It had been a long time since Dorian had been in Minrathous last and he couldn't help but look around in slight awe as the carriage brought him and Alexius into the capital.
It was a little funny, he thought as he looked at the people that were walking around, the city bursting with life in the early afternoon. Alexius had taken him to so many different cities when they had travelled, but they had somewhat avoided the capital and Tevinter's larger cities. He hadn't really thought about it until they were finally there.
This time, however, their trip was not all fun. This was strictly business and while they would indulge a little while there, there was one main purpose for the trip; Dorian's Harrowing and test.
Their first day and night in the capital was a calm one; just simple wandering around the market-place before purchasing a set of new robes for Dorian to wear before they finished the day with a lovely meal at a high-class tavern.
"In many ways," Alexius had said while they shared a bottle of fine, Orlesian wine, enjoying some peace and quiet in what Alexius had called "the gentlemen's lounge" at the tavern (and Dorian could see why, with the amount of men that were there, talking and drinking). "-tomorrow will be the most draining day for you. Just remember what I have taught you about wandering the fade and you will be fine. Violence is not always necessary. But, of course, you know that."
And Dorian did know that.
It had been a long time since the last time he had responded to an issue with violence and started using his brain instead.
Besides, it was so much more fun beating someone orally rather than physically. The confusion and humiliation could be triggered in so many different and fun ways.
Not that Dorian had had many opportunities in using his oral skills, but if all went well now..?
Well. Things would certainly change.
When the two of them finally retired for the evening, Dorian found he couldn't sleep. His half-tipsy mind was already spinning, trying to think up all the possible things that could happen when he would wander the Fade in just a few hours. He wondered what he would encounter while there.
As a child and teenager, Dorian had, as every mage did, wandered the fade many a times while sleeping, but this would be the first time he would do it with purpose. He knew of the ritual, he had studied it, but it was still hard to wrap his head around it.
It was one thing to let his mind drift unconsciously as he slept, it was another to have his mind sent there by a lyrium-driven ritual, but he supposed that is the way it had to be. It would do a mage no good to be sent there in such a vulnerable way without being aware of it.
When the sun rose the next day, Dorian had hardly slept a wink, but he felt more than awake as he took his morning bath, taking his time in getting himself ready for the day to come.
As Alexius came to take him to breakfast, Dorian was dressed in the simple, black robes they had bought the day before; simple for Tevinter anyway. A black and red robe that had silver-buckles on the front, holding it together over the chest, but coming open just over his lower abdomen and handing down like a coat. Underneath he wore soft, black pants and comfortable leather shoes and in some way, the simplicity of his outfit brought him some comfort.
When they sat down for breakfast down at the tavern, Dorian found his appetite lacking as the first signs of nerves started showing up, but he still managed to get down a piece of lightly toasted bread.
It would just have to do.
They did not wander the streets of Minrathous like they had the day before; their trip took them directly to the Circle of Minrathous to see the First Enchanter about the first test.
Dorian had never actually been to the Circle before, but he had seen it many times in passing, and as he looked up at the grand building now, he couldn't help but feel a sense of awe and respect.
The building was, as the name implied, in the shape of a circle, but there were several dome-like sections around the base of it, making the first floors of it larger than the rest of the tower itself.
The tower jutted up like a spear from the ground and when Dorian looked up, he had to bend his head quite far back to see all the way up to the top.
It was impressive, to say the least.
When they entered the circle, Dorian could, for the first time in his life, see and even appreciate the life he saw inside. With each hall they passed, he could see young men and women studying together, he could see magic being practices and explored with, he could see books with, to him, unknown knowledge.
These were things he had not been able to appreciate as a child, but now he wanted to experience it. He wanted to see it, maybe even try to be a part of it. Maybe he would even enjoy it.
In truth, he was a little nervous about actually being involved with people again on an academic level. Sure, he had no trouble socialising with people if he was at a tavern or even a social event, but he could still remember his time in the circles as a child. The looks, the expectations, the demands.
As a child, he hadn't been able to handle it and while he wanted to now, even felt ready to try again, he honestly wasn't sure if he could do it.
But he would try.
Maker, but if he could just pass his tests, he would try.
As they reached the very top floor of the circle, with Dorian being slightly out of breath by the time they got up there, Alexius finally turned to speak to him.
"Remember what I told you yesterday," he murmured as he placed a hand on Dorian's shoulder, squeezing it. "You have a brilliant mind and you will need it in there. This is not the place to be flashy, this is the place to be smart."
Dorian nodded and inhaled deeply through his nose. "I am ready," he said before he turned to look at the wooden doors, taking a moment to prepare himself before he gave a firm knock, then opening the door as he heard the loud "enter".
