Gore and Glory (Dragon Age: Origins)

Chapter 2: The Right of Conscription

When you were beginning to come to, you realized you were laying down in a bed.

 “≈≈≈≈≈≈?” Someone was calling to you, but you were still too out of it to open your eyes or make out who was talking to you. “≈≈≈≈≈≈, are you alright?” A hand came down on your shoulder and shook you gently. “Say something please.”

You gasped and bolted upright, causing whoever it was to jump away from you.

You came to your senses and put a hand over your racing heart, thinking that the last thing you could remember was the demon in the fade. But here you were, in the dormitory, with your old friend Jowan standing a few feet away, looking quite concerned.

“Oh, Jowan…sorry.” You panted lightly as you tried to calm yourself.  You realized you were in Clara’s bed and began to get up. You figured some of the Templars must have had to haul you down from the Harrowing chamber to the dormitory after you passed out, and decided to just put you in Clara’s lower bed rather than lift you up into the top bunk. Made you wonder where Clara was, but that was about the only thing really strange at the moment.

“I’m glad you’re alright. They carried you in this morning. I didn’t even realize you’d been gone all night. I’ve heard stories of apprentices who never come back from their Harrowing’s. Is it really that dangerous? What was it like?”

“It was…harrowing.” You shrugged, standing up using the bedpost for support. It still felt a bit like your head was spinning.

“Oh come on, we’re friends right? Surely you can tell me more about it.”

“I really can’t. It’s supposed to be a big secret. You know how it is.”

He sighed, defeated, and crossed his arms. “Fine, fine…but now you get to move into the nice mages quarters upstairs, and I’m stuck here, and I don’t know when they’ll call me for my Harrowing.”  

“You’re just being fussy. They’ll summon you to the test when you’re ready.”

“I’ve been here longer than you have. Sometimes I think they just don’t want to test me.” He moped.

“Being here longer doesn’t mean you’re ready. Don’t worry so much. It’ll be any day now. I mean, everyone has to do the Harrowing, right?”

He got an even more worried expression on his face, “The tranquil never go through the Harrowing…You either do the Harrowing, or the Right of Tranquility, or you die.”   

There were a few tranquil mages around the tower, and they weren’t a pleasant bunch. Well, the mages themselves were fine, but they were a bit…unsettling. The Right of Tranquility was almost like a magical lobotomy that cuts the mage off from the Fade. For whatever reason, this separation renders the mage unable to perform any magic. It also prevents them from feeling any kind of emotion. You always figured that they were called tranquil because they literally had no emotions so they always seemed calm, but they honestly seemed a bit creepy to you. Or at least the idea that that could someday happen to you was worrying. It’s like they were dead but still walking. Their eyes and voices were completely lifeless.

You didn’t know why any mage would allow themselves to be made that way. The Harrowing seemed like a much better option. Even dying sounded better than being made tranquil.

“Jowan, I think you worry too much.” 

He sighed again and shook his head, “I shouldn’t waste your time with this. I was supposed to tell you to see Irving as soon as you woke up.”

You pouted groggily, thinking they could at least let you eat breakfast first. “What for?”

“He didn’t tell me, but you better not keep him waiting. We can talk more when you’re done.”