2 - The Fade
A/N: I decided not to include the details of the maze. You know you'd find it boring.
Play freakin' Leliana's Song. I didn't even like Leliana until I played it. I finished it, then I saw the Urn Of Sacred Ashes Launch Trailer, and she is such a badass. Just under Morrigan. Morrigan FTW!
/
"The study of the Fade is as old as humankind. For so long as men have dreamed, we have walked its twisting paths, sometimes catching a glimpse of the city at its heart. Always as close as our own thoughts, but impossibly separated from our world.
The Tevinter Imperium once spent vast fortunes of gold, lyrium, and human slaves in an effort to map the terrain of the Fade, an ultimately futile endeavor. Although portions of it belong to powerful spirits, all of the Fade is in constant flux. The Imperium succeeded in finding the disparate and ever-shifting realms of a dozen demon lords, as well as cataloging a few hundred types of spirits, before they were forced to abandon the project.
The relationship of dreamers to the Fade is complex. Even when entering the Fade through the use of lyrium, mortals are not able to control or affect it. The spirits who dwell there, however, can, and as the Chantry teaches us, the great flaw of the spirits is that they have neither imagination nor ambition. They create what they see through their sleeping visitors, building elaborate copies of our cities, people, and events, which, like the reflections in a mirror, ultimately lack context or life of their own. Even the most powerful demons merely plagiarize the worst thoughts and fears of mortals, and build their realms with no other ambition than to taste life."
-From Tranquility and the Role of the Fade in Human Culture, by First Enchanter Josephus.
The dance - she danced slowly, like the grass in a meadow, waving with each elvish word...Bang! She pounced gracefully, the dance exploding into action, slicing invisible enemies from the side, in the middle, she leaped spread-eagle from a cliff, landing with a roll, leaped above their heads, grabbed them from behind, and danced, and danced and danced. Freedom! Pure, safe, new. She fell backwards, landing in the soft long grass. She was truly happy.
It took her several minutes to remember that she was a city elf before the Circle took her. The Dalish blood was freshest from her mother's side. Her grand-mother was Dalish, but married a city elf. Her customs lived on, she insisted her children have the customary tattoos and be taught archery and bushcraft. Her mother loved every day she learned, the customs learned as much as her mother knew. She also insisted Drace be given her tattoo and taught Dalish customs, which she did, until one day she punched a shem bully so hard he flew several yards, breaking a couple bones and put the fear of the Maker in him that much he donated a hundred sovereigns to the Alienage keeper, apologised profusely to almost every elf in Denerim and prayed to the Chant every day. On his apologising spree, he was about eight feet away from a skinny white-haired tiny elf and nearly bowed his head to the ground while apologising that much he choked and got hiccups. He visited her almost every day to help her family with daily jobs. While the city elves viewed him as a "convert" from the usual human racism, Drace was also known as a fourteen year-old heroine who could obliterate a human thug before they could even think to begin to say "Knife-ears".
Obviously rumour got around and one day she was visited by a templar and a senior enchanter, both who looked rather surprised to see the warrior princess they heard about was indeed a mage, she did indeed have a lovely intricate Dalish tattoo, accurately described as "oddly coloured, pure white but still looked young", but remembering those descriptions, they were shocked to find she was also a tiny fourteen year old smaller than a dwarf.
She sat up. She saw the meadow fade away. What replaced it was a strange yellowish burnt and cracked soil that covered everything. She remembered: The circle, the Harrowing...
She stood as a bolt of lightning whizzed past her. She looked in its direction. There was a glowing orb of light floating there. A ball of fire sped towards her and she ducked. She held both her arms in front of her and just willed fire. The strongest flame blast she had ever seen threw itself from her hands, a stream of fire spilling from her hands like a roaring river. It stopped when she willed it to. The wisp was no more. She burst out laughing. She couldn't help it. It was pure overkill, it stood no chance. She found it hard to believe that back in the chamber she was trembling with fear, and now she too strong.
