{All non-player characters and the Guild Wars universe belong to NC Soft and Arena Net. I am simply presenting my own character through the story. Thank you.}

Chapter 13

"Here it is, quickly, hand me the mouthpiece" Rurik ordered as he stood before the great horn. Storm Caller gleamed in the morning light and seemed to hail the sun the way it stood tall as three Dolyaks* standing on top of one another. The carved ivory had the same quality as the horn that Signa carried slung around her neck and was perhaps even more fine and polished. Signa found it hard to imagine what kind of creature the bone was spawned from.

Q reached into the pouch at his side and produced the mouthpiece from its depths. Rurik wasted no time in taking the mouthpiece and attaching it to the horn to make it complete. "Let's hope this works" he said before putting his mouth to the mouthpiece and blowing with all his might. The horn emitted a deep bass sound that made the earth rumble and groan. Signa wrapped her arms around her upon suddenly fearing that her own bones would rattle out of place. After the last sound waves of the mighty instrument disappeared a deafening crack came from above. Dark clouds pregnant with water rolled over the small valley to answer their call. Rurik grinned looking skyward, "And so the fire is extinguished, but the rescue is not finished. As the fires die the charr will be on high alert. We have to get in somehow and retrieve my father and his men from the inner city." The rest nodded and followed Rurik through the pass and down the valley toward the city as rain finally poured as if to herald their arrival.

Carefully Rurik led the team down the blasted landscape toward the city. Upon closer inspection, the company could see a gathering of Charr at the front gate set there most likely to guard against reinforcements.

"Just great, now how do we get in?" Zleeda asked in a whisper as they all crouched behind a large crystal.

Rurik frowned and peered from behind the crystal. He scanned the outer walls until his eyes fell on the western expanse. "There, we can go through Hallwon's Crawl."

"Sir?"

"When I was a boy I would sneak out of the city through a hole in the black smith's wall" Rurik explained.

"It's worth a shot," Q said, "Let's move." Following Q's lead the party carefully sneaked, crystal by crystal, toward the undefended western side of the city.

"It should be around here somewhere," Rurik muttered as he sneaked along the wall, "Aha!" Quickly the prince tore at a couple of dying bushes. A small tunnel was revealed with the width of a large dwarf or a large person.

"Oh you're kidding..." Kalen grunted. Signa observed that his shoulder width was far too wide for this entrance and barely restrained a giggle at the predicament.

"Right..." Q started as he also observed this obstacle, "Alright Kalen why don't you guard this entrance for when we return yeah?"

"My pleasure Q" Kalen replied looking visibly relieved.

Rurik nodded and then faced the tunnel, "Let's keep moving then." The prince wasted no time in crouching down and entering the tunnel. On all fours he lead everyone through the dank tunnel. Signa took up the rear as it took much longer for her to crawl. She had to crawl on her elbows for she was too large to crawl on her hands. After much difficulty the group finally emerged from the dark into a small smith shop. The shop was abandoned and the door left wide open. They could see outside the smoke where the fires used to be and the clear way up and towards the inner city. "The horn did it's work..." Rurik whispered quietly before exiting the shop. The streets lay as abandoned as the shops and homes and it was not hard for move on towards the inner city. Rounding a corner however, the team was presented with a very angry charr shaman and his posse of charr warriors.

"Bonfaz Burntfur.." Rurik growled with his eyes glaring holes in the Charr's back.

"Rurik that's no piece of cake we're looking at-" Q started.

"DIE SCUM!" Rurik shouted springing from their hiding place toward the group of confused and aggravated Charr.

"RURIK!" Q shouted after him, drawing an arrow just in time to shoot down a Charr archer before it could take a shot at the crazed prince.

Chaos ensued as Zleeda had to emerge to fight off three Charr warriors who had been manning a large siege hammer and Signa who had to negate Burntfur's fiery spells. Rurik was beyond reason and began hacking and slashing at the shaman with reckless abandon. Somehow they beat down each charr, including Burntfur, without any casualties except for a nasty black eye on Rurik. Signa breathed hard leaning against the gate and nodded to her friends glad to see they were alright, "So the bad guys are dead and the inner city is safe. How do we let them know we're the good guys?"

Rurik slowly sheathed his sword and turned to her, "Hand me your horn."

Signa handed it over without question wondering what he planned on doing. Rurik put his lips to the mouthpiece and began blowing several notes in quick succession followed by one long blast. The horn was not very loud, but it was loud enough to have been heard by the king's men. The gates slowly creaked inward granting the tired group access.

"Father!" Rurik shouted running toward the king and his royal guard. They had been standing in the center of the courtyard to await the final battle. With a look of surprise Adelbern looked upon his son and sheathed his sword.

"My son! What are you doing here Rurik you are supposed to be guarding Ascalon."

"I came to retrieve you father. Rin is lost and the people need their king! Come we must retreat to Ascalon immediately and talk about evacuation-"

"Evacuation? Ascalonians? Where do you expect us to go Rurik this is outrageous!" The king shouted.

"Father we can't stay here any longer. It will be the death of our people. We must evacuate to Kryta-"

"THE KRYTANS?! YOU ARE ASKING ME TO HAVE OUR PEOPLE TURN THEIR TAIL AND GO WHIMPERING TO THOSE FOOLS?!"

"Father, you must quit this grudge of yours!"

"OVER MY DEAD BODY!"

"Father..."

"Listen here boy, we are Ascalonians and Ascalonians do not surrender themselves to any damned Krytan! We will stay here and fight to the last do you understand?!"

Signa looked between the quarreling son and father and grit her teeth forcing herself to remain quiet. This was Rurik's business, not hers.

Rurik looked absolutely shocked. Hurt and incredulousness stood out in his eyes before being replaced with pride and determination. "No father. I won't let you bring your people down with your broken pride. I will be leading the evacuation upon the next week. It will be your choice to follow reason and join us."

"Traitor!" the mad king shouted, "Unbelievable! You would directly disobey your father?! Well you are my son no longer! Begone!"

"Very well. Come my friends.. we have a long journey ahead of us."

Q slowly nodded glaring at the old king, "Yes sir." Zleeda and Signa quickly agreed and followed Rurik out of the courtyard and down back towards their exit.

"If the man wants to die for nothing, let him. I won't stand and watch our people suffer any longer. We move on to Kryta, to a new life."

{Dolyak are a large bovine creature that resemble very large, shaggy, yak. They have huge curved horns and are herded and also used as transportation whether to be ridden on or to carry supplies. One famous Dolyak is the Dolyak of Nicholas the Traveler, named "Professor Yakkington."}

{Thank you for reading this series and please review/comment/message me with your feedback or just to say hi! Have a magical day!}