Neve entered the chamber, Cullen crossed the room and stood just behind Knight Commander Greagoir who, along with the first enchanter Irving was waiting for her arrival, a font, much like the summoning font in the main library stood in the centre of the chamber the haunting blue glow of Lyrium surrounding it.
She stood there, the nerves building up inside her, the 3 Templars and First enchanter looking at her, then after what seemed like an age Greagoir stepped forward.
"Magic exists to serve man. And never to rule over him, thus spoke the profit Andraste as she cast down the Tevinter Imperium, ruled by mages who had brought the world to the edge of ruin, your magic is a gift, but it is also a curse for demons of the dream world – the fade, are drawn to you, and see you as a gateway into this world"
Irving took his place by Greagoirs side
"This is why the Harrowing exists, the ritual sends you into the fade, and there you will face a demon, armed with only your will"
"Know this Miss Amell, if you should fail, the Templars will do their duty, you will die" the words sent a chill up her spine, she turned to look at Cullen, he was focused yet there was a hint of sadness in his dark brown eyes, she turned away just as Greagoir continued
"This is Lyrium, the very essence of magic and your gateway into the fade"
"The harrowing is kept secret out of necessity, Child, Every mage must go through this trial by fire. As we succeeded, so shall you"
Irving gently grabbed both of her shoulders, and looking firmly into the face of the young woman he had found as a child all those nights ago continued
"Keep your wits about you, remember the fade is a realm of dreams, ruled by spirits, but your will, your own will is real"
The moment of advice was not lost on Greagoir, he knew that Irving had a soft spot for the girl yet her Harrowing was to be the same as every mage who had come before her.
"Miss Amell must go through this test alone, First enchanter"
Irving nodded, and took a step away from Neve, Greagoir pointed to the font.
"You are ready"
Neve inhaled deeply, then raising her head she approached the font, confidant to those in the chamber, inside scared, she reached her hand over the font and in a flash of blinding light entered the fade.
It took a few minutes for Neve to gather her senses and focus on her new surroundings, the fade, sepia tinged with twisted structures, and crumbling pillars, the fade was an eerie place, whispers echoed through the landscape, and a chill ran up her spine, however she moved forward, slowly placing one foot in front of the other, she spotted an unbroken vase to her left and hesitantly peered inside, she reached inside and pulled out a poultice, she placed it in the pouch of her robes and continued on slowly, she had barely moved 10 feet when she saw a bright glowing orb just ahead of her, she paused, identifying what it was in front of her in the near distance, a wisp Wraith, before she had time to react a bolt of electricity danced toward her, she darted to one side but not before bolt grazed her arm, a burning searing pain shot up her right arm, she winced but focused enough to cast winters grasp, freezing the wisp before firing an arcane bolt destroying it. She returned her attention to her arm, pulling out the poultice she had found relieved to find it was a mix of herbs specifically designed for healing, she applied the mix and used a strip of fabric from her under skirt to bandage it.
The relief was instant and soothing, and within minutes Neve was back on her feet and continuing on the path ahead, the test so far seemed, somewhat simpler to what she had expected, aside from a few more wisps she had not encountered another thing, spirit or other, she continued on then stopped suddenly, a noise, an unfamiliar noise, a low pitch growl, she turned on the spot when there, a few feet away stood a dark sinister creature, a spirit wolf, it let out a spine chilling howl the charged toward Neve, he wits being more about her than with her first encounter in the fade she side stepped casting another winters grasp freezing the creature where it stood, shattering it with a closely followed arcane bolt, only to be knocked to the ground by another wolf that had circled from a distance and lunged at the first opportune moment, she regained her composure quickly however and using her now tried and tested combination of spells, destroyed the second wolf too.
As Neve caught her breath she noticed a light just off to one side, a glow, she approached cautious, a spirit, behind the spirit a weapons rack, then the spirit spoke
"Your mages have devised a cowardly test. Better you were pitted against each other to prove your mettle with skill, than to be sent unarmed against a demon."
"Excuse me, Fight each other? We're mages, not warriors"
"They have you battle a demon. With magic or weapon, to be the victor makes you a warrior still. That you remain means you have not yet defeated your hunter, I wish you glory in the battle ahead"
"What kind of spirit are you?" Neve asked, now curious as to whether this was in fact the demon she was sent to defeat.
"I am a warrior spirit, a spirit of Valour, I hone my weapons in search of the perfect expression of combat"
"Did you create all those weapons yourself?" she asked, motioning to the rack of weapon behind the spirit
"Indeed I did, these are not blades of steel, the staves are not wood, do you think they draw blood?"
"Would one of your weapons help me" Neve dared to ask, a little more convince that this was not her hunter
"Do you truly desire one of my weapons? I shall give you one of my weapons, on the condition you agree to a duel, Valour shall test your mettle as it should be tested"
The proposition made Neve nervous, this was a true warrior, she was an apprentice, how was she fight a clearly skilled warrior, she was thinking quickly when before she knew it
"And what are the rules of this duel" she couldn't believe she was even contemplating this
"If during our duel I deem you worthy and capable of slaying the demon, then I shall stop the duel and award you with this staff, if I deem you unworthy then I will kill you"
Surely there was another way, all she had to do was think, the sound of her blood pumping round her head was making thinking difficult and before she knew what she was doing
"I agree to your duel spirit" did she really just say that, her heart was racing.
"Very well mortal, are you clear on the rules as described to you"
"I understand"
"Very well, fight with Valour"
With that the spirit drew his blade, Neve thinking fast used her mind blast ability temporarily stunning the spirit, allowing her time to move a distance away, then firing an arcane bolt and casting winters grasp in quick succession she moved her position again, she prepared to fire another arcane bolt as the effects of the winters grasp wore off, when she noticed the spirit raise a hand, surely it wasn't over already,
"Enough, your strength is sufficient to the task at hand, the staff is yours" he handed her the staff
"Thank you spirit"
"May you find glory in all your achievements Mortal!"
With that the spirit, and his weapons faded, Neve was once again alone, or at least she thought she was,
"It isn't right that they do this, the Templars, not to you, not to me"
Neve spun around on the spot she couldn't see anyone but the voice was as clear as day, she hadn't imagined it.
"You think you're really here, in that body, but your appearance is as you think it is"
The voice was not coming from the same level as her, it was, lower, she glanced down and saw a large brown mouse, the mouse sighed, before continuing
"It's always been the same, after all you're in the same boat I was, aren't you?" with that the mouse transformed into a man, older than Neve, with a look of exhaustion,
"Allow me to welcome you to the fade, I had been trying to get your attention for a little while, and then you began speaking with the spirit, you can call me….well….mouse I guess"
"How did you, I mean, you can change shape?"
"As I said this is the fade, here you are what you perceive, I think I used to be like you, once, you see, the Templars, they will kill you if you take too long, they assume you have failed, they don't want to risk something getting out"
"Is that what happened to you?" Neve asked, there was something unsettling about this mouse,
"I think it is, I now have no body to reclaim, and you do not have much time before the same happens to you"
"Then I had best get on then"
"I could help you, there are other spirits you know, and not all like the spirit of valour, I will follow, if that's alright, my chance was long ago, but you, you may still have a way out" with that Mouse transformed back into a mouse, waiting for Neve to continue.
It would seem she had no choice, there was something she did not trust, but it was company, she would just have to keep an eye on her companion.