[Author's note: Quite a bit of the dialog is a part of the gameplay in DA:O, some of it has been paraphrased. Dialog and story Bioware] ***[This is an update on Feburary 28th, 2015. I just want those who read the very first chapters of this fanfic to know that when I am done writing this fic, all of my older chapters will be re-written, because hopefully by then my writing skills will have improved, and I can finally get these chapters to actually...be...decent. So please, if you feel inclined to read this fic but don't like the first few chapters, I don't either! xD Thank you for your understanding, and I hope you enjoy!]

Veira drew a shaky breath as she ascended the long staircase of the Circle Tower, willing her heartbeat to slow down. She was very nervous, and rightfully so. Today she would face the final test as an apprentice, the Harrowing. She had no idea what it entailed, but she knew that it was dangerous. Many times she had seen her fellow apprentices take their Harrowing, only to never return. Although she was a talented mage herself, she did not allow that to overshadow the possibility of failure. She knew that she could very well be another apprentice that disappears forever, if she was too confident.

She stopped in front of the door of the Harrowing chamber, the final level of the Circle Tower. She closed her eyes to ready herself. She did not pray to the Maker; instead she opened her eyes, filled with determination, and whispered 'I can do this' quietly to herself. The Templar who had...accompanied her kept his distance, but she felt his stare bore through her skull as he waited. The Templar said nothing, though she could sense that he was nervous as well. They were always nervous when it came to mages. Taking a deep breath, she slowly turned the doorknob and entered the Harrowing Chamber.

A few Templars stood dutifully and grim, eyeing her as she walked through. She tried her best to ignore them, used to their constant stares. First Enchanter Irving, her mentor and dear friend, was there as well of course, a faint smile forming on his lips as she entered. Knight-Commander Gregoir, leader of the Templars in the Circle, was present as well. Behind him was Cullen, probably the nicest Templar Veira had ever met. When their eyes found each other, Cullen quickly looked away nervously.

"Magic exists to serve man," Knight-Commander Gregoir began, "never to rule over him. Thus spoke the Prophet Andraste as she cast down the Tevinter Imperium, ruled by mages that brought the world to the edge of ruin."

Veira's throat clenched slightly, knowing that speech word for word. She had heard it every single day since she had been taken to the Circle at the age of seven, thirteen long years ago. It was not that she disagreed with it, her studies into the Tevinter Imperium were utterly horrific, but those words were so ingrained into the lives of Thedas that it took away much of a mage's life, in ways that most people could not truly understand. Still, it was bad mages that cause such terror and destruction that kept the Circles justified.

The Knight-Commander continued. "Your magic is a gift, but it is also a curse. For demons of the dream realm, the Fade, are drawn to you, and seek to use you as a gateway into this world."

She nodded slightly. She could not deny that fact.

First Enchanter Irving finally spoke. He was a very old man, but he was like a father to her. It had surprised her greatly when he picked her out of all the mages to teach, back when she was still a small child, as there were plenty of other mages that would have been just as rewarding to mentor as her. She wanted to ask what his reasoning was, but never found the right way about to ask. But because of this she was eternally grateful to him, and his support meant the world to her.

"This is why the Harrowing exists," he said in is usual calm, hoarse voice, "the ritual sends you into the Fade, and there you will face a demon, armed with only your will."

Her eyes widened, and her blood turned to ice at that. They were going to force her to confront a demon? At the behest of the Templars? That was the opposite of what the Templars stood for. She looked at Irving's kind face, worry etched into her features. He reflected that worry into his own face, just much more subtly than her. As terrifying as it was, it made sense. Mages must be strong enough to defeat demons, to not give in to their deals and tricks. That is why so many of her fellow apprentices disappeared; they could not resist the temptation.

And now it was her turn to prove that she could.

"I am ready," she said steadily.

"Know this apprentice," the Knight-Commander said gravely, "if you fail, we Templars will perform our duty. You will die."

Cullen shut his eyes as if he were in pain, and did not look at her. Veira looked straight at the Knight-Commander, not flinching or showing any sign of fear, even if that was a lie. She owed that much to herself.