She had never felt this powerful before...it must of been because of the amount of rules set by the chantry...and the templars everwatching.
As she thought of this, she strode with a path leading downwards into a maze.
"Oh Maker, I get newfound power and now I've got to run a maze, like a rat." she tutted to herself.
Drace finally exited the tiring maze. Did the Templars kill you if you took too long? She certainly was not going to find out now. The path led into a dark cave in a solitary mountain.
"Oooohoho..." moaned Drace in despair. She had read enough fairytales to know that the monster that the hero must slay lives in caves. She cast a little spark of fire in her hands and steeled herself.
"HAHAHA! I CAN SMELL THE FEAR ALREADY! COME AND MEET YOUR DEATH, LITTLE ELF!" boomed a voice from the caves.
Of course. A rage demon? She had read a book about demons. Rage demons were seemingly made from lava and had little tactics bar hitting or burning something until it stopped moving. Her flame hands were now useless. What about frost? It didn't come as naturally to her, but she was willing to try. With confidence from before she strode into the cave. Unfortunatly she couldn't think of a one-liner to say in response to his taunt so she just walked in like she owned the place instead.
The cave was warm. She walked deeper into it, and sure enough, the rage demon was waiting for her. The book did not lie. It was a being of pure magma, with a reptilian-like head with long arms, and no legs.
The demon was about to taunt her further, be she froze it solid before it had said anything. She giggled, hearing the extremely angry noises being made from the statue. It melted quite suddenly, and a fireball blew her off her feet. She recovered as the beast had its arm raised, about to punch her. For her tiny, skinny form, that punch would of been devastating had she not thrown a conjured boulder at it. It just stunned him though, long enough for her to get up.
It was suddenly frozen solid.
"Oh, yes! Finally!" a female voice cheered as a loose rock in the wall fell to the ground. A female head emerged from the hole. She had long twisted horns, purple eyes, and no hair but an elongated head which bore a purple flame that, to some, may have been more beautiful than hair. A very female body climbed out, her skin was a mottled light purple and her clothing left very, very little to the imagination. Her long, swishing tail followed her, seemingly with a mind of it's own. Drace recognised it immediatly: a desire demon, much more powerful than the rage demon. Drace's gaze darted quickly from the rage and desire demon, trying to think of a way to get out of this mess.
The desire demon launced a boulder at the rage demon, which was smashed to bits insantly. She chuckled lightly as it rained rock and ice.
"You'll have to forgive some of my..less restrained brethren. Some of them are controlled by the hunger to be free. They give in and lose rational thought." said the demon, sweeping the remains away with her foot.
"What about you?" the demon chuckled again.
"I am obviously much more patient. Two years I've been trying to find a weakness in your first encanter's shield for the Harrowing."
"So you can control me? Or any apprentice that happens to be taking their Harrowing?" said Drace cautiously, crossing her arms.
"My, how clever you are. But no, I do not seek to control your body. At least not unless you allow me...?"
"No."
"It was worth a try. I have come to make an offer. I would prefer if we came to a comprimise, rather than refusing outright. It would be rather difficult to exploit a weakness in the shield again."
"What kind of offer?"
"Well, it is a surprise to find a mage who does not shout "Die demon die!" when they meet me. But I digress, My offer is this: I will give you something you desire.. and in return you will owe me a favour. We may even become...friends? Working partners? However you want to call it."
"What kind of favour are we talking about here?"
"If I have need of you, I will contact you in the Fade while you sleep. I shall discuss with you my predicament, and we shall come into an agreement. - Such as, let us say, you do not feel comfortable with what I ask of you. We shall find out how you can help me all the while with a clean conscience. I trust both of us shall be honest. And afterwards...anything further I request is simply a request." Drace started to take all of this information in.
"What's stopping you from just killing me after the favour is done?"
"I give you my word I shall not harm you. Unless it is what you desire...?"
