The next morning came way too soon. I had dreamt about my family, about the life that I had lived only just a few days ago. If someone had told me a week ago that I would soon lead a whole new life in Tyria, I would have declared them for being insane.

Would I ever get the chance to go back? What was my family doing right now? Were they searching for me, did time stand still in the other world as long as I was here, or was a parallel-me living my former life now? Had there been more cases like mine, and if yes, what had happened to them?

Even if I could not answer a single question, I wanted to get back. This world was unique, amazing, fantastic - but it was also dangerous. Tyria fought against Elder Dragons, and I was right in the middle of it. But I couldn't even fight! How could I ever dare to believe that I would possibly survive more than a few days in this world? And what would happen to me if I died? Would I return to my old life, or would I disappear once and for all?

I want to go back. I just want to go home.

"Back where? To Rata Sum?" I heard a strange, but familiar voice.

Someone parted the curtains without much of a warning, and my blanket disappeared with a sudden flash of movement. My condition was quite similar to the morning during my stay at the tavern in Soren Draa. Except this time, rather than having just a headache, every single part of my body ached as well.

They had cleaned the wound on my arm last evening and smeared an ill smelling balm on it, which made the pain bearable and closed the wound as well as possible. But Authen had warned me that I would still feel the consequences of the poison for days - and now I began to realize what he had meant with that.

My right arm was starting to hurt again because the balm's effects faded. The left shoulder, where Zojja had grazed me with her fireball, blazed and tore like a sunburn. It felt as though pure fire seemed to be flowing through my whole body.

Added to that, was now the dazzling light and the sudden envelopment of cold, after the wonderful warm blanket had disappeared so abruptly.

I moaned and hid my head in the crook of my arm, but as the seconds passed and nothing changed, I dared to peek a look. In front of me stood Narru with her arms crossed, and she was already in full gear and was shouldering a wanderer's backpack.

That was definitely not good.

"What are you waiting for? Night is long gone!" she began. "We have a very long way ahead of us, and not much time. Get dressed and pack your bag, I want to get moving in half an hour."

"Eh?" was all I could give as an answer. It was so early in the morning, and my brain wasn't capable of bringing out more words. I supposed it was still a long time until midday, but I was hungry, everything was hurting, and I would have given anything for a nice warm bath right about now.

Narru groaned at my lack of immediate movement, and threw my bag to me at the hammock. "My ears, what are you? Asura or Skritt? I already said yesterday, that I'm going to be training you. In the Shiverpeaks. Starting today. And time is running away from us. I expect to see you at the lab entrance in half an hour."

With these last words, she disappeared and shut the door with a bang.

Painstakingly, I sat up and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. The skin on my left shoulder was peeling and it looked horrible, and the right arm was swollen and hot. I definitely needed more of this healing balm.

Since when did I admit to this training...?

It was obvious that I didn't have any time to dawdle around, no matter how reluctant I was to the concept. But I didn't know what Narru would do to me if I was late, and I didn't want to find out.

Sighing, I grabbed my clothes from where I had regardlessly thrown them besides the hammock last night, and I began to put them on. They were full of dust and my shirt was torn with blood-soaked stains here and there on its sleeves. Not only that, but they didn't smell pleasant either. A short glance inside the contents of my bag told me that I had no other choice though.

You should have brought a change of clothes with you.

I sighed again and brushed my ruffled hair with my fingers as well as possible before tying it into a temporary braid. It would have to do since there was no mirror. But considering my current ragged-looking appearance, I was sure I couldn't make it look much worse with my hair style. Resigned, I shouldered the bag and fixed the hammer in its holder.

At least I had cleaned my weapon last evening.

Without a clock, it was hard to tell how long I needed, but it couldn't have been more than a few minutes. Steadily I became aware of the comfort I would've had in my old life. I would have just grabbed my smartphone and I could've set the alarm - or even call a taxi to drive me home. Now I would probably have better luck with hourglasses and carrier pigeons.

Ignoring the pain as much as possible, I dragged my feet out of the room located above Narru's study room, and I stumbled down the stairs.

The common room was nearly empty except for a hand full of Asura, and the surrounding atmosphere felt quite heavy-hearted. Some seemed to be mourning after the victims, while others appeared just shocked by the unusual, devastating attack.

I didn't mind much at all, because at the very least it meant I could avoid all unwanted attention this way.

But what caught my attention in one of the room's corners, was a table fully loaded and nearly bursting with food. The assortment wasn't that big, and it certainly couldn't compete with the taste of Bromm's creations back in Rata Sum.

But it would definitely be enough to sate my hunger.

The table was filled with sandwiches, and its spread smelled quite sweet. I figured it could have been made of omnomberries, and there were bundles of bread rolls and major pieces of ham to go along with it. Besides those, stood some jars filled with water and clay mugs.

I walked over, taking a sip of the drink and grabbing a roll with a piece of ham.

I almost dropped the thing, because just as I turned around, Zojja had appeared right behind me. Deep and dark rings coated the underside of her eyes, and she looked as if she hadn't slept for weeks.

"You look horrible!" I said, the comment being the first thing I could say with a mouth full of breakfast. My brain still hadn't switched on to full activation, and I didn't realize how blunt my words must have sounded.

Zojja snorted and took a slice of bread. "Funny, I was just about to say the same thing about you. How are your injuries doing?"

I shrugged my shoulders, but ultimately regretted the movement. With my face distorted in pain, I just mumbled. "It hurts."

Zojja rummaged around in her bag and gave me a small box, its bad smelling contents something I was already familiar with. "Here's some more of the balm, but be spare with it. You'll need it if Narru is going to be training you."

Thankful, I took the box after I had stuffed the last piece of ham into my mouth. I applied some of the ill-smelling balm into the stab wound and stowed the rest of it back in my bag.

I looked up to Zojja to speak again. "Narru wants to head out in a few minutes. I'm not sure what to expect, but I'm sure it isn't going to be a walk in the park..."

