Note: Goodness! So sorry for taking so long, guys. If you weren't aware yet, the first ever expansion for Guild Wars 2 has been released just a few weeks ago. Yes, I regret to admit it's been eating my time... But it has also opened up some lore to me that I've been intending to use for the story for a long time now. That being said: the following set of chapters may contain minor spoilers concerning the Heart of Thorns storyline - incredibly minor spoilers, actually. Still, if you're playing the game and wish not to be spoiled of anything, caution would be advised. :)
One step forward, and a tingling spark later, they were in Rata Sum. Despite having seen asuran architecture before, their capitol astonished Asterix.
The city was a symmetric wonder; a fantastic structure plucked straight out of the strangest of fever dreams. The precision in the buildings showed off how much the asura liked consistency in their architecture. The first he saw was a large, flawless stone cube that appeared to serve only as a fountain, as it hovered above the upper plaza. There were also three pyramid shaped structures decorated with jungle flora and banners, and those buildings seemingly blended into the floor itself, while some of their cube-shaped bricks were unhinged from the roofs, floating loose from the building by the same sorcery that held the larger fountain-cube in the middle in the air. Everything looked as though they could fit together like a puzzle. The pavement was of hexagonal stone tiles. Laid so perfectly, so flat and even, it felt like walking on Caesar's marble floor. Vines crawled between the tiles undisturbed, but weeds were nowhere to be found. Asterix felt a bit uneased walking on the pavement. Despite how stable it seemed, it didn't feel that way for some reason, as if the entire city was floating in the air.
Judging from how the floor simply cut off at certain points, and how there was hardly natural land or water to be seen beyond that, it wouldn't surprise him if that was really the case. He dared not coming close to those edges, fearing to learn how far below the land would be. His skin crawled at the thought, and he decided to keep Dogmatix in the palm of his hand for the time being, just as a precaution.
The air was humid and warm, and the smell was a mixture of rain, foliage and sea water, telling them they were near the jungle once more, as well as the shore. The wet pavement and dark clouds in the distance suggested it rained quite recently.
It was certainly very busy, unlike what he was accustomed to seeing in Hoelbrak, which in comparison was actually rather calm. Naturally, there were a lot of asura. Asura at the fountain. Asura conversing about their latest projects with their technobabble. Asura making trade. And one could not forget the golems. Golems that ranged from asura to norn sizes, all programmed to do their masters' biddings. Be it transporting heavy wares, patrolling around the city to keep an eye out, or doing any other finicky work an automaton could perform for hours on end without a need for rest. There was also hardly a living soul of any other race to be seen, other than Asterix himself and his dog, and maybe the rare sighting of a charr, sylvari, or what ever else roamed Tyria.
Reminding himself of his task, Asterix dug into his pocket with his free hand and pulled out the letter from Pluxx, shaking it a little until it unfolded itself. The back of the paper contained Margrit's sketches of the city's exterior map; literally a drawing of the large diamond shaped city, with the location of Pluxx's workshop and the portal to Lion's Arch marked with red ink to make sure he couldn't get lost. And yet… He inspected the map carefully, glancing back to the city every now and then to try and get a better feel of his surroundings.
"Gods, I can't even follow a simple route," he muttered. "Why does everything have to look the same here?" He turned the paper, expecting some sort of hint, but he was only met with writing he could not decipher.
Sighing, he put the letter back in his pocket, looking around nervously. Maybe he could ask for directions. Just as the idea came up, an asura walked by.
"Excuse me, ma'am, can you tell me where—"
But the woman ignored him, walking straight past without so much as turning her head. Asterix glanced about. There were plenty of people here. Walking to and fro, going about their business. At least one of them could point him into the right direction, hopefully. He tried again, this time, with another asura who was with a child. They were sitting and talking at the fountain. He approached the two and cleared his throat. "Hello, can either one of you tell me—"
"No, no. That's not right," the adult said to the little girl asura. "Quaggans are amphibious creatures. They lay eggs and are capable of living out of water, though they prefer not to."
"I want to swim with quaggans and study their culture when I'm older. They are so interesting and cute and pudgy," said the little girl. She swung her feet back and forth as she tilted her head playfully.
The father frowned. "Honey, are you sure you don't want to do something else with your life later? A genius in the making can make a much greater impact on society than studying quaggans."
Asterix started to get a little impatient now. "Excuse me, hello? I'm lost, can you show me where to go for Pluxx's workshop?"
Suddenly, the older asura's head turned to Asterix, and he snapped at him. "Bookah! Can't you see I'm preoccupied with my daughter's future? Whatever your query is, bring it to someone who has time to waste!"