"No."
"That is fair. Also, it would be such a waste of the gift I would give to you in return."
"Hmm...What can you give me?"
"I will try my best accomodate your desire, be it knowledge..power, the love of those around you? Oh...I see."
"What?" asked Drace, a little afraid.
"I see that you do not know what you would like...perhaps I could help you?"
"How?"
"Such simple, reasonable questions. I propose to..take a quick journey into your mind. If there is something you do not wish me to see, imagine... a high stone wall, and I shall relent."
"How is that safe?"
"You need to trust me.." the demoness laughed "..though I understand if you do not. Besides, your will is strong, I am taking a risk also, I do not know if you will push the flow back into my mind and invade it..Shall I take a peek?" she asked innocently.
Drace exhaled.
"Fine. But if you try anything, I will fireball you."
"Agreed" chuckled the demoness. "One last note: Think of the things you are interested in. Do not try to please anyone by thinking of the things you should like. Are you ready?"
Drace shuddered. She could scarcely believe she was letting a demon into her mind.
"Ugh. Quickly then, I don't know how much time I've got left before Greagoir...chops."
"Ah! Greagoir, that was the name. Sorry, let us proceed." she approached Drace until she was about a foot away. "We do not need to do this, but I find it a visual gesture makes it easier." she explained, bowing her head slightly. "Touch your forehead to mine. And do not worry about the fire." she teased.
Drace rubbed her arm nervously and felt herself blush. She had never really been that close to someone wearing...as little as that. She gulped and did as instructed.
"Now then..this will be a little getting used to." said the demon, before Drace felt her prescence in her mind. It was if Drace had been underwater in a pond her whole life, alone, and suddenly someone had cannon-balled in and waved. The demon allowed Drace to think of something before she saw it, which helped a bit.
"Let us start at your daily life at the circle, shall we? Your friends and influences both inside and outside the circle." advised the demoness. "And my name is Valena, not "demoness"." chuckled Valena as Drace apologised. She started with her friends and class mates, and a few names instantly sprung to mind.
Jowan ... something. "An acquaintance?" Drace supposed so. She didn't know him, but she had seen him take out some Entropy books at the library.
That Amell girl. "I can feel the jealously burning over here" She was the first enchanter's star pupil.
Owain, the stockroom manager. "What is wrong with him?" Drace quickly imparted everything she knew of Tranquils. "That is..rather horrifying. Next, please."
Wynne, the healer. "Blegh."
Jen "Your friend? Quite the alchemist, isn't she?" Drace agreed, she was surprised that she didn't leave her to her trivial problems and just study. She was crazy about alchemy and creation magic. She briefly wondered what she would have done in her situation. How would she react if she knew Drace had bargained with a demon?
Abell. "I don't think I should have to tell you this, but I loath templars."
"He's different to the other templars, he doesn't have the same disdain for us as the others do." reasoned Drace.
"Hmph. I think I've had enough of your peers for now. What magic are you most skilled in?"
Drace's thoughts drifted to the thick Entropy book under her bed, learning how to shoot fire and nearly burning the ears of Senior Enchanter Leorah who was passing by. Reading about spirit magic while watching Jowan take out some books..."Knowledge is power" said a voice. Winning a little test in competition with her students, the immense pride.. Getting in trouble when the human apprentices surrounded her, mocking her.
"Look, knife-ears are everywhere! Shouldn't you be in the inn, working as the servant you should be? Hahaha!" They had surrounded her, every time she tried to leave the circle they pushed her back, laughing.
"Leave me be shem, I've done nothing to you." she growled as she tried to push her way through again.
"How rude! Should we show her to have the manners of a servant at least?" Drace mind-blasted them. They fell around her, and she tried to get away, but one of them grabbed her by the leg and she fell to the ground, smashing her nose against the hard stone floor. Blood burst out of her nose, staining the floor. She kicked the boy who grabbed her in the shoulder, releasing his grip. She rose quickly as one them yelled at her.