"Definitely not. Narru is a warmaster, and she will unlikely be able to make concessions for you. Especially after your performance yesterday..." Zojja said with a stern-sounding tone.

I wanted to protest at the accusation, but she interrupted me with a wink of her hand. "Believe me, it's for your best. Think about it when my sister is lighting a fire under your backside the next time."

With a resigned sigh, I continued. "I'll try my best. And what will you do now?"

"The Pact is ready for their final assault against Zhaitan. Either we'll win, or Tyria is doomed. I have developed a Mega-Laser with enough firepower to harm even an Elder Dragon", she explained. "This weapon makes defeat as good as impossible, at least I have been the one creating it! The only thing left now is to make the Glory of Tyria operational. And therefore they need me."

"I'm sure that you will be most victorious. And I look forward to seeing you again, once Tyria has gotten rid of its dragon infestation", I said.

As long as the Pact will be victorious and you'll survive...

Zojja said her goodbyes with a short slap on my still-healing shoulder. I stepped outside to the stairs to the lab entrance where Narru was already waiting for me impatiently.

"You're late", she said with a nasty look. She threw a heavy looking mantle at me, which appeared to be made out of wool judging by the material and the weight. "Here, you are going to need this. Let's go."

Clumsily, I caught the cloth bundle and tried to stow it in my bag while we were running. Narru didn't seem to be in a happy mood, so I didn't dare take a pause to properly store it away.

Wherever Narru wanted to begin my training, I figured it must have been located within a very cold place. And it was far, far away, considering the enormous heat here currently in the jungle and how far we would have to travel to escape it.

Even though the sun had barely chased away the morning fog, I already knew that a very long day lay ahead us - and none that I would have wished myself.

Narru set a blistering pace that seemed to be more fitting for a race more than an actual trek, and soon my feet hurt more and more with each step I took. Not only that, but there were also insects living quite comfortably in this swampy area and they found us to be the perfect fodder. Every few seconds I had to chase away another fly, and more and more red itchy bites appeared on my skin. More than once I threw stolen glances at Narru, who seemed totally unimpressed by this insect pest and just marched forwards at a quick pace, her face fierce and stern.

I felt uncomfortable in this silence. Preferably I would have talked to Narru, to learn more about her and give her a chance to get to know more about me. But on the one hand I didn't dare as I was fearing her expected reaction. And on the other hand, I was already struggling to get air into my lungs anyway and I couldn't bring out a single word even if I tried.

The sun was still far from reaching its highest point, and I was already sweating like a horse. During the last hour, I had wasted many thoughts about stopping and just collapsing on the ground. But I wanted to make a good impression and not to look like a complete weenie; even though I was sure she had already thought that about me, so I forced myself to carry on. Luckily, Narru decided to make a break shortly before midday so we could eat something and rest.

Even before Narru opened her mouth to say something, I had already dropped myself onto the hard ground and put my head on my knees in exhaustion. Narru mumbled something, and though I couldn't see her face, I knew that she was rolling her eyes.

My knees felt like jelly, and I was gasping for breath when I lifted my head again and finally started to examine my surroundings. Apparently we had already travelled quite the distance, but the area hadn't changed much. The swamp like stench was almost completely gone, and here and there the green floor was streaked by rocks and stony ground, but otherwise it still looked like the area back in the swamps. Around us, small stony hills lined the way and in the far distance, I could make out an enormous mountain whose summit seemed to perpetually spit out black smoke.

"Where are we?" I asked, after I finally had been able to catch my breath. I thankfully took a piece of already hardened bread that Narru gave me.

"We're passing Mount Maelstrom - the gigantic vulcan that you can see in the distance. Soon enough we'll reach a Sylvari outpost, and a friend will accompany us from there on. Once we reach the mountain, it won't be too much farther to Timberline Falls. I'm sure we will arrive at our destination by nightfall."

Huh, Shiverpeak Mountains. Therefore, the reason for the thick coat I had been thrown.

I stared at Narru, who was halfheartedly chewing on her bread, her gaze losing itself somewhere in the distance without recognizing much of anything. Right now, the dark circles under her eyes were more visible than ever and her white bulging knuckles seemed to reveal a fierce tension.

"Narru... is something wrong?" I dared to ask cautiously, and

She examined me thoroughly without answering, and then turned her gaze back to a distant point. I figured she wasn't going to respond to the question I asked. But eventually she sighed heavily, and swallowed the last piece of bread before raising her claw like hands to her face.

"Those Asura, they didn't have to die. Their sacrifice was senseless and their death redundant. If only you had been an experienced warrior..."

I raised an eyebrow, not sure if I misheard. "Wait a moment. Are you seriously blaming me for what happened?" I asked with completely disbelief. Slightly enraged, I let out a snort, even though I knew that Narru was somewhat right.

She still didn't face me, even when she continued to talk, and her voice was nothing more than a whisper. "Yes, I am."

Narru continued. "If you had been able to fight back, and we knew how to defend our lives better... then those Asura would still be alive. We should have been prepared! By Oola's ghost, so many previous Krait attacks that we were able to withstand unscathed. It was a warning, and what an obvious one! Why were we so blind, and too arrogant to see?

Her voice lowered in tone. "If he had been prepared... if we had ordered reinforcements. It was evident that the krait were gathering themselves to start a major offence. How could we..." she murmured, shaking her head with disbelief. Her face was marked with anger and sadness.

Finally she looked me straight in the eye, and in hers I could see tears of wrath and desperation. "Those Asura were my friends, Szallejh! This krewe granted me and my troops an accommodation after the Vigil stationed us in the swamp. And I wasn't even able to defend them. What kind of warmaster am I, if I'm not capable of keeping my allies alive? They will relocate the lab, and I'll personally arrange that. This area isn't safe for a krewe anymore. And after we defeat Tequatl, the Vigil too will leave the swamp. I'm not ready to gamble any more lives - all for nothing."