The Gaul held back a scowl. Here come the snarky comments again. It was exactly what he didn't like about these people. "Oh, alright," he responded dully.
The little girl looked at Asterix intently with large emerald-green eyes. As he was about to turn and leave, she lifted a tiny finger and pointed south. "Pluxx's shop is near the port, at Dawnside Quay!" she squeaked. "Just take the portal leading there. His shop is the middle one in the street below." Her father shot her a stern scowl, disapproving of her talking to strangers, but she didn't see it. Instead, she saw Asterix smiling to her.
"Ah! Thank you, little girl." He nodded politely. He then made his way into the direction she pointed him. He soon found another set of gates at the other end of the city. Embarrassingly, he took a bad guess and picked the wrong one first, getting chased out again by several golems for entering a restricted area.
The Dawnside port itself wasn't extravagantly large, but considering that the asura gates were a popular way of traveling in Tyria, it wasn't really necessary for it to be big. It seemed that the docks had more use for fishing than trade. It was also a popular spot for traveling merchants to set up a market and sell a great variety of goods, but only for one set day in the week, after which they would move on to the next of the main cities. Today happened to be that day they set up here.
Asterix didn't care for it much though. He was just glad he could see land and sea again. He took a glance back, beholding the great hexahedron block which he presumed to be Rata Sum, far in the distance, its top peeking over the cliffs near the port. Just looking at it and imagining he stood on top of that thing seconds ago made him quiver. He was also still hesitant about letting Dogmatix down, despite being back on solid ground now. Even the piers were a little too crowded for a little dog to be walking around here. Accidents might happen.
As he walked one of the stairs down to the dock, he heard the advertised yelling he remembered from Lutetia, and, to an extend, from home. The market was indeed very busy, and local fishmongers too made their chance at selling some of their fresh fish for a quick handful of money, shouting at the top of their lungs in an attempt to drown out the yelling of rivals. Below the stairs, there was a tunnel that led into a dimly lit street. From what little Asterix knew of their kind, it seemed as though the asura liked being underground and surrounded by darkness.
And as it was described by the little girl, there they were. A small row of little shops on one side of the street-tunnel. Most looked tidy and clean on the outside, except for the one in the middle, which stood out quite a bit from the rest with its floating sign plate and colorful decoration.
Asterix approached the shop and then let Dogmatix down on the ground, telling him to wait at the door. Then, he entered the shop. A little bell rang as he stepped inside, and he glanced around curiously. The place was an utter mess, unlike what he expected of asura. Wherever there was room, there were ink pots and barrels of bright, colorful powder, standing everywhere. There was only one free path from the entrance to the counter. There was also a strong, intrusive smell in the air. No Pluxx, though. Not in immediate sight.
At this point, he was glad he let Dogmatix wait outside. The poor animal wouldn't be able to stand these fumes. He looked around, eyes scanning the shop for life. "Hello?" he called. "Anyone here?"
"Watch your head," a rather distant voice announced suddenly. Surprised, Asterix looked up at the ceiling. But he wasn't sure what to watch for. Then, the realization dawned on him. Whoever warned him probably thought he was taller. The ceiling did hang rather low. Still high enough for a norn to enter, if he wanted a very sore neck and back later.
"Oh. It's all good, thanks," said Asterix. He slowly approached the counter and looked over, finding an asura knelt down on the floor behind it, assorting some of his items in a small wooden box.
"Are you Pluxx?"
"Yes, yes. That's me. Welcome," Pluxx answered nonchalantly. He pushed the box aside and stood up, scanning the Gaul up and down when he saw him, appearing a bit surprised by his height. Pluxx was bald, with remarkably big, lopped ears hanging from his wide head. They were in fact so large, it seemed impossible for them to lift themselves on their own, and instead they draped over his shoulders like wet towels. Several earrings decorated each. His skin was a deep, saturated brown, with little white spots dotted all over, as well as splotches of differently colored paints. His lavender and beige clothes were also stained. He abruptly cleared his throat. "How may I be of service?" asked Pluxx. He set his hands on the counter.
Asterix quickly dug into his pocket, taking out the letter once more and showing it to the asura. "Margrit Strolfdottir received your letter and asked if I could pick up the package she ordered."
Pluxx looked down at the letter, then eyed Asterix suspiciously. "Are you her acquaintance?"
"Yeah… You might say that," Asterix answered. "She had an accident. And I owe her. So I'm running errands for her until she gets better."
