{All non-player characters and the Guild Wars universe belong to NC Soft and Arena Net. I am just representing my own character through the story. Thank you.}
Chapter 1: Silver Tree
"Just how I left you" Signa said, gazing upon her home village fondly as she stood upon a large, over-looking hill. Two years had passed since her adoptive father had agreed to allow her to enter an apprenticeship with famed elementalist, Ariana Stormbringer. She had promised him she would return stronger than ever and now she could almost taste the sun-sweet berries growing in the fertile land of the village. Slowly she drew a deep breath before stepping forward towards home.
"Kenneth, go be a dear and fetch some water," Madame Alice said gently to the young teenager just behind her.
Kenneth looked up from the pants he was sowing back together, "Yes Miss Alice" he drawled as he got up quite lethargically. Soon he was out of the orphanage with a mighty yawn and walking towards the old well. He grabbed a large bucket and tossed it into the well nodding at the resulting splash with satisfaction. Just as he reached for the rope to pull the bucket back up, something flashed at the corner of his eye. Quickly and warily he looked in that direction to see a tall figure in the distance heading in his direction. Kenneth squinted his eyes and could see the figure had long, silver hair, heavily padded armor, a tall, glowing staff, but most importantly, this person was abnormally tall. Kenneth's eyes flew wide open, "SIGNA!" he shouted.
Immediately the figure looked in his direction and waved before moving towards him at a faster pace. Kenneth laughed with joy and ran towards his old friend energetically. The two finally met and clasped together in a tight hug, "Signa you're home!" he laughed.
"Oh it's so good to see you my friend!" Signa exclaimed lifting the smaller boy up and then letting him go, "How I've missed you all."
"I can't believe your back! It's been so long! Come on all the kids have really missed ya!" Kenneth bounced up and down and snatched her hand running her to the orphanage at a break neck pace. As they got closer he yelled gleefully, "Signa is home! Signa is home! Everyone come out Signa is home!"
No sooner did he crow his welcoming call, dozens of joyful faces erupted from the small, ragged orphanage building backed by an equally joyous Ms. Alice. The children surrounded her and pounced on her like a thousand happy puppies greeting their mother. Finally after she had escaped from their suffocating grasp, Ms. Alice embraced her tears coming from her eyes.
"Oh you have grown so much my dear," she stated, "how the children and I have missed you."
Signa hugged the old woman back with equal endearment, "And I have missed you all as well, but now I have returned and with the knowledge I have gained I can protect you all now. But first, I must go to the chief."
"Oh of course darling," Alice said with a smile, "Why he must miss you the most of all. Go on, you have made us so proud." Signa nodded with a smile kneeling respectfully to the elder.
She proceeded onward through the town followed by a procession of excited little kids. As she passed the merchant's row, she was greeted by all the familiar smells and people of the past. There was Mr. Ark with his delicious tray of bread beside him, both smelling like fresh baked heaven in a pan. There was the Duchess Minora stooping over the sweet aroma of Mrs. Koran's lilies. There was even young priest Mehnlo, kneeling by the shrine of Dwayna praying for the soldiers out in the war.
All waved to her with joyous expression as she passed. Finally she arrived at the dwelling of the clan leader, Ventour Silvertree himself and her adoptive father. The kids respectfully dispersed with cheerful grins on their faces and left her to nervously stare at the door. After taking a deep breath, Signa bent down and knocked. She heard a shuffling of footsteps and a click. She gulped and took a step back.
The door opened inward with a familiar creak and an old man peered from inside. Eyes as blue as clear spring water, but as intense as the hottest fire glanced at her and instantly widened with recognition. The door swung open revealing the man behind it and immediately Signa was hugged.
"My dearest daughter," Ventour started his voice cracked with emotion, "Welcome home."
Tears slowly fell from Signa's own ice blue eyes, "Thank you father."