I peered at the ground underneath my feet. Of course I had been struck by the death of those Asura, but I didn't think about the relationship Narru could have had to them and what their death could mean for her. I wanted to say something calming, something that could take away a bit of Narru's tension, but I knew that every single word of mine would only make it worse. So I kept my mouth shut and waited for her outburst to be over while I had to bite my own lips so I wouldn't burst into tears myself.

At last Narru jumped to her feet, shouldered her backpack and motioned for me to get up too. "Come on now. We still have a long way to go."

Although I had managed to catch my breath during our short break, I felt entirely drained after that encounter.

However, it was a good distraction to focus on my burning legs, and quite quickly we reached a small valley where a Sylvari settlement was located. From the distance, it didn't distinguish itself from its surroundings, as the tents and huts roofs were made of oversized leaves that fitted perfectly to the forest. But upon coming closer to it, I could see the fine constructs within its inner workings. Though I was not sure which parts of the settlement had been man-made and which had been grown that way.

Several Sylvari were either standing around, sitting under the various leaves, or talking quietly to each other. Nobody paid much attention to us. Strangers in transit were probably a common occurrence around here.

Only one Sylvari rose immediately when she saw us, and she approached us with a huge grin on her face. At the sight of this woman, even Narru's previously dour face brightened a bit. The two exchanged a friendly greeting, and then the stranger nodded towards me too.

Her skin shimmered a deep purple color, and it was quite reminiscent of tree bark with its strong fibrillation. Her hairstyle, which consisted of dark leaves growing to one side, confirmed the impression that Sylvari were creatures made of plants even though their statue had been modeled on those of humans.

The Sylvari's clothes were a masterful play of red and blue patterns dotted with various bows and lace. Anyone else would have thought this outfit to be ridiculous, but on her it just looked right. She was equipped with a wooden scepter whose tip was glowing eerily, and her hands seemed to be bathed in a layer of clear blue water.

"Nahraija! Good to see you!" Narru announced. She introduced us briefly and then explained the purpose of our trip.

"I have already been expecting you, Narru", Nahraija said. "This forest has eyes and ears everywhere, you know? Surely you will not mind if I accompany you."

Narru laughed. "Not at all, actually your presence is very welcome. To be honest, I was hoping that you would join us."

Nahraija grabbed a small, inconspicuous bag already sitting at her feet and walked a few steps ahead.

Confused, I followed the other two. I couldn't let go of the feeling that I hadn't noticed something important pass by. How did the Sylvari already know that and especially about when we would arrive? And why had she assumed to accompany us?

I waved goodbye to the other Sylvari staring after us, but none of them seemed to be even slightly surprised that two strangers just ran into their settlement. Maybe someday I'd have the opportunity to talk to Narru and get some answers to the many questions that were floating around in my head.

Now that a third person had joined us, the mood had grown much more pleasant compared to before. Narru told me that she and Nahraija had met because of the Vigil, and they had done many assignments together. Although the Sylvari had long-since left the Vigil, they still remained in contact.

Nahraija talked a lot, and her carefree nature made it easy to listen to her and to forget the time while we were walking. I was all the more surprised when I suddenly became aware of the drastic change in my environment.

The air was much drier than in the wetlands, and the lush meadows had given way to a dreary bottom on which hardly anything could thrive. In the distance I could see snow-capped peaks, and soon the first snow covered the ground to our feet. The temperature had dropped noticeably, but I was too distracted by Nahraija's stories and I was so warmed up by the long and fast running, that I hadn't even noticed. Only now a cold breeze made me shiver, and gratefully I took the coat out of my backpack. It scratched wherever it met bare skin, but at least it kept me warm. I knew that I would be very grateful for the next few days to have this coat on hand.

In the meantime, a fine snow had started to fall from the gray clouds above us and our shoes crunched on the snow-covered rock. Without the beacons that burned at regular intervals, I would not have been able to find a way between the rocks that towered around us.

Narru went unerringly from fire to fire, and she too hat put her coat on for now, as not to freeze in the cold.

Only the Sylvari, although most of her body was uncovered, seemed unaffected by the colder temperatures.

Suddenly Narru stopped and motioned us not to move. Completely noiseless, she reached for her bow and cocked an arrow in, ready to attack at any moment. I didn't understand what was happening, but I was well aware that there was danger around us. It was not until Nahraija drew my attention to a green monster being attacked by a wolf pack that I realized where the danger came from.

The orc-like creature was dressed only in a loincloth, and its back was covered with spines. But the most outrageous thing about it, were the two heads sitting on its neck.

Now I remembered the name of these creatures; it was an Ettin.

Fortunately the Ettin ignored us, since it was too busy flinging the wolves away with its club again and again. But as soon as it had caught a wolf now lying dazed in the snow, the next one had already jumped onto the Ettin to bite into its flesh. Green and red blood mingled in the snow below, but eventually the Ettin went down because of its numerous bites. The wolves, who found its greenish flesh inedible, trudged the other way together, making sure the enemy no longer was a danger for them.

As Narru took down her bow, I audibly let out my breath, only now realizing that I had been holding it for quite a while. I was shaking and sweat stood on my forehead, as I really didn't want to fight such a thing. Thankfully for me, the wolves had finished the job before we had to.

"Come now, let's go. It won't be long until the Ettins will come looking for their comrade", Narru growled faintly and continued marching along the invisible path between the beacons.

Nahraija was silent; as apparently the area here was far too dangerous for light-hearted chatter. Not that it made me feel better in any way.

After what felt like an eternity, Narru left the path and led us higher in the mountains. It was a lot more of a strenuous path, and I slipped on the smooth stones several times while in danger of falling. If it hadn't been for Nahraija's hand grabbing me at the last moment, I likely would have fallen down the mountainscape.