The asura pursed his lips thoughtfully. "Hrm," he mused. "As long as the package gets paid, I suppose. You look trustworthy enough."
Suddenly, the bell rang another time. Pluxx looked past Asterix, toward the doorway, and his yellowed shark-like teeth flashed under a wide smile. Asterix looked back as well, and he saw a pale, blonde asura walk inside. His light-blue and grey robes looked oddly out of place. "Good afternoon, Pluxx," the stranger called.
"Ah, Bikk! What a pleasant surprise!" Pluxx flung his arms open and welcomed the asura cheerfully. "Taking a break from rummaging in the Priory archives, eh?"
"Yeah, I've been between the dusty old books and artifacts for too long again," Bikk answered, grinning. "So much knowledge, such little time." Bikk suddenly grimaced as though he had a chill. "Very cold, too."
"I know what you're here for," Pluxx finally added. He then looked back at Asterix, giving him a honest smile. "I'll have your order here in a moment. Go ahead and have a look around the shop while you wait. It's going to take a little while for my golem to fetch everything."
Asterix blinked, then eventually he wandered off from the counter, saying nothing. He decided to check some of the taller bottles of ink standing on a table. They came in all sorts of vibrant colors. Starting at the front were various yellows, reds, and blues. Then, the row behind them were the hues that were mixed using those three colors. And this kept on going, until there was no room left on the table.
Meanwhile, the two asura had their own conversation. "So, have you been to the Snaff Prize?" Pluxx asked to Bikk.
Bikk sported a wide grin. "Naturally. I wouldn't even miss it for gold."
"How was it this time? It better be juicy," said Pluxx, lifting a hand and pulling one of his ears back so it wouldn't get in the way. "Last year's contest was about as thrilling as studying skritt communicational behaviors…"
"Oh, this year's competition was stiff," the blonde asura beamed. "A lot of good inventions were exhibited to the Arcane Council. Gabb's Atmospheric Subspace-Repressor took the first place by the skin of his teeth. I was the most excited for Klipp's invention though. Claimed he made the greatest medical breakthrough of all time and was going to present his proof of it. But then the sore flunkee backed out! Weeks before the contest!"
Asterix's ears caught the conversation. Wait a minute… Klipp? Where did he remember that name from? It gave him a foreboding chill for some odd reason. Keeping quiet, he pretended to be minding his own business, leaning slightly forward and gripping the table, looking at the various colorful ink bottles on the shelves above while listening in on what the two were talking about.
Pluxx stared Bikk in the eyes, sneering suspiciously. "Klipp? You mean from the Inquest? Since when did you take interest in his blamable contrivances?" he questioned. "Those Inquest people are never up to any good. They're selfish hacks who only care for their own gain."
"What? No! Don't accuse me like that. I only wanted to know more about his medical breakthrough," Bikk answered nervously.
Asterix couldn't believe what he heard. He felt his stomach twist into a knot, and the earlier chill turned into dread. He knew he remembered that name. Klipp, the monster who turned him into a lab rat…that …that… He subconsciously firmed his grip on the table, and gritted his teeth anxiously. He could feel his heart pounding. He even swore he could hear it beating across the room. But when it got louder, it became more distinguishable, and he recognized the sound as thumping golem feet.
"What was this 'medical breakthrough' anyway?" Pluxx asked while he took Margrit's order from the golem's hands.
"Don't know. He only shared some details with the Arcane Council. And any information he did share was debunked by them after he withdrew from the contest."
Asterix let out a sigh in relief, relaxing his grip on the table. Thank Toutatis that they didn't believe it. Otherwise that would have just caused him trouble if anyone found out about it. Especially if…they…found out.
Pluxx's dangling ears twitched at the noise as he set the package down on the counter, and his eyes shifted to the warrior. "Everything alright there?"
"Oh, I… it's the ink," He stammered, "The ink has a very strong smell. It's making me a little nauseous."
The asura stared at him with a dismissive look. "Yes, indeed… I don't recommend sniffing it. Come on over. Your order is ready."
Asterix in turn let go of the table, approaching the counter again. Bikk stepped aside, at least as much as he could. The Gaul looked down at the small wrapped parcel on the counter. "That's the entire package?"
"Yes," Pluxx replied. "I always sell my goods in their powder form. Makes the package smaller and lighter in weight. All you need to do is add boiling water to the mix."
Asterix blinked, then looked around the shop. "Then why do you keep all these bottles of liquid ink in the store?"
"Why, those are for looks."Pluxx smiled cheekily. "Anyway, that'll be two gold and twenty silver, please.
