{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 4
"Prohibited? What in the world do you mean prohibited?!" exclaimed a tall man in pompous white robes.
Signa tried very hard not to laugh at the man. Even at this man's height she still had to bend her head down to gain eye contact. Sorely she wished that he would take off his ridiculous white, pointy hat. "You see sir…" she started slowly, "The king wishes that no outsiders be allowed within the city" Signa winced at the look of the man's face. His big mouth turned down in an indescribably comical scowl. "Now, now no need to be upset sir," Signa said quickly, "The prince himself is thoroughly sorry for this harsh ruling and has made that the most comfortable of camps should be set up for you outside of the city. You will be safe from all harm believe me."
"I should certainly hope so! Kryta does not take so kindly to proud fools!" the ambassador shouted, "You'd better tell your superior that it is only out of my insurmountable generosity that I do not leave this instant. I'd also better have the best private guard at his disposal!"
"And you have her," responded a voice coming from behind a tent, "Ariana Stormbringer at your service. I am the Head elementalist of the king's army."
Signa looked up quickly, "Ariana…" Signa could hardly believe her eyes. It had been nearly two years since she had joined Rurik and the people of Ascalon and not once had she ever seen her old mentor. Signa had long thought her dead like all the loved ones of her past.
Ariana smiled at her old student and patted her on the shoulder, "It's a pleasure to see you my dear, Tydus sent me here to guard his annoyingness. You're dismissed back to the city to await further orders. The others are also being called back to the city; I sense a great mission is being assigned to you all. Good luck."
Signa nodded at a loss for words. Quickly she gave her mentor a hug and then ran off towards the city. Once she entered the city she relaxed and headed for her tent. If the others were indeed being called here before this "great mission" was being assigned then she had some time to repair armor and get rest.
Kalen slowly peered from behind his cover. After having spent three days in the Diessa Lowlands he had finally made it to the flame temple. The soldiers at the Grendich Courthouse had been right to warn him away from this place. As he looked from his hiding place Kalen could see that the whole temple grounds were just crawling with Charr. There had to be at least five dozen of the beasts marching through the ruins.
When the prince himself had approached Kalen with this mission Kalen had been doubtful. Now Kalen knew there was no hope for the individual he was seeking. Still he owed it to the prince to bring back something.
Kalen sat for a moment to ponder how he would continue. From what he had seen the grounds had been turned into a Charr fortress of sorts. There had to be some executive calling the shots in the place. Kalen looked again and saw that, as he suspected, on the center platform there was a large gray charr carrying a staff and headdress. He would be Kalen's target. Kalen could at least bring back the headdress to the prince as a token of a mission followed through.
To Kalen's right a path forked down towards the temple. A few yards ahead he could see it split to either side of the grounds. He saw that the left path fell under the shadows of an overhanging cliff. Perhaps he could take that path and hide under the cover of the overhang. Satisfied with this plan he slowly creeped from behind his hiding spot and hugged the wall of the overhang.
Hidden in the shadows, he could now see that guarding one vantage point of the grounds stood a couple of younger charr. They did not look as alert as some of the older Charr and Kalen fancied they were almost just cubs. Stopping in the shadows for a moment to think, Kalen pitied these two cubs, thrust into a war they did not understand; yet, as he thought this, Kalen wondered if the Charr were not like the hatching devourer who erupted from their eggs and attacked with as much ferocity as their parents. Perhaps they were more like humans then humans thought.
Quickly Kalen shook such thoughts from his head. He had a job to do; his brooding would have to wait. Kalen picked up a good sized rock. He would draw the cubs to him and kill them in the dark noiselessly. The rock was tossed, Kalen's aim was true. It landed just between the confused charr. Just as planned they began to approach the cliff face, axes held before them. As soon as they got close enough Kalen was upon them. Kalen cut them down with his broadsword before they could utter even the faintest growl. Quickly Kalen donned one of their helmets and dragged one of the bodies just out of the shadows to be spotted. Knowing he had little time he sprinted from the shadows and into the grounds. He used broken pillars as cover and stuck to the shadows.
It was not long before Kalen was climbing up the back side of the central platform. Very, very quietly he looked over the edge. In front of him, the Charr executive stood looking out on the grounds. Right on time a charr warrior approached the executive and quickly reported the sighting of a dead body bordering on the grounds. The warriors about him growled and shuffled about nervously. The executive merely rolled his eyes and shouted a couple orders. Soon the guards were off towards the cliff. Now was Kalen's chance. Swiftly, Kalen pulled himself up onto the platform drawing his sword. The charr turned around far too late and found the blade's keen point stabbed through his chest. Kalen grinned, success. Nonchalantly he let the charr fall from his blade and bent to pick up his headdress. As he bent something flashed in the corner of his eye. Quietly, Kalen kneeled to investigate. A few feet away lay a few old bones and among them a necklace. It was a feather necklace. Placed in the center of several gorgeous beads hung a single, white moa feather. Keeping the feather in place was a medallion carrying the seal of the prince. This was no mere trinket; this was the Lady Alesia's necklace. Kalen reached out to touch it, but no sooner had his finger brushed against the soft feather a powerful wind blew him back. The Carpathian warrior looked up in awe as the spirit of a beautiful noblewoman rose up before him.