We reached the peak, and from up here we had a very good view of the beacon-lit path we had followed before. It was besieged by Ettins, Dredge and other beings that didn't look particularly friendly. It would have taken ages for us to fight our way through them, if we would have even made it alive.

By now, the sun had completely disappeared behind the mountains and the freezing cold was spreading. Despite the thick mantle I wore, I was shivering. In the increasing darkness, it also became more difficult not to lose the grip under my feet.

But instead of lighting a torch, the Sylvari had a much more intriguing way of getting around with our problem of the darkness. On Nahraija's bark-like skin, more and more white veins appeared, and a white light pulsed brightly. The darker our surroundings got, the brighter she seemed to shine on her own, causing the ground beneath our feet to be shrouded in her pulsing light.

At last we could make out the sparks of a big campfire rising to the sky. There were voices, laughter and sound of colliding beer mugs. After a hard and slippery descent, which I spent more on my butt than on my feet, we stood in front of a group of snow-covered tents and around some of the Norn who made themselves comfortable around the camp.

One of the Norn who saw us approach, spoke with a raised beer mug. "Welcome strangers! My name is Aidan Baersson. How can I help you on this fine evening?" he asked.

The sides of his head had been shaved and his hair had been braided in a thick black braid, reaching almost to his waist. Lavishly tattooed patterns stretched from his forehead to his entire bare torso and then certainly still further down, but thick leather pants blocked the view from the navel down.

Narru introduced us and asked if we could spend at least one night in the camp, since it was late evening already.

"Surely, stay as long as you want! There's enough beer and meat to go around, so go ahead, take it!" Aidan replied with a grin.

Nahraija didn't need to be told twice and without hesitation, she accepted a full beer mug from another Norn and took a huge sip.

Narru hesitated, her eyes searching around the camp. "Say, Aidan… I'm searching for a Norn named Halla Eldarsdottir. Actually, I was expecting her to be here. Where can I find her?"

The eyes of the Norn flashed when he heard the name. Grinning, he tipped down the rest of his beer bug and blurted out a remarkably loud burp. "Halla, well… she left yesterday to hunt a white bear somewhere east of here, because someone said the beast was supposedly sighted there. She'll probably be traveling for the next few days. But you can stay as long until she returns. She won't be out for more than five days I guess, since she's far too addicted to our beer."

He laughed and gave Narru a friendly pat on the shoulder. "And now come, drink with us!"

Narru first glanced at the Sylvari, who was already slightly drunk and was now sitting on a stump of wood between the Norn and laughing loudly over something before she looked back over at me. Keeping her eyes on me, she spoke to Aidan. "Thank you for your hospitality, and I'm sure we'll make use of it at least this evening. But first, my… daughter and I need to take care of something."

I followed Narru slightly confused, and she passed Aidan and the Norn camp to deposit her luggage. I followed her example with my small bag, and we crossed a small creek which I had almost plunged into because of the darkness before we finally came to a stand on a small hill lined with snow-covered fir trees.

"What are we doing here, Narru?" I asked, shivering. I wrapped myself even tighter in the cloak and tried to recognize something in the faint glow of the campfire behind us.

"Your training, have you already forgotten about that?" she answered. We don't have much time, so we shouldn't waste precious hours drinking. Take off your coat."

"What!?" I stared at her, startled and unable to believe what I just heard.

Had she lost her mind in the bitter cold out here?

"You should take it off. It will only be in your way. The movement will keep you warm anyway", she continued.

"But I left my weapon back in the camp, and-"

Narru interrupted me with an impatient gesture. As I reluctantly opened the buckle of my coat and pulled it off my shoulders, I tried to rub myself warm with trembling arms as much as I was able.

Narru began her first lesson. "To win a fight, you'll need more than just a weapon. With weak opponents, it may be enough to just go wild with a hammer or anything, but you won't get far with it. For stronger enemies, you'll be dead after the first blow."

I swallowed. It really was damn cold out here!

"But before I can teach you how to properly use your weapon, it's important to learn how to avoid an opponent's strike. Whenever you have the chance to run away, you should take it before you even think about reaching for your weapon. A life and death struggle should always be the last option if you can choose to stay alive. But if there's no other way out, you need to be able to evade the enemy first, so you can stay alive until you can make the final strike.

With a grin, she stated confidently. "And you'll learn how to do this. Today."

Meanwhile Narru had gotten rid of her coat too, but even though she was just as lightly clothed as I was, she didn't seem to care much about the cold right now.

"It's completely dark out here, and I can't even see the hand in front of my eyes! How am I supposed to avoid you?" I asked. My mood was low – but at least I thought it couldn't get any worse. My bones ached from the long march and I was freezing. Now I was somehow supposed to train in the dark.

"That's the point. In combat, you need more than just your eyes. Rely on your perception, see, feel, hear, smell – all at the same time. Now try to avoid my attacks!"

Even before I had fully realized her words, a rather hard blow landed on my arm. I screamed out in pain and rubbed the throbbing spot, but the next strike came fast, and this time on my shoulder.

"Don't just hang around, avoid my attacks! Focus on all your senses!" Narru yelled out.

As I desperately tried to see more in the dark than just black shadows, several more strikes landed all over my body. Tears streamed down my cheeks and they froze just as soon as they touched the ground at my feet. Anger rose inside of me, mingling with the pain and displeasure that had grown in the last few minutes.

Finally I understood what Narru was trying to tell me all this time.

A faint whirring in the air told me that Narru's fist was coming at me again, and this time I ducked under her blow – with success I noted, because the pain didn't appear. A warm feeling of triumph spread throughout me.

"Good. Very good. Keep it up!"Narru commended.

I was not concentrating on her words anymore, but rather the sound of her shoes in the snow. A branch broke to my left, and I took a quick step to the opposite direction and managed to escape Narru's fist for a second time.