He continued. "This is lyrium," he said, gesturing towards a spire that had a brilliant aura radiating from it, with what looked like a deep blue liquid inside. "The essence of magic, and your gateway into the Fade."

Irving walked over to her and stood close to her, his voice lowering. "The Harrowing is a secret out of necessity, child. Every mage must go through this trial by fire. As we succeeded, so shall you. Keep your wits about you, and remember the Fade is a realm of dreams. The spirits may rule it, but your own will is real."

Veira nodded, giving the elderly man a reassuring smile.

"The apprentice must go through this test alone, First Enchanter," the Knight-Commander warned. "You are ready."

Veira turned to the spiral with the lyrium. Walking towards it slowly, she held her breath, the weight of the room thickening. She reached towards the bright blue light, and it entangled her fingers with a warmth she had never felt before in such intensity. She drew back her hand, staring at it. She could feel her senses dimming, as if she were falling asleep. Darkness etched at the corners of her eyes, until she could no longer see. The last thing she saw was a bright light.

Her eyes opened, and she gasped at the sight. She was no longer in the Harrowing Chamber, she was surrounded by cliffs and rock everywhere she turned. The atmosphere was heavy, and the sky and surroundings were a greenish colour. This place was full of magic, she could tell. It wasn't as if she had never been in the Fade before. The Fade is where people went when they dreamt, but being taken to the Fade like this, it felt different. Having been sent manually, there was no dream world that Veira's subconscious flourished in every night, rather she had control over her movements and everywhere she turned was endless rock.

"Well," she said to herself, "better not waste time."

Keeping herself aware of her surroundings, she made her way through the paths. This being a test, of course she would run into things that would provide challenges to overcome. Not full on spirits that could speak, there were little wisps that attacked her on sight, shooting lightning at her. They were easily defeated; one cold spell was more than enough. As she cleared a particularly large bed of rock, she found something quite different; a mouse that was not ghostly like most spirits. Its head perked at the sound of her footsteps and immediately made its way toward her, bounding adorably on its tiny, short legs. From such a small creature, she did not expect to hear a grown man's voice come from it.

"Someone else thrown to the wolves," the mouse said with disgust, "as fresh and unprepared as ever."

Veira blinked, reminding herself that this was indeed the Fade. "I-"

The mouse continued his ramble. "It isn't right that they do this, the Templars! Not to you, me, or anyone!"

Her eyes narrowed slightly. "You? Are you saying you were once a mage?"

The mouse looked down. "Yes...I...I was, once I think. Heh. Now look at me. I've been here...for so long, I don't really remember...but I do know I was a mage who took the Harrowing. And now...I'm stuck here."

"Why do you look like a mouse, then?"

"Hah! You think you are really here, in that body of yours? You look that way because you believe you do. And I...look like this because I...want to hide." His voice became strained and angry. "It's always the same. But...it isn't your fault. You're in the same boat as I was. I suppose I don't need to hide myself from you."

There was a flash of light, and the mouse shifted into a thin man. He was wearing apprentice robes, and his face was solemn and tired. She didn't recognize him from the Circle, but who knew how long he had been in the Fade? It was conceivable for a person to be trapped in the Fade, even when their body expires. Such cases are rare though, and perhaps this man was killed before his mind had a chance to return.

"There we go," he said, smoothing out some creases in his sleeve. He looked at her, and gave her a weak smile. "You can call me...well...Mouse." He shrugged, and Veira nodded in reply.

"It's not my real name, of course, but...the Templars kill you if you take too long, you see. That's what they did to me, I think." He shook his hands in anger. "I have no body to reclaim! And you...you don't have much time."

"I'm sorry for what happened, Mouse." Veira said sadly.

Mouse looked down, but then returned her gaze. "I...thank you. But, but you should not linger. There is a presence here, one just for an apprentice like you. You have to face the creature, a demon and resist it...if you can."

"Yes, I know, I can feel it too. I am ready to face it."