"Who would dare encroach upon my misery? Is that you my beloved?" spoke the woman. Her voice was beyond beautiful, but it was also tainted and Kalen shuddered upon hearing the screams of the dead behind her words.
"I am not your beloved," Kalen answered hurriedly, "Nor am I your enemy. I was sent here by Prince Rurik in search of the Lady Alesia."
"Rurik, then you are one of his soldiers," whispered the woman. A profound grief could be felt behind the woman's gaze as she continued, "I am the Lady Alesia. This holy place was attacked by an army of beasts and has fallen to dark taking me with it. In life I was Rurik's lover and I'm afraid I have now left him behind in death. Please if there is indeed good in your heart tell him of my plight and that I love him. Also take this necklace of mine, a pendant that he gifted to me years ago, and give it to him so that he might remember me by it."
"I will do as you ask my lady," Kalen responded gravely, "Your fate shall be heard." Solemnly the ghost nodded in satisfaction and with the sound of a thousand pained sighs, disappeared. Kalen grabbed the pendant and gently put it in his pocket. He did not know how many minutes had passed on that encounter but he did not have much time to make his escape. He climbed down the side of the platform and sprinted out of the grounds and was gone.
"Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! Look at 'em all Q! There must be 20 or 30 of 'em!" Zelda whispered, hardly able to contain her excitement.
"Indeed," Q replied more calmly, "Grawl never travel alone. They're too dumb and weak to function; their fur is not nearly as thick as their charr cousins'; and their most powerful ritual is but a child's cantrip to us. Still we should approach with caution. I suggest you stay behind the cover of those rocks and let me draw them to—" Q looked to his left to find his comrade missing, "Or not."
"BANZAI!" roared Zleeda as she charged into the camp sword held high. She flew into the center of the camp and engaged in combat with a spear wielder. In a few strokes the grawl lay dead and Zleeda pounced upon her next victim. He too, soon died. "TWO!" Zleeda shouted, gleefully counting the bodies she laid on the ground, "FIVE! WHO'S NEXT!" she soon screamed and turned to find nobody. The camp was dead silent. Zleeda frowned in disappointment. "Did they run?" she asked herself squinting in the dark. She made out the shapes the remainder of the camp lying dead not too far away.
Q appeared out of the dark carrying dozens of bloodied arrows. "That's the last of them" he announced slyly.
"YOU—YOU!" Zelda yelled exasperatedly.
Q just shrugged with a smile and looked up. The smile fell from his face as he spotted an eagle approaching them rapidly. Q held out his arm and the eagle was soon perched upon it. "A message from Tydus," Q stated, "We are to return immediately. We have a mission to complete."
"Oh brilliant! Maybe I'll actually get a kill in! You spoil all the fun." Zleeda complained.
"Right, right let's just get moving. We don't want to be late" Q chided.
"Whatever…" Zleeda muttered.
Signa looked out from the tent and saw her friend approach. Kalen was walking away from Prince Rurik. He carried a stony façade on his face and behind him Signa could see a look of absolute despair in the prince's eyes. "What's going on…" she started to ask.
"It is not my business to say" was Kalen's only reply. Only hours after Kalen's arrival came Zleeda and Q, both looking quite serious. They entered the tent and Signa absent-mindedly chatted with Zleeda over matters such as how to attack a camp of grawl and whatnot. Their conversation was interrupted as Warmaster Tydus lifted the tent flap open and entered.
"My friends," he started, "I'm glad you all could make it. I have a very important mission for you. Captain Calhaam sent word of trouble brewing beyond the borders of the north. He suspects something grave is about to happen. He needs you four to head for the Great Northern Wall and beyond to see what's up. You leave tomorrow at dawn. Get your rest, you'll need it." With a curt nod Tydus left them to themselves.
"The Great Northern Wall?" Signa wondered aloud.
"It's a wondrous structure," Zleeda stated with a smile, "Never been breached in all the years it has stood. Not once."
"This draws attention to the fact that whatever Calhaam is suspecting must be big. We will have to be careful" Q glared at Zleeda as he said this.
"Right, speculating now, however, is a waste of time," Kalen yawned, "Come let us get our rest. I'm sure we're all weary. Come tomorrow we make for the Great Northern Wall."
{Thanks for reading my story and stay tuned for more on the adventures of Signa!}