"Right, I've had enough of this craz-" she tackled him to the ground, pinning him as she rained punches on his face before one of his accomplices dragged her off him. She wormed her way out of his grip and kicked him between the legs. She whipped her head round in time to see a fist collide with her face and she staggered backwards. Her rose his fist to hit her again, but she held her hand out. He thought she was cowering, so he laughed. Right before the skin on his arms split open and his life-force healed her nose. He screamed and retreated, clutching at his arm.
"WHAT IN THE MAKER'S NAME IS GOING ON HERE!" bellowed the knight-commander as he marched into the hall and saw five apprentices, four human boys and one elven girl, whose nose was bloodied and looked shaken, while one boy had a black eye, another holding his crotch, but the most interesting one was the one with the bloodied arm, yelling:
"Blood mage! She's a blood mage!" Greagoir studied him and saw he was genuinely scared. He looked at the twitchy, skinny elf girl who was rubbing a painful cheek while blood dripped down her face from her nose. She absent-mindly rubbed at it, clearing the blood and revealing that there was no injury there at all.
Greagoir sighed. It was a such nice day until now.
- - -
"Quiet boy, it was basic Entropy, not blood magic!" yelled the senior enchanter, and the boy promptly shut up. After Irving's lecture on behaviour, manners and chivalry, especially the part about not hitting women which they were clever enough not to voice their opinions on, they left grumbling, the boy with the slit arm following a mage to be healed. Once they had left Irving turned to her.
"While I admire your bravery, using magic against the other apprentices is extremely dangerous and uncontrollable."
"But they-"
"I know child, I am not blind to the racial prejudices in this world. What you did was understandable, given the circumstances, but we can't have people using Entropy magic on each other. It was hard to convince the chantry that Entropy was a different kind of magic to blood magic, but the templars are twitchy to that kind of thing. After this I will have to have a chat with Greagoir to calm him down."
"I see, First Enchanter. I'm sorry." she said solemnly.
"Now now, Drace, we all make mistakes. You are not being punished. Now then, I think you deserve some rest. Does that hurt at all?" he asked, motioning at her nose.
"No, it's just itchy. I..uh healed it with the spell."
"I see. Nevertheless, you should go get cleaned up. After that you may do whatever you wish, I shall inform your teachers."
"Oh, er, thanks. Farewell Irving."
"Farewell." Drace left hastily to the healers to get cleaned. The staff were very shocked to see so much blood on her face, they were wondering how such a small girl was still standing after all that, let alone just walk in and act casual, if rather shy. At her brief stay she earned many sympathetic comments and compliments at how pretty she was, and how beautiful her tattoos were, as well as general small talk. Afterwards she looked as good as new, and she thanked them. She had the whole day to herself..."
Drace felt like she was suddenly pulled up to the surface. She came to her senses and realised that she was still in the Fade, lying in the cave. Valena the Desire Demon was standing over her, triumphant.
"I know what you would desire most..." she said smoothly. Drace rose.
"What do I want?" she asked wearily. Re-experincing past memories was tiring. The succubus beckoned her to come closer with her finger. If it was possible to approach someone gingerly, Drace did it magnificently. She leaned in close, and Valena whispered:
"Blood Magic." Drace wheeled backwards.
"B-but blood magic is illegal.."
"But is it wrong? Is it the evil school the chantry tells you it is?" Drace had no response. "It is a tool. Is a sword evil if it's wielder is? You could use it for good...Imagine the look on a criminal's face when he decides to mug you because you are an elf. Of course, even that would be dependable..you could control him completely, what's not to say you made him grin like a loon? You coulde make him mug himself. Noone could hurt you." She paused. "You are being awfully quiet there, little one. Have you made your decision?"
Drace sighed. "I have."
"And what is it?"
Drace looked up at the demon.
"I'll do it."