The Final Test
I really hated the morning today was no exeption it was my harrowing I only knew two mages well who survived it.
A very annoying human hating elf named Neria Surana.
And Raziel Cousland my best friend.
He only passed about a week ago and was visiting his family, he was a noble I felt really bad for him I was a farmer before I discoverd my powers so I wasn't losing much he lost a chance to be a teryn.
"magic exists to serve man and never to rule over him" Greagoir said to me as I steped into the harrowing chamber dressed in only my blue robes.
I didnt really look like a mage i was a pretty normal young woman green eyes, pale skin but I was completly bald ,my blond hair had been shaved off in case they had to invoke the right of tranquility.
"I know this already Gregoir can I just go?" I snapped sick of the lectures
"ha I like her spirit" I heard a templar laugh but it was a genuine lighthearted lagh not mocking like most.
"as you wish Solona" as he finished I touched the lyrium and slumped the the floor.
I Awoke in a strange vally and was attacked by a wisp I sent an arcane bolt to harm it but it took another 2 or 3 to kill it. I hated being so weak when it came to offencive magic I was always more of a healer I always found it odd how me and Raziel were strongest where the other was weakist I had to copy most of his notes to pass Primal.
"another one tossed to the wolves as fresh and unprepered as ever." I heard a mouse say. He explained to me that he was an Aprentice like me and crawled onto my shoulder to help me out.
I walked round a corner and found a large bear but it looked strange it was partily rotted and was covered in spikes.
"so you are the mortal being hunted..and the small one. Is he to be a snack for me?" the creature said without moving his mouth. After a lot of argueing he taught Mouse how to change into a bear.
"like this? am I a bear it feels...Heavy" Mouse asked turning into a large black bear.
"meh close enough" the Sloth demon moaned "now leave me be. I grow weary of your mortal prattling."
we walked back to grove and were attacked by a demon it looked like a living pool of lava.
"And now it comes t me at last! Soon I will see the land of the living with your eyes creature."
"oh shut up" I moaned sick of his boastingafter me and Mouse finished him off Mouse asked me to let him in.
"mabey they are right about you" he said his voice going deeper"simple killing is a warriors job! The real dangers of the fade are preconceptions, careless trust, PRIDE!. he boomed turning into a massive purple demon. "keep your wits about you mage, Because true tests never end!" and then he was gone. I felt woozy and fell asleap again.
"hello are you ok?" as I woke up I saw my friend Jowan over my bed. He asked me to tell him about the harrowing but I refused to. He just told me to see the first enchanter.
"as I walked up to his qarters I saw him talking with Gregoir.
"To many have gone already Wynne Uldred how many of our own do we have to give?" Gregoir snapped. with the mage and templar was a strange bunch. An elf dressed in Chainmail armour with a greatsword on her back, A warhound,a young blond girl wearing Leather armour with a bow stapped to her back and dual daggers on her belt. And my old friend Raziel there was no other man I knew who looked that good with long hair.
"RAZ!" I screamed hugging him.
"Solona how are you?"he replied smiling
"Well im a real mage now"
"thats great you passed"
"I take it you know each other" said a middle aged bearded man wearing armour with a sword and dagger staped to his back. He explained that Raziel adn the others were his recruits.
after I escorted them all to their rooms me and Raz got to talking.
"soo then he turns into this giant purple thing" I said finishing my story of my harrowing
"anything intresting happen here while I was gone" he asked taking a sip of wine.
"well I think we have a new Tranquil" I gluped stroking my bald head. I always was creeped ot by them the thought of having no emotions and still alive terified me.
"want me to grow that back for ya?" Raziel asked.
I noded and he rubed his hand over my scalp as he di I could feel my golden blond hair start to regrow, after it reached my shoulders he stoped and I put it up in a ponytail.
"Thanks Mate" I chuckled I always loved having Raziel arouind he was my best friend. We had tried being more ..intimate but even after we took eachothers virginitys we agreed ther was no spark.
"so your gonna be a warden."
"possibly I just wanna kill Howe" He grunted
"Rendon Howe? the Arl of Amaranthine?" he noded
" why"
"he killed my family like animals even little Oren" he said close to tears it was horrible seeing him like this
"Im so sorry" I said hugging him.