More and more, I managed to block out both the cold and the pain and instead concentrate on the most important things: the shadow behind which Narru was hiding, her footsteps in the snow, and the sound of her breath telling me where she was. Over time, more punches missed their target, and inexplicably, I even sensed where Narru would strike next.

Narru seemed content with the progress I made, as the punches that hit her target became harder and now came in quicker succession so that eventually she did not hold back. She flitted from place to place, beating first left and then suddenly she was on the right.

I felt the change in draft as she changed sides and I responded by deliberately dodging her fist and coming to a stop behind her. But Narru had counted on it and turned around in the blow, so that she now rammed her arm into my stomach with enough force that it made me kneel down and whimper.

"You're not as bad as I initially assumed", she said approvingly before raising her hand for the final punch.

As I saw the shadow rushing towards my head, an unprecedented power awoke within me. It forced me to gather all the strength left inside of me and to not give up so easily. Narru was startled as I roused myself at the very last moment and rolled away under her strike to take advantage of her carelessness. I give her a hard kick in the stomach while rolling, and hurled her on her back rudely with a surprised outcry.

Groaning, I got up and brushed the snow off my shoulders before offering Narru my hand to help her up. My body was sweaty from the effort, and heat had seized me during the training. But now the wind abruptly cooled the sweat on my skin and made me shiver.

Narru took a moment to find her voice, but then she laughed and smacked my shoulder in a kind way. "Not bad. Nowhere near good though, but you're learning fast. Maybe you're not a hopeless case after all!"

We collected our coats and returned back to the Norn camp. It must have been long after midnight, but there was still a lot going on in the camp. The Norn sang and laughed as they emptied beer pitchers, and Nahraija was still sitting among them but by now she seemed to be a little more than just drunk. Between all the muscle-bound, tattooed and half-naked Norn, she made a weird contrast with her delicate, luminous figure. Yet she got along with the Norn as though she were one of them.

Narru led me towards Nahraija and pushed me on the tree trunk. She mumbled a quick, "take care of her" towards the drunk Sylvari.

Then she walked towards Aidan to clarify in which of the tents we would spend the night.

Just as soon as I sat down, the heaviness and exhaustion of the day returned in full-force and it mingled with the pain of the many strikes I had just endured. I knew there were bound to be bruises formed from this training.

Nahraija handed me a pitcher, which contained a steaming liquid rather than beer. "Drink this, it will ease your pain a little bit," she said even before I could ask a question about it.

Skeptically, I sipped at the hot drink but it didn't taste quite as bad as I had been expecting. It was bittersweet, but the sweet touch largely covered the bitterness.

"The latter probably came from willow bark" I thought, as I remembered that it was often used to cure pain of all kinds. In that case, it would actually bring me some relief.

"You're exhausted, you should rest a bit", the Sylvari said, taking the mug once I had emptied it. She pointed towards a small tent that the Norn had cleared for us. I didn't need to be told twice about how tired I felt, and I fell into the tent opening and crawled half-heartedly onto one of the furry sleeping mats.

Gratefully, I snuggled into a blanket of Dolyak fur, and I fell asleep before I could even think about the day's events.

When I woke up, I realized that I had been wrong the morning before. It could still be worse. It was getting worse every morning since I arrived in Tyria, and I was worried about how that would develop over the next few weeks. However, it was easier this morning as I was slowly getting used to waking up with pain riddling my body.

Tired, I opened my eyes and saw Narru shaking my shoulder softly and telling me to leave the tent. I peeled myself out of the warm blanket, saddened to be exposed to the cold northern air again. Next to me, Nahraija was still snoring, and I grinned at the thought of seeing such an elegant creature like a sylvari snoring like that.

She had pulled the blanket up to her chin, but the white veins still glowed in her face which meant it couldn't be that late in the morning. Careful not to wake her, I followed Narru outside. Overnight, some fresh snow had fallen, and it had blurred almost all traces of the night's previous activities. The fire from before was also still burning thanks to some Norn that must have gotten up very early or simply hadn't slept at all.

Pulling the coat tightly around me, I gratefully accepted a pitcher of which the content's was almost certainly hot mead. The Norn also gave me a piece of Dolyak meat for breakfast. But the rest didn't last long, as Narru urged that we had to start training while the day was still fresh.

Snorting, I cast a look into the sky, it's dark blue color illuminated by the first rays of the sun. It would be quite a while before the sun would rise behind the mountains. "How can you get up so early…" I thought tiredly, putting the empty mug on the bench before following Narru to the clearing. I reached for my hammer in passing.

I wasn't sure how to survive this day, because with the sore muscles that plagued me, I couldn't even lift the hammer up over my head properly. But I knew there was no other way, and the sooner I faced up to it, the sooner it would be over.

Again, Narru lined up in front of me and I was quite surprised to see I was allowed to keep my cape on this time around.

"Well, you can run away from your enemies and if in doubt, dodge attacks. But there will be situations where these skills won't help you in any way", she instructed.

She drew a long dagger, because her bow was an unsuitable weapon for a workout of this kind. "Most effective is an attack on areas such as the heart, in the head or in the guts. However, combat-approved enemies know how to protect these places well, and you should know that too."

Narru examined the blade in front of her, twisting it around. "It'll be in your best interest to search for the weakness of your opponent. Everyone has a weakness; you just need to find it in time before they find yours. Weaken your opponent by crippling, bleeding, trying to get rid of his weapon, or knocking their fighting arm out of action. Then, if your opponent – even for a single heartbeat – is defenseless, make a strike."

With her last words, Narru slammed her dagger onto my chest, but reflexively I raised my hammer so that the blade ricocheted off my weapon. Narru nodded, approving of my reaction.

"I'll attack you now. Dodge as well as you can and block my attacks as though dodging is no longer possible. And remember, yesterday I only had my fist. Today, I have a sharp blade and I won't be holding myself back with using it."

I swallowed down the uncomfortable words from Narru, already feeling overwhelmed. I raised my hammer again as a sign that I was ready.