"Heh...such confidence and bravery. I am...envious." Mouse looked around, scratching his cheek. "There are...other spirits here that will help you, if you can believe what you see. I will follow you, if you want. My chance is long gone, but you... you may find a way out."

Veira nodded, and flashed him a smile. She was not against the idea of having an ally. "Let's go then."

They made their way forward, Mouse returning to his rodent form. They walked past a large open area that radiated heat, and the evil presence was strongest there. Mouse advised to leave it be for now, as getting help from the other spirits first was a much safer and intelligent idea, and Veira agreed. They passed it and were attacked by more wisps and were introduced to Fade wolves, which were much more difficult to kill than the wisps. They had to stop once or twice so she could cast a healing spell, but it was enough to mend the bites quickly and efficiently. Soon enough, they reached a new path with a white, glowing figure in the distance. She could sense it was a spirit, not a demon. Spirits generally do not hide their presence, while demons always try to trick you.

"Ah, a spirit of Valour," Mouse said. "He will help you...probably."

As they drew closer, Veira saw that he was in Templar armour, which only increased her nerves.

It was as if the spirit was waiting for company. It stared at her as she drew close to it, quite like a real Templar would. When the spirit spoke, his deep voice echoed all around them. "Another mortal thrown into the fire, I see. Your mages have devised a cowardly test. Better to pit them against each other to prove their worth through skill alone, than to be sent to fight a demon unarmed."

That would indeed be a preferable test than this. Much less fatal. "I am inclined to agree with you, spirit," Veira replied, "though I have little choice, either way."

"Indeed," the spirit huffed, folding his arms, "the fault lies not with you, but the mages who sent you here."

Veira thought it was more the fault of the Templars and the Chantry, but she decided not to speak that opinion. It was the kind of opinion that got mages killed.

"That you are still here means you have not yet faced your demon. I wish you luck, and glorious battle ahead."

She smiled at the spirit in thanks, but she was determined to have some help for the demon. As she was, she was completely weaponless, and a good mage staff turned the tides in a battle of magic. She noticed there were several weapons behind the spirit, in particular, a well crafted mage staff. Surely, she could use it. "I was wondering if perhaps you could help me spirit. Maybe I could put that staff to use, so that I will not be unarmed?"

"Hmn, a weapon is a need for a battle. These weapons are forged from my will, brought into being by my thoughts. They will draw blood from the thoughts of your own, should you use it." The spirit put his hands behind his back, staring at her thoughtfully. "I could give you one of my weapons...but only if you prove yourself to be worthy. I challenge you to a duel; Valour shall test your mettle as it should be."

Veira considered the proposal. She knew he would be much harder to defeat than the wisps and the wolves, but she needed every possible help that she could before she faced that demon. Her life depended on it. She also knew that spirits like Valour were not after her life, and if she lost to him, what chance would she have against the demon? If she should die, it would be gentler by Valour's hand.

"Very well. I accept your challenge."

Valour drew his sword and bellowed a war cry, and Veira readied a strong cold spell. As he charged, she threw the spell at him, hitting him with a terrible icy breath. He grunted, but continued to charge. She dodged his attack barely; it was more like she stumbled away from the blade. As she was composing herself, he swung his sword again, and she didn't have time enough to dodge it. His sword sliced her arm, just below her shoulder. The pain was very real, but she ignored it as best she could. She gritted her teeth and she concentrated on another spell. Lightning raced through her body and accumulated at her fingers, shooting it like an arrow at the spirit. The lightning spread throughout his armour, making his back arch as he yelled. She used that opportunity to continue shooting arcane spells at him as fast as she could. He yelled another war cry and charged, intending to run her through. She blanched, but she realized she could cast another cold spell which froze him solid that time. Powering up her lightning again, she finished him off with a powerful jolt.

Fighting a tough opponent without a staff was more difficult than she could have anticipated. Magic not only drew power from a mage, but through their movement and emotion. Watching a mage fight was like watching a dance, as they would twist and twirl and sweep where they stood. The smoother the movement was the better the spell, and any misstep would result in either an ineffective spell or a rebound. Lucky for her, she had excellent control over her spells, and although without a staff to enhance them, her arms and hands were enough to cast spells that brought Valour to his knees.