After a while Jowan found us and asked us into the circle chapel.
"so why are we here" Raziel asked and I had to agree
"before Raziel left to vist his family I told you I had met a girl this is Lily" he said pointing to a redhaired woman in chantry robes. I was a little annoyed.
"ah I was begining to doubt her existance." Raziel Joked
"this fat cow is your lover?" I snapped with unexpected venom.
"Solona!" Jowan snapped."im sorry she's not always like this"
"Its fine" Lily giggled great she was way to nice.
"great get married, knock her up what do you need us for?" Raziel Joked again I normaly liked his joker attitude but not right now
"we need to get out of here they are going to make me Tranquil." I gulped
"why?" I asked my anger replaced with worry
"People think im a blood mage. Ive been sneaking around to meet Lily and I guess people have put two and two together and got fourty."
"why not just tell the truth?" Raziel asked.
"because if we do Lily will be in trouble she's an Initiate she's taken vows. she's not meant to have.. relations with men."
"To much info." I snapped
"come on Solona we are all adults here. and besides Jowan told me that you and Raziel here have done it."
"you told him!" I snapped at Raziel
"I was 18 we were drinking and it slipped out" He looked scared of me. I wasnt as good as him with damging magic but I could still leave an impact.
We agreed to get a rod of fire from Owain now we just needed someone to sign it. We found one he was reluctent but Raziel convinced him he always had a way with words the others used to joke that he was born with a silver tounge.
we got to the celler door now all we had to destroy Jowan's phylactery.
"this door is special it requires the password to prime it then it must feel the touch of mana" Lily explained.
"Sword of the maker tears of the fade" after the words left her lips the door clicked.
"what was that?" Jowan asked.
"It needs to feel the touch of mana cast a spell any spell."
Raziel shot a jet of fire from his fingers and opened the door. we ran in and I tried to use the rod to open it but it
didn't work.
"why isnt it working!" Lily shreiked
"Lily somethings wrong" Jowan stutterd "I can't cast spells here nothing works!"
I clicked my fingers trying to create a spark of magic but it fizzled. I saw Raziel was having the same problem.
"Wait there's an iscription here" Raziel said reading it "nulify any magic cast within this area"
" Of corse" Lily facepalmed "why use simple keys for this door? because magical keys don't work! How do you keep mages away from something? make their powers completly worthless" thats it then we are finished."
We found another door however and we walked the other war around using a tervinter statue to power up the rod we blasted hole in the wall and got into the phylactery chamber. we found Jowans on a table in the center it was a small vial filled with his blood with his name on it.
" I can't belive this tiny vial stands between me and freedom" He sighed as he dropped it it smashed on the floor spilling the contained blood.
As we got out of the celler we were stoped by Gregoir And Irving.
"so here we are. An initiate conspiering with a blood mage she seems shocked but in control of herself you were right she has betred us."
"You don't care for the mages! you just bow to the cantrys every whim!" Jowan shouted.
"and you Gregoir pointed at me "newly a mage and already ignoring the rules of the circle.
"hey leave them alone" Raziel snapped
"Enough Raziel as you are a grey warden I have no power over your fate but if I will not hesitate to knock you down if you stop me. As knight commander I sentance this blood mage to death. And this initate has scorned the chantry and her vows. take her to Aeonar."
"NO! I wont let you touch her" Jowan snapped drawing a knife he stabed his hand letting his blood flow out he then sent it over them knocking everyone to the floor.
"by the maker blood magic How could you?" Lily said rejecting the man I for so long considered my friend.
"get away from me" She snapped. Jowan ran away like a kicked dog.
Duncan conscripted me after that I felt bad for leaving Lily but I still felt kinda Jelous. Raziel often Joked that I had a crush on Jowan and I realized he was half Right.
I was in love the man. Maker talk about a bad time to relize it.
A/N: Thank you all for reading I will now reply to the reviews
C/T: thanks for reviews and favorting to awswer your question yes there will but I want to keep it a secret for now so keep reading :)
until then as always read and review and I wilkl see you next time.