It was around early afternoon when we paused in our training for the first time. Not only had Narru made me block an attack numerous times, but she had also taught me how to disarm my opponent.

When Narru finally gave the signal to take a break, I let my exhausted self fall into the cold snow. The cold blanket was not only covered with dirty footprints, but it was also coated with bits of blood here and there. Several cuts adorned my body and I had ruined my clothes in some places. Fortunately for me, I had thrown off the cloak into the snow early on. At least I still had that intact to keep me warm.

Narru hadn't gotten away unscathed since my hammer had left some traces, and she too was breathing heavily as she joined me in the snow.

"You're quite useful, I have to admit that. Give yourself a short break, I'm sure Nahraija can give you some relief", she commented. Her eyes wandered towards the sylvari, who had joined us some time ago and had been watching our training with much interest. Then she threw her dagger at my feet. "You'll need that for the next step."

The Sylvari got up and joined us in the snow, though she was still without any kind of clothing that had the potential to keep her warm.

"Do you ever feel cold?" I asked her while she took a look at my wounds and stopped the bleeding with some with her healing spells.

Nahraija smiled to herself. "I have a strong attachment to nature, and an even stronger one to the elements, especially to water. Snow and ice don't bother me, they're just another form of the element that I like the most."

That doesn't really answer my question..

I didn't say anything more and let her do her work instead. Every time she put her hands on one of my wounds, a wave of the purest-looking water would seem to flow through me, wash away my pain, and seal the wound. I was fascinated to watch her keep her eyes closed in perfect concentration, while she muttered incomprehensible words to herself.

Now I knew why Narru had taken the Sylvari along with us: as a healer, she had a great benefit for someone who was just learning to fight.

It was already dark by the time Narru finished the training for the day, though it hadn't been quite as late as it had been the day before.

Nahraija had a lot to do again, but less with me and more with my teacher whom I had been attacking with her dagger during the afternoon.

Narru seemed pleased with me; though she didn't say it out loud. But I saw the appreciative glances she gave me whenever I managed to break through her defenses again. And I sensed that I was changing, since my body was covered with spots, cuts and bumps, but the pain was becoming more bearable. I wanted this training, since I didn't want to be stuck in a situation where I was helplessly dependent on others. I didn't want someone to lose their lives because of my incapability to fight - again.

I became stronger and my reflexes faster and more honed. Even if I fell into my bed like a corpse every evening and woke up the next morning with such intense pain that I could barely move, I held out.

Nahraija helped me wherever she could, and she was there for me when I could no longer control myself on the evening of the fourth day. I had burst into tears because of all the tension and feelings that accompanied me from day to day. Nahraija had led me to the source of a little stream, which was a little distance away from the Norn camp.

I had an urgent need to wash myself. Dirt and blood clung to my clothes and my skin, and my hair was matted and greasy. I figured I probably smelled worse than an undead.

It was now that we were standing in front of a small pool, a place where the freshwater in the brook sought its way in through the Shiverpeaks. While Nahraija was heating the water with her elementalist magic, I slipped out of the clothes that I would urgently need to replace upon returning back to Rata Sum. In the same moment that the cold wind hit my bare skin and almost made me freeze, I jumped into the now heated pool and was enveloped by the steam of the vapor from the warm water.

Nahraija soon joined me and began to comb the knots out of my hair with the brush I had brought out of my backpack.

The soothing bath suddenly awoke images of the past deep inside of me. Images of steaming bath tubs, movie evenings on the couch while wrapped in soft blankets with huge bowls of popcorn, and pictures of my family – all that together with the pain in my body. Those as well of the memories of my last few days here in Tyria was too much for me to handle right now. Tears welled up in my eyes and suddenly I was shaken by heavy sobs that I couldn't hold back – and I didn't want to.

Nahraija grabbed me by the shoulders and pulled me into a tight embrace, holding me and humming soothing melodies until I had calmed down a bit.

My family… would I ever see them again? Would I ever be able to live my old life again, or would I have to stay captured inside of an Asura's body until my death? Sure, it was exciting and Tyria was an incredibly fascinating world, but it was not my world. I wanted to go back home, into a life that was not marked by pain and struggle. I didn't want to fight dragons and other monsters; I wanted to watch the newest movies on TV.

But a feeling deep inside of me told me that this would not be possible, and that there wouldn't be a way back for me. I had to come to terms with what I had here, but it wasn't an easy feat.

My breathing had calmed down a bit, but my nose ran uninterrupted and every now and then a small sob escaped my mouth that I couldn't hold back.

Nahraija, realizing that I was beginning to calm down, finally let go of me and turned around in the water so that she could look into my eyes. "Do you want to talk about it?"

I shook my head. How could I talk about what had happened to me with anyone here? Nobody would believe me, except Zojja, and she wasn't here right now. "It's just… too much for me right now."

I sobbed, seized by a sudden hiccup. "I might lust have… lost my bearings right now, and… besides that, it just hurts everywhere", I murmured. My attempts to beat the hiccup by holding in the air made Nahraija laugh.

She went back to unraveling my hair and then rubbing something into it. Judging by its scent, I knew it must have been some sort of soap. I washed the dirt off my body and then brushed it from my clothes, which we would later hang up to dry by the fire.

As soon as my hair was reasonably acceptable again and I finally felt clean for the first time in a week, we got out of the warm pool and Nahraija handed me a piece of cloth to dry myself as best I could. Then I slipped into my shoes and wrapped the coat around my shoulders. By now it was so dark that nobody would notice that there were no clothes underneath the cloak anyway.

And what if.

They're Norn, and they're all too drunk to remember what they've seen tonight into the next morning.

I decided to go to bed right away, so I could be as rested as possible for tomorrow's training.

The next morning surprised me by the fact that I wasn't thrown out of bed by Narru.