With another deep breath, Dorian pushed the heavy door open and stepped into a circular room, taking in the scene that was already laid out there.
As it turned out, the first part of the test seemed to be surprisingly private, with only the First Enchanter, a handful of mages and a couple of Templars in the room.
In truth, Dorian hadn't been quite sure what to expect when he came into the room, but he wasn't completely ignorant.
Unlike in the south, where the Harrowing was a well-guarded secret, Tevinter prepared their mages properly for the journey.
The Harrowing had started here, as a way to weed out weak-willed mages and the tradition had continued. Dorian knew he would enter the fade and face a test, but the nature of the tests was more up to the Fade's inhabitant. The only thing they could do was lure a demon to the general "area" and let Dorian deal with it.
That was just a test of the mind, however. After all that, Dorian would have to put on a "show" in order to show of his magical prowess.
A duel, he had been told by Alexius, to show his strength and abilities. Usually against an animal, but in rare cases there had been other things let loose on the student; the rarest being a rampaging Qunari prisoner.
The poor student had not survived that.
Of course, before that he had to actually show that he was worthy of being displayed as the introduction and the duel would be quite the spectacle, or so he was told.
For now, he had to pass his Harrowing and prove that he had full control of his mind as well as being resilient against temptation.
This was why he had been brought to the Circle in Minrathous by Alexius in the first place after all.
"Welcome, young master Pavus," the First Enchanter said before gesturing to a basin crafted out of stone that was placed next to a very nice and soft-looking bed. Dorian assumed he would be placed there as he slept.
"I take it you have prepared yourself well?"
"I have," Dorian said, his voice steady as he stepped further into the room, jumping slightly as he heard the door shut behind him.
"Good. Then I assume you know what will happen now? And what will happen if you fail?"
"I know," Dorian confirmed, looking into the First Enchanter's face.
The man was old, his clean-shaven face wrinkled, his short, grey hair receding, but he still managed to look intimidating. Nothing about this man was frail, he quickly realised.
"Then I see no point in delaying this further," the First Enchanter replied as he took a step to the side, allowing Dorian free access to the basin.
It was a large one, easily reaching Dorian to his stomach, with a wide surface filled with a blue-coloured liquid that glowed weakly in the dimly lit room. Lyrium, Dorian recognised, both by the sight and the smell.
On the basin itself were several inscriptions that he recognised as runes and enchantments, and on the floor itself was a seal of capture, no doubt to seal any possible possessed mages in should something go wrong.
They were well prepared.
The First Enchanter presented Dorian with a golden goblet, because Maker forbid that he would use his -hands-, which Dorian took with slightly shaky hands.
He wasn't scared, not really, but he was nervous. Nervous about what he would face in there.
Before the nerves could get the best of him, he dipped the goblet into the liquid and brought it to his face, not hesitating as he swallowed two mouthful's of the liquid, grimacing some as the bitter taste of lyrium assaulted his taste-buds and leaving a horrible aftertaste.
He could feel the liquid do its job as he felt both a surge of power as well as a fog clouding his mind, making him feel incredibly tired. Before he could set the goblet down, he lost grip of it, watching through a haze as it landed into the basinet before he himself slid down onto the floor, only halfway aware of strong arms capturing him before he fell into a deep sleep.
Dorian wasn't sure exactly how long he had been asleep before he finally opening his eyes, letting out a small groan as the colours of the Fade swirled softly around over him. He could see the faint glows from curious spirits linger over him before vanishing, quickly loosing interest in the human mage that had found its way to their domain.
He felt a little nauseas as he sat up, rubbing over his face as he slowly managed to gather himself, needing a moment just to get used to it.
He had wandered the fade in his sleep before, sure, but this was different. It felt different. He knew he wasn't there physically, but he was more aware of everything. He felt he had control and that knowledge alone was enough to bring him comfort.
"Well then," he murmured as he pushed himself up onto his feet, stretching his arms up before he started walking. "Let's see what we can find in here..."
It was special, wandering the fade the way he was now. When he dreamt, he had usually lingered where he was, just watching and finding amusement or comfort in the spirits that dropped by him, but he rarely interacted. He wasn't sure if he had been able to as he wasn't sure if he was aware of where he was when he was actually asleep, only realising it after he had woken up.
Now, however, he felt as if he had full control of everything, free to interact with whatever he wished.
As another spirit floated over to him, Dorian reached out towards it, smiling as the spirit seemed to slide over, then under his arm, its energies tickling him before it floated off. At least he had had a warm welcome to the Fade, even if his end-goal had not been reached yet.
Dorian had no idea how long he was wandering though before the Fade started to change, the large, almost shapeless rock-formations changing into smooth, white stone the further along the pathway Dorian walked.