He knelt before her, defeated. Veira breathed in relief, casting a warm healing spell that mended the gash in her arm. As she recovered, he slowly regained his posture, bowing after he stood. "You have proven your valour and strength through honourable battle. You have earned this staff. Take it, and defeat your demon."

Veira bowed as well, out of mutual respect. Spirits were nothing like demons, as they wanted nothing from mortals. "Thank you, spirit."

She took the staff gratefully, and said her goodbyes to the spirit. The staff was powerful indeed, she could feel it increasing her magic just by touch. The wood felt natural in her hands, smiling to herself as she fingered the grooves embedded in it. This would be a great help indeed. She sensed something else farther down the road, and continued in that direction, Mouse bounding along behind her. She fought more wolves before she reached it, but she easily killed them with the staff glowing with all its might. As good as the staff made her feel, her new found confidence evaporated when she saw the creature she was approaching.

It looked like a sleeping bear to Veira...but she used the word loosely. Its coat was a deep red colour, like blood, and horns ran all over its body. It was disturbing to look at, and she could now sense it was very powerful. As they drew closer, the beast opened one eye slightly. It was bright red.

"Hmm...So you're the mortal being hunted..." it said lazily, with a second, more sinister voice behind the tired one, "and the small one...is he to be a snack for me?"

She saw Mouse recoil slightly, then transformed back into his human form, probably to look less small.

The bear stood up slowly, sniffing them. "Hn...no matter. The demon will get to you eventually. Perhaps there will be scraps left."

Veira frowned, but stood her ground. "Are you to help me...spirit?" She doubted that was the case, but for some reason, it was a tad hard to think.

"Hrm, begone mortal," the bear said, tired. "Surely you have better things to do than bother Sloth."

It was now Veira's turn to recoil. It was a demon, of the sin Sloth. Known for catching their prey by forcing them to sleep in the dream world the demon created. Only when the demon itself actually wanted to bother itself with catching prey, of course. "I should have known you were a demon."

"Indeed..." he yawned, "it...would be interesting to see the world through your eyes...but...too much effort involved."

Veira's lip curled. "Lucky me."

"Yes...yes. Now away you go."

"He's very powerful..." Mouse said thoughtfully, tilting his head at the demon, "perhaps...he can help you. Maybe he can teach you how to be like him."

"Like me?" Sloth asked lazily, "ah you mean, take my form? But why? Most mortals are so very fond of their form, and she has a very nice staff. You don't...need me."

She looked at mouse reproachfully. "I'm not about to take a deal from a demon, Mouse."

"Hmm, not her perhaps," Sloth continued, staring at the tiny creature "but you little one? You have long forgotten your form...I could teach you instead."

"M-me? Really? Could I?" Mouse asked giddily.

"Are you sure Mouse?" Veira asked cautiously. "He's a demon, remember?"

"A demon's deal makes no difference for me, and since it isn't you accepting it, you needn't worry about him possessing you," Mouse smiled, nodding to himself. "Plus I can help you better if I can use this power."

"So we are agreed?" Sloth asked, his head bobbing as if her were falling asleep. "I will teach the little one if you can solve three riddles. Might as well make it...a tad more interesting. If you fail then...I get to devour you both. Is that a fair deal?"

Riddles? Veira couldn't help but grin slightly. She loved riddles and poetry and anything like it. She was very good at them too, thanks to thirteen years of obsessing over books. "You may regret asking me that."

"Hn, very well then. My first riddle is this; I have seas with no water, coasts with no sand, towns without people, and mountains with no land. What am I?"

Veira smiled, knowing the answer immediately. "A map."

Sloth grumbled. "Yes, you are correct. Then the next one; I am rarely touched, but often held, if you have wit, you'll use me well. What am I?"

"My tongue," she laughed, not letting the irony slip past her.