Instead, I woke up as the first rays of sunlight lit the tarpaulin above me, and I quickly realized that no one but me was inside this tent anymore. Nahraija's bed next to mine had been neatly rolled up, and outside I heard her laughing with one of the Norn.

The Norn would pack up their camp the next day and return to Hoelbrak, though they had originally wanted to retire much earlier. But Aidan insisted on waiting for the Norn named Halla, who was supposed to have returned from her hunt the day before. Aidan instructed us to make a detour east on our way back, so we could search for her to make sure nothing happened to the woman.

I quickly slipped into my clothes and pushed the tent flap aside to look up at the bright blue sky. For multiple days there hadn't been any new snow, and even the icy wind didn't blow quite as strong today.

Maybe a good sign.

Narru was sitting by the campfire with Aiden, beckoning me over when she became aware of me. "Szallejh, I have something very special planned for today's training. I won't fight you today, but Aidan will."

Her meaningful gaze fell on the Norn sitting next to her, and my stomach tightened in view of the strong muscles covering his arms that were as thick as his head. But because of the many fights I had previously with Narru, I had also become stronger. The soreness of my body was barely noticeable today.

I knew Narru was counting on my newly gained abilities if she was going to let me fight against this Norn.

After breakfast, we went to our small practice area which looked as though there had been a huge battle going on. Since there hadn't been any fresh snow falling onto it, the ground was still strewn with blood, dirt and churned up bits of snow. This time, not only Nahraija but Aidan also followed us. After we crossed the stream, I stripped off my coat and dropped it onto a cleared stone. The cold was biting into my skin, but I knew I would get warm soon enough.

"Today is the last day of our training and I have to admit that you didn't disappoint me", Narru announced. "At first I thought you'd never have the slightest chance of becoming a warrior, but you have shown much potential. And if you keep on track and keep practicing, one day you may even be good at what you're doing."

Thank you very much for these uplifting words, mum.

"And because of this potential, I think you're ready for the next step. You've fought against me enough, so now is the time to get some variety. Aidan is a terrific fighter, and he won't hold back, that's for sure. Good luck."

Narru nodded towards me and then made the way clear for Aidan, who approached me with a huge smile while cracking the joints in his hand. He was at least four times my height, and I had to tilt my head back to face him.

"So, little mouse. Show me what you've got!" Aidan said before laughing and throwing his head backwards. Then he roared deafeningly loud and cramped his entire body.

What I saw created shivers throughout my body, and my ears ached from the roar. But I couldn't believe what I saw as Aidan slowly transformed from the huge Norn into an even bigger bear right in front of my eyes. I stared in astonishment at the furry animal now standing upright in front of me, its teeth bared teeth and extremely sharp claws flexing.

"That's his animal form! Every Norn has one, according to his totem!" Nahraija called out cheerfully as she eagerly waited for the fight.

Aidan – if the thing in front of me could even be called like that – roared again, but this time the last of his humanity had disappeared out of his voice before he charged at me. In a flash, he let himself fall forward and dumped down his claws.

I had no choice but to back down and hold the hammer protectively in front of my face. The bear continued to urge me backwards until I suddenly felt the cold stone of the wall behind my back. Cold panic went through my body.

The vulnerability. Find his weak spot!

I noticed that the bear stood in front of me with his legs apart, and ready to put his claws down for the next strike. While between his legs, there was a huge enough hap that I could easily push myself through thanks to my size. With an outcry, I rolled forward and between the bear's hind legs. I swung my hammer against one of his gigantic, fur-coated thighs.

The bear roared in pain and turned to face me, but I had quickly risen to my feet and backed away from my opponent. My breath was heavy, and the blood throbbed in my ears as I strained to find a way to defeat Aidan.

His claws are sharp, but his back is completely unprotected! That was it, I just had to get him to turn his back on me once more.

For a while I tripped around him, avoiding his attacks as best as I could while trying to get to his backside, but he was too fast and never would let me out of sight.

Instead, he kept pounding on me with his huge paws, showing no sign of fatigue. He caught me a couple of times which was with enough force to leave behind some blood welts on my body.

Finally, I had him far enough that he made a massive punch with both paws, emitting a huge roar. He noticed too little and too late that I was positioned between his legs again. With all the strength that I could bring up, I thrust the hammer onto his back. The bear fell to the ground, and even before he touched the ground, he had returned back to his previous form.

But I had grossly underestimated Aidan because for him, the fight was still far from over.

With a pained look on his face, he turned around and with his muscled arms, hurled me against the rock so hard that the world briefly blacked out in front of my eyes. My weapon dropped from my limp hand while I was panting and spitting, and Aidan lifted me with one hand and pressed me so hard against the rock that I could barely breathe. Fidgeting helplessly, I hung there like a stranded fish, desperately trying to fill my lungs with much needed air as my vision darkened.

"That's enough!" Narru's voice echoed from the stone, and instantly the grip loosened and I rudely plopped down on the floor on my bottom.

Gasping, I rubbed my aching neck, glad for every single breath I could take.

Narru took my hand and pulled me to my feet, and I saw that she was actually smiling.

"That was very good. To recognize the back of the bear as a weak spot… you learn fast", she said. "And hopefully now you've learned that you should never become cocky just because an opponent is on the ground!"

She clapped her hands with finality. "It's nearly noon, I think we're done here. If we still want to search for Halla, it probably would be better if we start today. Otherwise we won't get to Rata Sum in time."

Aidan stretched himself and made a loud growl. "I hope you'll succeed in your search! It doesn't fit Halla to stay away for that long, even when it comes to a white bear. If you find her, please tell her to return to Hoelbrak as soon as possible. I'll wait for her there with the best beer I can find!"

We packed our few belongings and took one last meal together with the norn before our little squad started moving again. I was glad to have come through my training reasonably well, even if I walked away with a few new scars and would need to buy some fresh clothes.

This time we didn't make our way over the peaks, but rather we kept to the east of the signal-bristled path which was besieged here and there by wolves and ettins.