With the stone came beautiful, red draperies along with soft-glowing torches illuminating the hallway as it shaped around him. The further he moved along, the more wondrous it became, the hallways filling up with golden statues, silken draperies, beautifully carved benches with silken pillows.
"Reminds me of our summer-home," he mumbled to himself as he continued down the hall until he reached a closed door. For a moment he considered knocking before he reminded himself that he was not here to visit. This was a test and he suspected he had just found it. He hesitated for a moment before pushing the door open, revealing a most beautiful scenery.
While the slight warp and glow of the fade was still very much present, whoever was here had managed to conjure up a beautiful garden, with a large tree in the middle of the open room. Two chairs and a table were by the tree and in one of the chairs...
Dorian had to such in a deep breath as the figure stood up, flashing him a beautiful smile as he allowed Dorian a good look of him.
"Ah... Dorian Pavus. I have been waiting for you. Please... Come in," the figure said as it reached out a tanned, elegant hand. The owner of said hand was just as elegant-looking; handsome, with long, black hair that was tied into a braid, beautiful eyes the colour of fine brandy, defined cheekbones and a smile that definitely did something to Dorian's insides.
He had to be careful.
"I was not aware I was expected," he managed to say instead, plastering on his best, confident smile as the man chuckled, seemingly not minding that Dorian was ignoring his hand.
"Of course you were," he said as he gestured for Dorian to have a seat instead, moving to sit back in his chair again as well.
"I was instantly aware that you had come here and I had to rush a bit to make this place look... Presentable. I am sure you understand."
Dorian raised an eyebrow, but he did take the offered seat, crossing one leg over the other as he made himself comfortable.
This... Was not what he was expecting. The demon was apparently making no effort to hide, but to what gain? It was not like Dorian would relax his guard around it even if he knew it that his company was a demon.
Unless it was not a demon, but a spirit of sorts... He would have to play his cards closely to his chest.
"Of course," he said instead, keeping his smile on. "Unannounced visitors can be so tedious, yes? You just feel so stressed when they show up, especially if you have ignored the spring-cleaning for a little too long."
"Exactly," the man said before gesturing to a bowl that was standing on the table. "Now, what kind of host am I? We will need refreshments." He tilted his head, the beautiful, amber eyes studying Dorian intensely before he smiled.
"You look like a man who favours grapes," he said as he waved his hand over the bowl, summoning plump and tasty-looking grapes into it. He broke off a small branch that held three grapes on it, then carefully plucked one off and popped it into his mouth. "Mm... Yes, this is acceptable," he moaned as he checked, plucking another grape from the branch and offering it to Dorian.
Sceptical, Dorian plucked the grape from the man's hand, studying it for a moment before biting into it, his curiosity getting the best of him. It wasn't like his body could get poisoned in the fade, but he had to be careful still.
Still, the grape was delicious and he did let out a somewhat involuntary moan as he swallowed the juicy piece. "Very much so," he agreed before eating the rest of the half-eaten grape.
"I must say though, Dorian," the man continued, smiling warmly at Dorian as the mage reached out to take a small branch of grapes for himself.
"I am quite honoured that you chose to come to my little corner of the Fade. You are desired by many here."
"Am I now," Dorian asked before popping another grape into his mouth, chewing slowly on it before swallowing.
"While I am fully aware of my physical qualities and mental prowess, I wasn't aware that I was watched here as well?"
"You must be joking," the man chuckled, as if Dorian had just told a very funny joke.
"A man such as you? You are the envy of any spirit here in the fade. Oh, if only you knew how many spirits gather when you dream, Dorian. Your thoughts are delicious, fascinating, definitely worth listening to."
"You flatter me," Dorian murmured, hoping his cheeks weren't as red as they felt.
"Flattery that you have earned, Dorian," the man continued, reaching out to place a hand on Dorian's knee, giving it a squeeze.
"I do not think you are aware of how much you have to give... We know that the outside world does not know... You are so very underappreciated out there, Dorian, but in here..? Oh, if we had kings, we would make you one."
'That's layering it a bit thickly,' Dorian thought to himself, but he kept the smile up as he tried to place the man.
He was obviously taking the road of flattery to get into Dorian's good side, but to what effect..? He had dismissed the possibilities of it being a demon of rage, sloth or envy; the knowledge he had on those particular brands of demons did not add up with the behaviour this creature was showing.
Pride, perhaps..? Or desire? It was honestly hard to tell, Dorian was getting mixed signals.
"Well," he said instead, licking some of the grape's juice from his bottom lip as he pretended to be completely uninterested in what the creature had to say. "As lovely as it is to finally be recognised by my obvious talents and mind, I have this tiny voice telling me that there is something you want in return."
