After she left Valor, Liara came upon some spirit wolves. These were much angrier and stronger than the simple wisps she had faced earlier, and she found herself thinking I'll be lucky if I even survive getting to the demon. In a huff, she fought of the wolves, occasionally smacking them in the head with her staff if they came too close, but mostly using the staff to strengthen and channel her magic, like they'd been taught in the circle. It took a while and a lot of focus, but eventually she defeated them, throwing Mouse a dirty look. Thanks for the help. Super glad you came along. Liara sighed and kept walking, still amazed at how the spirits' bodies seemed to just… dissolve into the air around them.
Liara lost track of how long she had been wandering the windless paths of this Fade-island, killing any spirit that attacked her. Finally, she saw in the distance what appeared to be a spiked boar. Certain this must be her demon she called for Mouse to hurry up and ran towards the creature. Naturally, she fell flat on her face just as she arrived at the creature. It was lay down, and it's reddish colour reminded Liara of corpses. As she stood, she barely repressed the urge to throw up.
"Uh… you gonna get up and fight me, demon? Or we just laying down and having a nap?" She looked over the boar and after a few moments she realised what she was dealing with. This was a sloth demon, her teachers had told her they were some of the most powerful demons in the Fade. And she began the conversation by antagonising it. Shit.
"Hmm…" Sloth's voice came out tired, uncaring. It was almost as if he was barely speaking at all. "So you are the mortal being hunted. And the small one… is he a snack for me?" He didn't even lift is head as he spoke, obviously disinterested in the conversation.
"What? No! Mouse is not on the menu! So you're not the demon I have to kill? What?! I'm so confused!" Liara gripped her head, sending a small healing spell into it to quell the enlarging headache she was facing.
"I don't like this. He's not going to help us. Maybe we should go…" Why is Mouse such a wimp? Ugh. He's useless.
As Liara went to shush Mouse, Sloth spoke again. He made it quite clear he didn't care what the two mages did, and that he had no faith in Liara's ability to defeat the demon. As the conversation continued, it was obvious Liara was getting nowhere with Sloth, apart from that he wasn't going to kill her because he was too lazy. Just as she was about to throw something at the spirit and storm off, Mouse piped up with an idea. He suggested that they see if Sloth would teach Liara how to take a form like his, that of a bear. Sloth scoffed at the idea, telling them it would be almost impossible since she was 'so attached to her form'. Mouse, on the other hand, would be much easier to teach. This excited the mage, finally she was getting somewhere with Sloth and Mouse would be of some use! Of course Mouse had to ruin the moment with his natural cowardice. Complaining he wouldn't be able to hide if he was a bear. I'm going to strangle him thought Liara, at the point where she had had just about enough of Mouse.
"You're just a coward! You're stuck here because you preferred to hide than fight. Well I'm not doing that, I have a life in the waking world thank you very much!" Finally, she snapped at the man next to her, but all he did was scoff and give her a line about how cowards can't endure so he couldn't be one. Thankfully though, he sighed and relented. Accepting that Liara was right and hiding solved nothing, he asked Sloth if he would teach him.
"Teaching is so very exhausting… Away with you now." By this time, Liara was desperate. She didn't know how much time she had left before the templars considered it too long and killed her body. She begged and pleaded with Sloth until eventually he agreed to teach Mouse. On one condition. Liara had to answer three riddles correctly, and if she got one wrong, then Sloth would kill her. The teenager thanked her lucky stars that she'd read so many books and managed to answer all three correctly, earning Mouse his lessons.
Three hours later, Mouse, who was now a bear, walked away from Sloth towards Liara. She was really worried now. They had wasted so much time and she was terrified of dying. When she heard Mouse approach, she wiped away her tears and tried to compose herself.
"I think I know where we can find the demon, follow me" So she went with him, they had a few hold ups from spirit wolves or wisps, but they were much easier to take down now that Mouse was a bear. It didn't take too long for them to arrive at their destination; which Liara noted as the clearing they'd passed on their way to Valor. It was empty before, but now stood a single rage demon. This was it. Her battle began now.
"And so it comes to me at last. Soon I shall enter the land of the-" The demon was cut off as it was frozen solid.
"Less talking, more dying you son of a bitch!" Liara began throwing bolt after bolt at the demon, nodding to Mouse to attack it while it was still frozen. The demon stayed frozen for even less time than Valor had and Liara knew she'd have to think fast. The mage did her best to stay at a distance and strike using whatever spells came to her, while her companion clawed and bit at the demon. Except the thing was basically made of lava so she kept having to heal Mouse. Finally, a lot of spellcasting and a few lyrium veins later, Liara and Mouse were able to defeat the demon. Mouse turned back human and Liara high fived him. "We did it Mouse! We defeated the demon!" She looked around. "But why am I still here?"
"You defeated the demon, you completed your test. With time you'll be a master enchanter with no equal." Liara blushed a little at his words, not used to such kind and complimentary notes about her magical ability. "And maybe there's hope in that for someone as small and as… forgotten as me. If you want to help. There may be a way for me to leave here, to get a foothold outside. You just have to want to let me in" Liara groaned This is the demon, you idiot! He's using flattery to try and hitch a ride in you!
"Nope, bitch, not happening. I see what you're doing you stupid demon, you can't fool me! My body and soul are mine, no space for a roommate." Liara once again took up a defensive pose, there was no way she was going to let this demon defeat her, even if it had gained her trust originally.
At first, Mouse looked indignant. But when he noticed her stance wasn't going to changed he gave a small, dark laugh "You are a smart one." His voice changed, became distorted and awful as he continued to speak. "Simple killing is a warrior's job. The real dangers of the Fade are preconceptions, careless trust… pride." As he spoke the last word, his form changed until he was towering over Liara in this horrifying body. Her companion had been a pride demon all along. She kicked herself for not having noticed anything and believing him for so long. "Keep your wits about you, mage. True tests never end." And with that, Mouse- the demon- vanished, leaving behind no trace and Liara standing alone in the Fade clearing. Everything started to go black; and then it was over.