"Come in, come in!" he finally said after a long embrace. He ushered her inside. Signa was careful to bend her head as she was taller than the door. Her father had not changed the thing. Everything was as she remembered it from two years ago. The scent of incense wafted in the air, purple curtains with the Silvertree insignia hung about everywhere, and she could hear a gentle trickle of water from a fountain close by. "I trust your training went well?" he inquired.
Signa aroused herself from her nostalgic day dreaming, "Oh yes," she replied, "Ariana is a wonderful mentor, just like you said. She taught me much, much more than I'd ever hoped for.
"Oh good!" exclaimed Ventour as he sat in his favorite chair motioning to her old chair beside him. Let's talk about it and catch up.
Signa nodded with a smile and was just about to take a seat when the door slammed open revealing one of the town guards. "Leader!" the young man shouted, "Charr! An entire army of them headed for our valley!"
Ventour immediately stood his face twisting into an expression of both fury and concern, "Charr? Here? Impossible," he muttered, "Send all but one legion of our soldiers! We have to protect the valley! We have to protect Ascalon! Also call out the horn! We must call on the alliance." The soldier nodded and with a salute was off. No sooner did he disappear from the doorway, the mighty horn of Silvertree went off alerting all the other guilds of the valley that an enemy was approaching.
"Father let me go!" Signa pleaded, standing up so fast she nearly hit her head on the ceiling.
"No, it's too dangerous for you" he replied immediately.
"I'm stronger now! What did I train for two years for if not to fight?!"
Ventour gritted his teeth, "Very well… but come back safe."
Signa nodded embracing her father one more time before grabbing her staff and rushing out the door. Soon she was mingled with all the other soldiers of Silvertree, charging towards the border between Charr lands and their peaceful valley.
When they arrived the fighting had already begun. The Rising Moon Guild, being the closest guild to the border, was already deep into battle with many wounded. This was no mere battle, this was an invasion. There were thousands of them. Each standing almost seven feet tall, covered in dark matted fur, horns sharpened to a point, and teeth bared and yellowed. Every charr was armed to the teeth and protected by steel. It almost seemed hopeless, yet no soldier faltered. With a mighty roar, the Silvertree clan warriors rushed into battle, swords and shields held high. At the same time the charr forces charged, their inhuman shrieks piercing through Signa's ears.
Now Signa roared, "FOR SILVERTREE, AND FOR ASCALON!" Signa held her staff to the sky and it flashed red. Above the main force of the charr cloud after cloud appeared and it began to rain small meteors. Signa almost laughed as she heard the charr's shrieks of pain. She could feel her blood racing with adrenaline. It was euphoria. Spell after spell flew from her fingertips, ceaselessly, tirelessly. Meteor Shower, Chain Lightning, Earthquake, and countless others wrought death upon the charr's legions. Soon 20 were dead, 50, 100, and still they kept coming.
Despite her relentless effort as time went on she was being pushed farther and farther back into a close by cliff face. Very few soldiers were beside her, the rest being dead or injured and taken to infirmaries. A particularly large charr leaped over his comrades snapping at Signa's face. Signa whacked him with her staff knocking him towards a waiting soldier where he was skewered. As soon as Signa looked forward she saw a strangely dressed charr wielding a scepter and could only curse before the charr cast a spell, launching her into a nearby cave and trapping her inside.
Signa groaned and held her head; she was bleeding profusely from the back of her skull. Quickly, she used one of her water spells to heal the wound just a little. As she started towards the caved in entrance, the earth rumbled knocking her down again. "What the-"she began before she was interrupted by an inhuman wail, as if the Earth, as if even the Gods themselves shrieked bloody murder. Signa screamed as well, holding her hands over her ears and bending over. She sat the curled in a ball for nearly an hour before it was all over. Very slowly, she stood. Her legs shook as if made of jelly. She pointed her staff at the entrance and blasted it open. She took one look outside, and fell to her knees.
{Thanks for reading! Please review and criticize because I want to get better! Also tell me how you like it! This is just chapter 1 of what will be a full length story so stay tuned!}