"I only want you to succeed," the man murmured and Dorian did flinch a little as the man moved his hand to his cheek, cupping it. The hand was warm, soft, and Dorian actually had to fight himself from leaning into the touch.
"I know how you feel, Dorian... Out there... You know, don't you? What you can and what you cannot have. And it's not right, being judged just because you have desires that are a little different from others... There are so many like you, you know, but they are afraid of showing it, just like you are. But you don't want to hide, do you? You want to show it, you want the -right- to have whoever you want without the judgement, don't you."
Dorian swallowed, not wanting to trust his own voice as he looked at the creature. "Who doesn't," he finally answered somewhat cryptically.
"Indeed... Who doesn't want to be accepted for who they are...? Here, Dorian, in the Fade, we do not judge. We give into desire, into wants, we accept and we have fun with it. And you can have that too."
"No offence," Dorian murmured as he shifted his head out of the tender touch, breaking the almost hypnotic gaze. "But I do not think we mean the same thing."
"Oh, but we do," the man chuckled as he rose from the chair, walking slowly around until he was behind Dorian. He placed his hands on Dorian's shoulder, squeezing them tenderly.
"I know what you want, Dorian. I can see it so plainly on your face. You just want to love and be loved. You want someone who loves you for who you are, for someone to accept you for who you are. And I do that, Dorian. I accept you. I can even love you."
He leaned down and nuzzled at Dorian's neck, making him shiver. "I think I already do, Dorian... You, who are so sweet and kind... You are not like the other Tevinter bastards. You have such a good, giving heart, a heart that is aching so badly from so many things that has been done to you... I can heal your heart, Dorian... Let me heal it."
Dorian felt as if he had frozen in his chair as the creature continued to speak, the words sounding sweet, comforting, so very, very promising... How easy it would be to just give into what the demon wanted, how tempting it was...
Closing his eyes, Dorian inhaled deeply. "... And your terms," he asked, his voice surprisingly calm and collected.
"Simple terms," the man murmured as he moved his mouth over Dorian's neck and jaw-line, nuzzling at him, but instead of the warm flesh he had previously felt from his hand, the skin felt harder, colder... Perfect. That made it easier.
"Just let me in, Dorian... Let me in. We can have a perfect world here, you and I... We can live our lives, just as you want it. And from time to time, I can go out there, look through your eyes, help you be the perfect mage that your father so desperately wants... The perfect son, the Magister. The Archon. I can give you all of that, Dorian... If you just let me in."
Dorian could feel his heart thump almost painfully in his chest as the creature spoke, the words hitting dangerously close to home. It was almost tempting, the thought of his father being proud of him... But another part of him, a part that sounded dangerously similar to his father, chastised him for even thinking about it.
The demon, because Dorian knew that the damn thing was no regular passive spirit, took his silence as consideration, and took his time in caressing his fingers over Dorian's throat, the cold, hard fingernails scraping over his skin.
"Just think about all the wonders we could do together, you and I," he whispered. "Your talent and brilliant mind, my powers and resources... We could rule the world, you and I."
That was enough.
He had already prepared his spell long before the creature had even opened his mouth and the look of complete shock and pain that crossed the demon's features as Dorian grasped his hand, placing a seal on it after hissing a simple spell was oddly satisfying.
The demon let out a shriek and as Dorian got up from his seat, a fireball already conjured in his hand, he was finally able to take in the desire-demon in its more natural form.
The once tanned skin was grey and while the physical body still closely resembled a human male, its legs resembled more those of a goat than of a human. A tail was angrily swishing behind him and, instead of the long, black hair it had purple fire and long, elegant horns sprouting from its scalp.
He supposed the demon was still handsome, but the angry sneer was anything but, especially after Dorian sent the fireball towards the demon's face.
He didn't have much time and he knew he needed distance between himself and the furious demon.
Before the demon could regain himself from Dorian's attack, Dorian had already placed up a barrier around himself in addition to several sigils on the ground. They were simple, quick spells, but they would give the demon plenty of things to think about if Dorian unleashed them.
For now, it seemed like the seal on the demon's hand was enough to pause it, which told Dorian that the demon was not here to fight. It was clutching his hand almost desperately, its yellow eyes glaring at him with a mix of desire and hatred.
"Oh, don't be such a baby, it is only a seal of fire," Dorian said with a raised eyebrow.
"Of course, it will burn more and more unless I remove it."
"You fool," the demon hissed, still clutching the hand Dorian had sealed with his other hand. The seal was spreading rapidly and Dorian could see the fiery lines as they slowly started spreading over the demon's arm.
It was hardly a loss, this wasn't a demon's true form, but it was sure to hurt like a bitch and would force the demon to spend a lot of energy regaining itself. That in itself was satisfying enough.