"Who keeps these fires intact when the path is always full of enemies?" I asked Narru after we had crept around a group of Ettins that were taking a deer apart.

"Vigil troops regularly eliminate all the vermin that occupies the streets, and they kindle the fires for the wanderers. But these beasts keep coming back. And the Vigil can't spare enough people to set up proper patrols."

We went farther and farther away from the beacons until we reached the entrance to a ravine where Halla Eldarsdottir had last been seen. Footprints still testified that a group of Norn had run into this ravine, but there were no traces out of it. A queasy feeling spread throughout my body as we entered the gorge.

Narru walked forward with a drawn bow and I with my hammer held tightly. Nahraija remained on standby and was ready to assist us with her spells at any time.

We followed the footprints deeper and deeper into the dark, until suddenly there were clear signs of fighting on the ground. In the midst of the trampled snow, I could see traces of both red and green blood.

Halla's hunting party had seemed to have crossed Ettins while they were searching for the bear. But although a fight had definitely taken place here, there were no corpses to be seen. Only the green traces of sanding marks and the paw prints of a large animal, which had probably found the Ettins to be a quite good fodder for it.

Its tracks disappeared into a cave that was so black I couldn't even see the entrance. I definitely wanted to get out of here, but I knew that as long as there were no corpses, that meant there was still hope we could find Halla in there alive.

The footprints led us deeper in the gorge, and the unwholesome feeling within me became stronger. I had to continually turn around as I felt myself being watched by someone.

Or something.

But I couldn't see anything in the growing darkness, so I continued to stumble along the ground with Narru and Nahraija. My thoughts were broken when she suddenly uttered a strangled cry.

At the same moment, I also recognized the two bodies before us, laying beneath the stone wall in an unhealthy looking pose. They were completely tattered, and the blood in their bodies had frozen a long time ago. Nevertheless, one could still clearly see that these were male Norn, so there was still no trace of Halls Eldarsdottir.

Narru stiffened; she didn't need to say what we all thought. This didn't bode well for Halla's fate.

Now on the run, we followed the trail. But there only were Halla's footprints left, and the ground became more and more drenched in blood the deeper we got. She could never be alive after so much blood loss! And who had done this to them? Had it been the bear they were hunting?

A short time later we got our answer. At the end of the gorge, the two Norn were waiting for us, but they had absolutely nothing in common with the Norn that I had met so far. Their flesh was replaced by a blue glowing ice, and their eyes were just white soulless bulbs. There was no life left inside of them, and they seemed to be controlled by a foreign power, like marionettes.

Behind them stood Halla, or rather what was left of her. Her skin hung in tatters, and where bloody tissue should have been, was instead a layer of thick blue glowing ice forming around the previous muscle. Halla's eyes had already lost all life, and the woman once owning the body had long since died.

I retched at the sight of her, glad I hadn't eaten much that day. I wanted to run away screaming so I could get away from this nightmare creature, and involuntarily I took a step back.

"What are these beings!?" Nahraija shouted out in terror, and even Narru seemed to have never seen such a defaced Norn before. Completely horrified, she stared at the Norn that had probably been her comrade once, anger and disbelief on her face.

"Icebrood… these are the servants of Jormag. And they made Halla one of their own", Narru answered.

My grip on the hammer tightened as the Icebrood norn faced us for the upcoming battle.

"Jormag's influence so far from the Far Shiverpeaks? That's not possible! Halla… oh, they'll pay for what they did to you!" Narru shouted out in anger, sending one arrow after another into the Norn closest to her until he didn't move anymore.

Nahraija's hand had begun to glow red, and she was throwing fireballs at the other norn with her scepter which made him scream out in pain.

His voice was inhumane, and it sounded like breaking ice. But the fire was not enough. As he made himself ready to swing a gigantic, ice-covered greatsword, I intervened and punched him with my hammer, a huge blow to his hands. The action broke his palm into several ice shards, and his weapon fell to the ground uselessly. Another blow to the skull finally brought him to a standstill, and Nahraija could concentrate on covering the rotten Halla with her fireballs.

It was Narru who drove an arrow between the eyes of the Norn and ended her puppet-like existence. She knelt down and put a hand on the Norn's chest. "May the raven accompany you on your journey and cleanse your soul. Nahraija, burn the bodies."

Then she got up and motioned for us to follow her out of the gorge.

Standing at the exit, I could make out something in the dark that looked like a white bear, but the creature was too deterred by Nahraija's flames that it disappeared into the cave before I could take another look at it.

After we had brought a bit of space between us and the gorge, Narru turned to us in an icy voice. "You have to start the way back alone. I'll go to Hoelbrak and tell Aidan about Halla's death. They need to know how far Jormag's claws have already reached, and that Zhaitan is no longer the only great threat that Tyria must face. Go to the United Arcanist's laboratory and wait for me there."

Nahraija nodded, then Narru looked into my eyes and put her hand onto my shoulder. "You deserve to call yourself my daughter. Go now, and avoid the enemies. Follow the path, the signal beacons will guide you well at night. Don't stop until you arrive at the lab. I'll come to you soon."

Narru turned around and ran in the direction of the Norn camp.

Nahraija and I got underway again, but none of us spoke a word. Too cruel was what we had been forced to watch in the gorge, and everyone was too caught in their own thoughts.

Fortunately the road was safe from here on, and as Narru had ordered, we didn't take any more breaks. The pain in my legs was omnipresent, and fatigue became more and more widespread.

But the thought of the lab where not only solid walls stood, but also a decent bed would await me, kept me going on.

Since I didn't know the way, I let Nahraija led me. After the last week, I had great belief in her, and once again, she didn't disappoint me.

The moon was about to dodge the next day's morning sun as we left the dense forest. And a short while later when we were both completely exhausted and tired, we stumbled across the crater-lined beach to the lab.

The very same of which I had fought against a horde of Krait together with the Krewe a week ago.