on," Kali said impatiently. What if she had wasted time on this and a Templar was about to hit her with a killing blow in the harrowing chamber.

"Oh right. Yes, of course," Mouse nodded. He promptly turned back into a mouse. "Element of surprise." he informed her.

Kali turned to thank Sloth, he was a demon but he had kept his end of the bargain after all but he was now snoring.

They made their way back up to the area where Mouse had informed her that the demon would manifest earlier.

She felt a pull in her blood. It was coming.

"It comes." Mouse stated.

Interesting, Kali mused. You can sense demons entering the fade. They didn't put that in the books.

A rage demon materialised in front of them. She already had her staff posed but it seemed the demon wanted a little chat first. "We meet again Mouse. Have you brought me someone promising this time?"

Kali stepped away from Mouse. Of course, "More promising eh, I wondered how you knew so much about this demon."

"I know it looks bad but I had to do what I could to survive. I do believe in you and now after you leave I will survive better."

The rage demon started laughing manically.

The pull in Kali's veins was stronger. He was charging up to hit her with something she recognised so immediately started focusing on her own spell as Mouse, as small as he was seemed to square up to the demon.

"You won't control me any more!" he yelled morphing into his bear form.

The demon was briefly fazed so Kali seized the opportunity to strike him first. Channelled through Valour's staff, her spell seemed to be intensified 10 fold.

That in itself suddenly gave her hope that she might just live through this. Focusing again, Mouse seemly was telling the truth about being on her side and in his bear form pounded on the rage demon.

It roared and flashed red beginning to charge fire. Kali kept as calm as she could and evaded the following fire ball before getting her second hit in. Mouse pounced again and the demon turned his attention to him once more.

Kali wondered if she should risk something, but her water spells were not that powerful. Which was strange as the senior mages frequently informed her that water was her element. If the demon was fighting with fire then water was her best weapon. But if the staff was amplifying her basic spirit spells, perhaps…?

She decided to risk it and fired off a winters grasp spell in the enemy's direction. The demon screamed again so she hit him with two more, pushing his form back into a wall.

The pull in her blood was changing. She bit the inside of her cheek. She was winning! He was preparing to run! "Next time I won't be so easy mage!" the demon roared before disappearing out of view.

Mouse started jumping up and down, "You did it! You did it! He won't be able to return for a while. Aren't you pleased?"

Kali observed him, she wasn't sure what was supposed to happen now but until she woke up in that harrowing chamber, she didn't trust anything.

"I don't think the test is over," she demanded.

Mouse's expression changed. The pull in her veins started once more. Kali stepped back as Mouse was now grinning manically at her and growing bigger, "You are a wise one."

Everything went black.