"I could have given you everything you desire! Why deny me?!"
"You can hardly give me the world, demon, and you know it," Dorian sneered back, stretching out his other hand. With a snap of his fingers, the rune on the demon's hand burned harder, making it scream.
"Besides, why in the void do I want the world, I have hardly anywhere sensible to put it," he added with a small smirk.
The demon just glared at him, then fell to its knees as Dorian snapped his fingers again. Flames started breaking through the burning lines, setting the demon's hand on fire. The demon shrieked, holding its hand out in a desperate attempt to get the flames further away from his body.
"Instead of tormenting me," it hissed, fangs bared at Dorian in an angry, pained snarl. "Then kill me. Finish me."
"No," Dorian said, frowning some. "Because that is what you expect of me. But I know that if I kill you, something else will just take your place. Besides, if I kill you here, now, it will just lure other beings here and quite frankly, I tire of this place."
The demon chuckled, the grin predatory despite the look of pain on its face. "Compassion. You won't last long in your world if you hold onto that. Tevinter is like an open table for creatures like me, pride, desire and envy seeping from every mortal, including you. Don't pretend you are better than them."
"I am no better than them," Dorian said as he turned away, leaving the demon to deal with the run on its own. "But I can be better than most. And I intend to be."
He stopped for a moment before turning his head to look over his shoulders. "Besides, those grapes were horrible sour. Try better next time."
And with that, he left the palace, not watching as the surroundings shimmered around him, and then simply fell apart as the demon shrieked from the inside. He just kept walking, ignoring the hammering of his heart as he started making his way back to... He wasn't sure. But he had to go back.
He wasn't sure where he was heading, more or less just going by instinct, letting himself be pulled to where the Fade felt... Familiar.
He could sense spirits around him, curious as they followed him for a few seconds, then heading off again as something else caught their attention.
Whimsical little things, he though with a slight smile as he kept walking.
He could see a small group of spirits gathered at the edge of a pathway and Dorian felt somewhat relieved as he saw the light glowing. He could feel something familiar from it and he knew that that was his way out.
He whispered a soft "thank you" as he passed the spirits, halfway wondering if the spirits had helped him find his exit, but it did not matter.
He had to leave now, before the First Enchanter deemed that he had spent too long in the Fade and had him killed.
He had to wake up.
So he did.
The collar felt tight around Dorian neck and even though he could feel his heart hammer in his chest, he also felt excited. Anticipation.
This was his moment, his chance to prove himself.
He had been groomed to perfection; this was as much a test as it was a statement, and he knew that several eyes would be on him.
His long, dark hair had been pulled back into a ponytail with just a few strands loose to frame his sharp face. His eyes had been outlined with kohl, giving him a sharp, intense look and his facial-hair had been groomed into a circle beard, bringing out his chin and lips.
His outfit was in the traditional black and golden colours of Tevinter, the end of the sleeves and bottom of the robes decorated with golden patterns. The lines of the robes were sharp-cut, showing the black silken pants underneath.
Dark-brown leather gloves and boots completed the picture and, around his neck for the world to see, was his birthright, showing his family lineage.
He just hoped this would be a moment of pride and not disaster.
"How are you feeling, Dorian," Alexius asked, smiling at his student as they waited for the test to being.
"Good," Dorian replied, but there was a slight crack to his voice that made him flush. "... Mostly good. Nervous. Excited. All of the above?"
Alexius merely laughed and gave Dorian's shoulder a pat. "You are wise to be. Only a fool goes out there feeling completely unafraid. What you are about to face is dangerous, but there are people at watch. This is not a duel to the death after all."
"Unlike what could have happened in the Fade," Dorian replied with a small, strained chuckle.
Almost three days had passed since his trial in the Fade; a trial, the First Enchanter said, he had passed quickly.
Even if his trip had felt like it had taken hours, he had only been asleep for roughly twenty minutes before he woke up, dizzy and disoriented. They had given him some space, though one of the Templars had apparently had his hand on the hilt of his sword, ready to attack in case it was not Dorian that had come out.
When Dorian had mumbled out a tired "... By the Maker, the Fade is a shit place", then promptly falling asleep again due to exhaustion, they had deemed the test concluded before leaving him to sleep of the trial.
Alexius had found the response quite hilarious while Dorian found it more embarrassing.
"Could have, but didn't," Alexius chuckled, patting Dorian gently on the back.
"You did fine in there, my boy, and you will do fine here as well. That much I know."
Dorian nodded firmly before looking at his mentor, a brief glimmer of insecurity visible in his eyes. "... Is mother and father here," he asked, his voice low.
"I believe they are and if they had not shown up, I would have had some choice words to say about that," Alexius said, his voice firm.