Asterix arched an eyebrow. "I see," he said. The shop could have done with a few bottles less, but then again, it wasn't his store. Whichever floated Pluxx's boat. He paid the fee and waved the shop owner goodbye, with one paper-wrapped parcel in hand.
Dogmatix stood up and yipped when Asterix finally reemerged from the shop's doorway. He smiled and bent down to give the pup a pat on the head. "We're done here. Let's go home," he said. He was glad to be out of the store again. The stench of the ink was only bearable for so long. It made him doubt a little if the stuff was really as safe as Pluxx promised. Margrit's customers didn't complain though. Asterix shrugged in his mind. He was probably just overthinking it.
Just as he was about to turn for the way out of the tunnel, something stopped him. A foreboding, irked feeling that…was he being watched? He turned his head, looking around to see what was going on. All he saw were just asura and golems walking down the lane. He could only pick up noisy chatter. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
He blinked. Slowly, his blank expression was replaced with a squint. Idiot. Stop being so paranoid, he huffed to himself. Dogmatix eyed the human questioningly. A single bark reminded Asterix that someone was waiting for him to come home. He picked Dogmatix up, and made for a quick pace back to the gate. It was best not to linger in this place any longer.
As the day grew older, the Lion's Arch gate hub became busier than usual as people made their way through the gates. The crowds were actually rather overwhelming. Even the guards had trouble with all the traffic as everybody pushed and urged impatiently after a long day well-spent. They all yearned for home. Asterix immediately regretted taking his time to pick up Margrit's parcel.
He had some trouble squeezing his way through the crowd. Naturally, all he wanted was to get back to Hoelbrak quickly. The chaos alone, the chatter, shouting, pushing and pulling… It was mad-driving. The tail of a charr accidently swatted him in the face and made him stagger back and drop his package. Asterix groaned, bending down to pick the parcel up again, when his ears suddenly caught a cry for help.
"Someone, please! I lost my friend!" a ragged, deep voice cried. Asterix glanced at where the noise came from. It was hard to tell. Every sound overlapped with another. Finally, he caught glimpse of the panicked sylvari, who was standing at the palm garden, waving his hands about and trying to get people's attention, but failing to do so at his dismay. He slowly walked closer with caution.
"Anyone, please?" the man called frantically. "She's green, has marine blue hair, shaped like a flower. She answers to the name Liliwen. Please! Someone!"
"Liliwen?"
Surprised, the sylvan male suddenly turned his head, looking down at Asterix. His eyes were an eerie white, and he had a dark brown-green skin that was of bark, and small, wild leaves for hair colored like autumn. To Asterix's surprise, but not completely out of the ordinary, the man wore normal human clothing rather than growing his own, sporting a long dark green coat and brown trousers. "Yes. Yes! Have you seen her?" he asked desperately.
"No," Asterix answered, looking worried himself. "But she's my friend as well. She's not in trouble, is she?"
"I fear she is going to be if I don't find her soon," the frantic man answered.
"What happened?"
"It's a long story, but she's running off to the jungle. I have to find her and stop her before she gets to the Silverwastes and— Oh," He suddenly stammered inaudibly, his knees trembled, and he started plucking the leaves from his head. "Oh, stars… What do I say?"
"Whoa, okay. Settle down," Asterix reassured. "Just explain to me what exactly is going on. I want to help."
"No, I can't. You'll…you'll turn against me," said the sylvari. He suddenly fell down to a sit, hands still in his hair. Asterix came a few steps closer, trying to reassure the man.
"Take a deep breath and just tell me. I won't turn against you."
Thankfully, the sylvari complied, sucking in air through his nostrils and taking a short moment for himself. "Mordremoth…" he exhaled. "Something…something happened. The Pact—"
The first word alone made the suspicious faces of those with strong hearing cast their direction to the two. In turn, the brown sylvari looked back at them, seemingly frightened by their judgmental glares.
"Listen," the man suddenly spoke, his voice lowering to a half-whisper. His hands gripped hold of Asterix by both his shoulders. "I can't talk about this here. If you really wish to help, then…" He swallowed. "Then we must talk about it in private."
The strong root-like fingers were cold and dry, and they felt like they pierced his skin. Asterix hesitated. Should he trust a stranger so willingly? Liliwen was his friend, and if her brash nature got her in trouble, then, yes. He will trust the man. "Tell me your name first," he eventually said.
"Bohan," the sylvari replied. "Of the Wardens." He stood up.
"Asterix," he answered back. "Come with me to Hoelbrak, and you can tell me everything."