"Nrr, yes yes, you're witty tongue," Sloth growled, annoyed. "Then one last riddle; Often I will spin a tale, never will I charge a fee, I'll amuse you for an entire eve, but alas, you will not remember me. What am I?"

Veira smiled again. "A dream. These are not very hard, you know."

Sloth's eyes blazed at the mage being smart with him, but he was too lazy to do anything about it."Hrr, you are correct. Very well, little one, I will teach you, as promised. It will not take very long. Now...listen carefully..."

It really didn't take long for Mouse to learn the bear form. Though he looked like a normal bear, and not the monstrous form of Sloth.

"I-I did it! I'm a bear!" Mouse cheered happily. "It's so different and heavy!"

"Yes, yes, congratulations. Now leave me be, mortal." Sloth collapsed to the ground and curled up.

Veira did not say any goodbyes.

They left Sloth to his slumber, the mage breathing easier the farther they were away from the demon. Her head could think clearly now, and she realized that it must have been Sloth's influence that slowed her mind so. Thank the Maker she was really good when it came to riddles, and Sloth obviously wasn't that great at coming up with difficult ones. Mouse seemed much more confident as a bear, and helped her fight off the spirit wolves that attacked. As it was, they left the company of one demon to find another, but it was time. Veira did feel better that mouse could help her now. They made their way past Valour, towards the hot open field where the demon stayed. This time, the flaming demon was waiting for her.

It spoke in a terrible, deep voice full of malice. "And so you come to me at last."

Veira glared at it, grabbing her staff. It laughed at her. "Soon I shall see your world through your eyes, creature. You shall be mine, body and soul!"

"Against both of us demon, you have no chance," Veira warned.

Chills ran down her spine when the demon flared up, a blood-curdling laugh booming from it. "Amusing. What happened to our deal Mouse? Don't tell me you've forgotten."

Veira's eyes went wide, and she froze. What deal?

"There is no deal between us! Not anymore!" Mouse yelled desperately.

The demon tilted its heading, mocking him."Aww. What about those wonderful meals we shared?"

"I don't need you to bargain with anymore." Mouse grinned nastily, nodding at Veira. "I have a good friend now."

The demon chuckled. "We shall see."

It let out a piercing screech, and flames erupted all around them. Veira couldn't afford to concern herself over Mouse, not when the demon made of fire charged at her. She casted her cold spell, which hurt the demon substantially. Mouse, who derived a lot of pleasure seeing the fire demon scream in pain, pounced on top of it, biting and clawing every crevice. Lightning shot through Veira and into the demon, and between the two of them, the demon did not last very long. A few burns later, the demon fell. Too easily, it seemed.

Mouse turned back into his human form, and turned to her, beaming. "You did it. You actually did it! I had my doubts before, none of you ever seemed worthy!"

Veira paused, feeling more nervous than before. She kept a wary distance from Mouse. "All of this...was too easy."

"That is because you are a true mage of course!" Mouse enthused happily. "All the others...they never stood a chance. But you have taught me there is hope for me!"

Anger stirred in Veira. "And what exactly do you think you can get from me?"

Mouse looked surprised and hurt. "You defeated the demon. You will grow and soon become an enchanter with no equal." He smiled. "And there is hope in someone as small and forgotten as me. If you truly want to help me like before...well, there may be a way out of here and get outside, you just need to want to let me in."

She glared at mouse, knowing exactly what was going on now. She berated herself for not realizing sooner. "And I'm beginning to think that demon wasn't my test."

Mouses' eyes widened, and he stuttered "Wha-of course it was! How could you-" He stopped when Veira's glare deepened, and reached for her staff. A large, eerie grin formed on his face, and his head tilted. "My, you are a smart one." His voice deepened, and it sounded just like the demon before. "Simple killing's a warriors job. The real danger of the fade is preconception, relentless trust." He transformed once more, but this time, she saw what he truly was. A grotesque creature dressed in robes, taller than anything she'd ever seen.

"Keep your wits about you. True tests never end."

After it disappeared, Veira once again faded to black.