"But do not think about them, you are here because of your accomplishments, Dorian. You got yourself here and you have what it takes to impress them all." The hand still resting on Dorian's shoulder squeezed firmly before releasing him. "I believe in you, Dorian. And I am proud of you."
"Thank you," Dorian said and if not for the fact that he was supposed to look his very best, he would have hugged the man firmly.
Before long, the grand bell sounded through the hallways and Dorian left the preparation-room, hand grasping hard at his staff as he took quick steps towards the auditorium.
It was quite similar to his favourite staff as a child, but instead of a snake made out silver, the entire staff was carved out of ebony-black wood, with three snakes coiling out from the top, mouths open and emerald-green stones gleaming in their eyes.
A gift from the entire Alexius' family.
He stopped outside the grand wooden doors, trying his best to keep himself distracted from his nerves by following the exquisite patterns hammered into the doors; gold-painted battles between mages and dragons in-between intricate patters and spirals and, at the very top, the carved in images of the Old Gods.
The bell sounded again and Dorian straightened his back, trying his best to look as calm and confident as he could. Thankfully, the art of deception was one he had mastered as a child; letting his face show something else than what he was truly feeling.
So it was with an aura of confidence that Dorian stepped into the auditorium, letting the bottom of his staff touch the ground in time with his steps. He walked slowly, letting his eyes roam over the audience.
A very typical Tevinter event he felt; Magisters, enchanters, senior enchanters and, of course, the First Enchanter. They were all watching him; Dorian Pavus, the scion of House Pavus, the Altus. The gifted.
They were all watching and judging. Some hoping for his success, others hoping for him to fail.
He would not fail.
He thought about Alexius, about the preparations. 'Remember, this is a show. You are the star and you are going to mesmerize them,' Dorian thought, repeating the words Alexius had told him so many times before this very day.
As he neared the very centre of the room, the show began. He lifted his foot to take his next step and, upon his will, he started leaving fiery footsteps in the ground. After five steps, the first fiery footprints started coiling, burning before following him, taking the shape of serpents slithering over the marble-floors. When he reached the centre, he stopped, not watching as the small serpents started merging with one another, becoming bigger, until a large, fiery serpent slithered up to him, then up his body. Still holding onto his staff with his right hand, he stretched out his left, letting the snake coil partly around it, most of its body settling over his shoulders. He could feel the heat of it against his face and neck, but it did not hurt.
This was his magic, his power and it could not hurt him.
Dorian could feel everyone's eyes on him and, with a deep breath, he tossed his left arm up, sending the snake upwards. It soared before exploding into a beautiful fiery pattern, sparks raining down over the middle. He did not watch as he cast his magic, letting the audience admire his pyrotechnic display. He inhaled deeply, slowly, feeling with his magic how the fiery cloud and smoke above him started vanishing before he let his magic form what was left from the fire.
From the smoke and fire, he allowed a large serpent-like dragon emerge, coiling and flying around the circular room, large wings flapping.
All an illusion, of course. Parlour-tricks to impress, but by the looks of the audience it seemed to work.
The dragon took another round around the circular room before coming towards Dorian. With a fiery roar, it lunged, but inches before it would hit, Dorian let it split in two, feeling the heat as it soared past him, crashing into the ground. As the split body fell onto the floor, Dorian's magic shaped it, letting the fire melt into the stone-floor until a fiery pattern was temporarily seared into the surface.
The seal of House Pavus.
As the seal burned, he looked up to his audience, letting his eyes land on the First Enchanter.
"My name is Dorian Pavus," he called out before bowing, adding a slight flourish to the gesture.
"Son of Halward Pavus and Aquinea Thalrassian, student of Magister Gereon Alexius. I thank you for granting me this chance."
The First Enchanter stood up, eyes fixated on Dorian. "Dorian of House Pavus," he called out, clasping his hands behind his back.
"Your name is known to us for more reasons than one. I trust you know why you have been granted this chance."
"I do," Dorian replied, his voice firm and strong despite the beating of his heart. "And I am honoured that you have granted me this test, First Enchanter."
"We shall see if the honour is ours," the First Enchanter replied. "You have much to prove, despite your success in the Fade, Master Pavus. Now we are all eager to see if you are just as skilled out here, or if your mentor is all talk or not."
"I am ready," Dorian called out.
"We shall see."
The First Enchanter tilted his head, eyeing Dorian intensely before he spoke again. "I trust you have been informed of the challenges ahead?"
"I have, First Enchanter," Dorian responded, inhaling deeply as he waited for the next part.
"Then get ready, young Pavus." The First Enchanter lifted his hands up before speaking again. "Dorian of the house of Pavus is ready to face his final test. Sound the bells and let us see what the young lord can do!"
Dorian felt his heart skip a beat as the sound of the bell was heard, echoing around the circular room. His eyes were still up on the stands, scanning for the familiar faces of his parents, wanting to know if they were there...
He could hear the metallic clanks of a gate being opened and his eyes dropped to watch it, cursing himself for not having noticed that there was a damn room underneath the stand where the First Enchanter was sitting.
He held his breath and looked into the dark room, then once again felt his heart skip a beat as he heard a hiss coming from the darkness.
He took a step back as a creature the size of a bear came scampering out, injured wings stretching and flapping desperately while its head hissed as it stared at Dorian with yellow eyes.
A wyvern and it looked a good mix of furious and scared. Dorian could hardly blame it, taking in the state of the wing-like appendages jutting from its front-legs, the cuts and wounds on the blue and white scales.
It opened its mouth and let out a bellow, showing a mouth full of perfectly sharp teeth.
Dorian was amazed that he was still able to stand as he took his staff in hand, it's top facing the floor while the length of his staff resting comfortably against his lower arm with the end of his staff facing upwards.
He stared at the wyvern, eyes challenging it, hoping that he didn't look as scared as he felt. He was fully aware that a wyvern was poisonous and if he got bit, he could be done for.
The Wyvern just looked back at him, brisling, the large tail swaying behind it as sized Dorian up. It somewhat reminded him of a huge cat, like the lions he knew some of the Magisters liked keeping as pets.
When the wyvern did it's first trying snap after him, Dorian quickly stepped back and retaliated by summoning a small wall of fire between him and it.
The wyvern quickly pulled back, but Dorian knew it wouldn't hold it back for long. They were still sizing one another up with Dorian trying to figure out what to do and how to do it quick enough to cut the battle short.
The wyvern had thick skin and while fire would hurt it, it would only serve to piss it off and in turn make it more dangerous. The obvious weak-spots was the soft underside and the inside of the large mouth, and while the wyvern opened its mouth often enough to bellow at him, it would be hard to toss a proper spell in there.
Hard, but definitely not impossible.
His time of thinking was cut short as the wyvern let out an angry snarl and suddenly jumped through the fire, lunging for Dorian with surprising speed.
Dorian reacted as if on instinct, casting a barrier around himself which was almost instantly broken thanks to two quick swipes by the powerful claws.
He swirled his staff around before sending several arcane-blast towards the wyvern. It would hardly do anything, but it would sting enough to give the creature pause, which was all Dorian needed. As the wyvern hunched a little together, protecting itself against the blasts, Dorian quickly cast a new spell. The ground around the wyvern glowed for a moment before several bolts of lightning charged through it, stunning it in place with a howl of pain as the jolts jumped between open wounds, into its eyes and even through its open mouth.
Readying himself, Dorian cast several small fire-runes around on the floor, ready to dance between them as he prepared his plan. He would need a lot of mana to get this done, but it would be effective if he could time it right.
The wyvern was sensing the strength in its foe and was becoming more wary, but Dorian could fix that with ease with a flick of his wrist.
Fire danced over the wyvern's scales as Dorian's fire-spell came to life, licking over the wounds and making the creature cry out in pain. The wyvern bellowed and lunged, and as Dorian quickly sidestepped, the wyvern landed hard onto the floor, right onto one of Dorian's runes. It exploded, catching the sensitive underside as flames licked over the scaly hide, making the wyvern thrash in pain.
It was oddly satisfying, but Dorian also didn't want to torture the animal mindlessly. He would finish this quickly.
The wyvern was already tired, but with the exhaustion came desperation. It wanted to live and it wanted Dorian dead.
It lunged again, its powerful claws scratching over his barrier, which popped with a crackle, but Dorian was ready to summon another. He let out a grunt as the wyvern suddenly turned, slamming him hard with its tail, sending him backwards, but the shield was holding. It did leave him somewhat off balance as the wyvern came towards him, it's large mouth open and ready to bite, but another lightning bolt brought the animal down. It snarled as it pulled away, but Dorian could almost control it with his lightning attack, moving it in the direction he wanted. His primary goal was to bring distance between him and it, but he also used the opportunity to move it over to a second rune. The rune under it exploded as its back-leg stepped on the rune, sending another wave of fire over its underside, backside and pain. Dorian could smell the burning hide and it somewhat made him gag.
The dance continued until two more of Dorian's fiery runes went off, with Dorian easily able to kite the wyvern where he wanted it with well-placed lightning-attacks and trails of fire. As the last rune went off, the wyvern slowed down considerably, its tail lashing out in an attempt to hit the human in front of it. Dorian could see how it was dragging its hind leg behind it and when he looked, he could see that the last rune had almost blasted the leg off.
The wyvern was harmless now; it couldn't do anything further to him unless Dorian willingly went over there and stuck his head in its mouth.
The wyvern bellowed again, but Dorian could only hear the pain in the creature's voice and he could only sympathize. What was this but just another show to amuse the masses? Its death would the senseless; the body would probably be burned or tossed away. None of its venom would be harvested for potions, its hide was too damaged to be used and even if it was whole, Dorian doubted that they would bother skinning it.
Nothing would come from this except Dorian's own gain and reputation.
He could drag this out for as long as he wanted, torture the animal for the amusement of the masses, but he couldn't. He didn't have it in him.
He took a moment to look around him, to see the mass of people stare at him, but there was no sound besides the wyverns pained growls. This wasn't an arena or sport, this was a test so everyone was watching him in silence, judging him performance.
He looked back to the animal, swallowing hard. He had never actually killed anything, unless bugs counted, and his heart actually throbbed hard at the mere thought of it, but he also knew that the longer the animal suffered, the crueller it was.
'Make it quick,' he thought to himself as held his hand out, frost already gathering on his fingertips. He waited until the wyvern opened its mouth to bellow at him before he released his magic. With a crackle, an ice-lance shot out from his hand and pierced through the wyvern's mouth. The animal twitched from the surprise before slumping over, the thick red blood gathering, and then overflowing from its mouth.
Dorian could taste the bile of his mouth as he looked at the animal. He felt no sense of pride for himself, but as his eyes were drawn to the crowd, he could still feel his nerves string up again.
Nobody said anything, but even as the First Enchanter stood up, all eyes remained on him.
"Dorian of house Pavus," he called out and Dorian couldn't help but swallow.
Had he done something wrong? Wasn't he supposed to kill his foe, only to subdue it? Had he taken it too far?
For a moment, he felt like he was a child again, being stared at and judged while wearing robes that were a little bit too big, with eyes too big for his head and a mind so full of thoughts and questions that it made him dizzy.
How he managed to straighten up, he had no idea, but he managed. His hand was gripping his staff so tightly it was starting to hurt and if he looked, he would see how white his knuckles were; a stark contrast to his normally dark skin.
"Your display on the floor," the First Enchanter continued while slowly clasping his hands behind his back, standing straight and proud as he gazed down at Dorian. He stopped, let the moment linger and Dorian cursed the man in his mind. Why couldn't he just bring his verdict and be done with it?!
"-was one of finesse, of skill and talent," the First Enchanter finally continued and even from his spot in the dome, Dorian could see a ghost of a smile on the man's lips.
"Your presentation was a fine one; simple, yet elegant. And your battle with the wyvern was equally fine. You showed respect for your foe and displayed authority over it."
Dorian fought down his own smile and merely bowed graciously for the First Enchanter. "I thank you for the compliments, First Enchanter."
"Because of this," the First Enchanter continued, holding a hand up. "-I will proudly announce this test as completed and passed, with a level of skill and elegance that I expected based on your master's compliments of you. I welcome you, Dorian of house Pavus, to the Circle of Minrathous, as a proper mage, Enchanter and worthy of your title as Altus!"
Dorian was about to open his mouth, but stopped as he heard the sound of applause behind him. As he turned, he expected it to be Alexius, but all breath left him as he saw who it was.
It was his father, slowly walking towards him, slowly clapping. He was smiling, beaming, and Dorian could see the unshed tears in the man's eyes as he slowly approached his son.
Dorian swallowed hard, his mouth slightly open, but he couldn't get out a single word. It didn't seem to matter as Halward grasped his shoulders and tugged him in for a firm hug, holding him close.
"My son," he whispered. "I am so proud of you."
"Father..."
Dorian's voice hitched as his own arms came up to wrap themselves around his father, hugging him just as tightly back.
They stood like that for some time, just holding one another. It had been four years since they had seen each other last and it was like all the anger, all the pain Dorian had held inside him melted away, just from seeing his father again. Just from seeing that proud smile on his face.
He had done it, he had finally done it. He had made his father proud.
As Halward pulled away, hands still on Dorian's shoulder, Dorian couldn't help but smile, not caring about the fact that the tears in his eyes were bound to create streaks of black down his cheeks if he let them shed.
"You must cut your hair," Halward chuckled as he reached a hand up to touch the long hair, but Dorian could hear the humour in the man's voice.
"Your mother is going to have a fit when she sees it."
"Nice to see you too, father," Dorian chuckled, his voice slightly shaking as he spoke.
Halward merely chuckled and hugged Dorian close to himself again, and Dorian relished in the attention.
'I did it,' he thought to himself as he let himself enjoy the hug.
'I finally did it. And I can do it again and again. Whatever it takes. Anything to make him happy. Anything.'