3
Perched atop the cliff overlooking the rest of the jungle below, Nivrin scanned the area for anything out of the ordinary. There was nothing but the wild plant life one would expect to see in Maguuma.
Countless varied trees distributed randomly, shrubs and bush was covering the ground in all directions, and vines covered extensive ground and in all directions, in some areas making sheets across trees. Some jungle creatures could be seen, but most were the smaller, nonlethal ones. The large group of Tyria Vanguard had already run into spiders, plants that try to eat humans with their poisonous spores and barbed stems, and diverse obstacles only a jungle could offer.
"Nothing," Nivrin mumbled while sighing. He looked back out of habit.
Every now and then, he peered back at Shathalia and Nikcoli, like the way Skarr eyed Bane, unsure of their true intentions. They were way out here after all. The new guildmates obviously had some sort of dedication, being out in the middle of nowhere and in a jungle no less.
"I believe this is the farthest west I've ever been," Dalvyr noted looking to his right. He didn't recognize the landscape at all. Many shades of green, seemingly all the hues of it, coated the jungle forest with browns accompanied by yellows, reds and even orange; blue was here and there from some of the more exotic plants.
"Same here Dal. And I used to live not too far east of here in Rata Sum," Grebb added seeing the downward slope of the jungle leading to the Wastes. "I bet my brother would have loved this."
"You have a brother Grebb?" Aerion asked blowing some shrubbery out of his walking path.
"I did. He was a Bioengineer. Bioengineer Dwibb. Loved plants and created all kinds of extraordinary devices to only excel his work. I have some of his belongings since his krewe has long since moved on without him."
"Oh. I'm sorry," Aerion said not realizing his brother was deceased.
"It's fine. I didn't know him all that well. I was young when he made his first breakthroughs. He was always exploring and in search of things, so I only saw him every once in a while. He al-"
"Ok, where are we supposed to be going?" Arrik said interrupting Grebb's reminiscent chat. Arrik too had fond memories of the annoying Asura, though Grebb didn't know it.
"Yeah, what are we doing out this far anyways?" William asked looking up from his map.
"Good question William. Smartest thing you've asked all day," Skarr spoke poking fun at the human.
"So, asking if Charr cover their excrement like housecats wasn't a good question?" William joked back. Skarr huffed, his playfulness from being bored now tinged with annoyance. He continued his conversation with Nivrin before Skarr could retort, "Niv, north is the old spot where the Ventari had that refuge or something. Further north than that are the Wastes, which no one goes. And for good reason. And if we keep going this way, we'll run into the Falls."
"Hey, little point of interest marked on this map. There's a Temple of Balthazar too past the falls," Calla added somewhat interested overlooking the map William held. Her beliefs coexisted with Balthazar's teachings.
"We're looking for anything out of the ordinary," Nivrin responded to William's first question.
"Out of ordinary? In a jungle?" Bane asked wondering. He wasn't too fond of jungles, given his elemental prowess. Bane was worried the leaves brushing against as he strode past would ignite at any moment.
"Bane is onto something here. Nothing really goes on out here. Too dense and full of critters and jungle-stuff," added Revvo while holding his rifle. He wanted to shoot something and the tree tops looked like good targets. Revvo refrained however.
"Not necessarily," Aerion said looking around, "Plenty of area out here. Never know what mysteries are out here."
Nivrin looked to Aerion and then to the rest. "According to Vekklo and the intelligence, some of the villages around here tell of unsettling events going on out here." Nivrin turned back to the lush jungle. He could see past some of the jungle to where the dried out, arid parts had lost their growth, the start of the wastes towards the right. He sighed, one of relief and adventure, because he wanted to explore. He was an explorer beneath the title and designation.
"Like what?" Amerial asked, concerned for the fellow tree cousins in the forest.
"Loud screeching noises. Bright purple, green and blue lights at night from areas that's usually inaccessible, things walking around in the jungle that crush foliage and even topple trees, and even the earth beneath their homes and feet shaking," Nivrin didn't move his head, staring out as he told the information still wishing he could go out past the jungle to the arid wastes.
"Sounds oddly familiar," Grebb said under his breath.
"That doesn't sound like anything out of the ordinary," Sworn chimed in being behind the rest, "Sounds like a crazy hermit Asura working on golems." Grebb looked up at Sworn at the comment. Although Grebb agreed, he felt like Sworn jaded him with that remark.
Nivrin popped up and turned to the ash legion charr, "You know… you may have a point there." Nivrin chuckled and shook his head. The idea more than plausible.
"Hmm. Charr, you are right. It does sound like the workings of a crazy golemancer," Aerion verbally toyed looking to Grebb after his mention. Grebb shot Aerion a glance of disapproval.
Revvo nodded. "Could be Inquest too though if that's the case."
"True," Grebb offered with a hand on his chin thinking while trying to forget Aerion's comment.
"Well, regardless of what it is," Nivrin started now looking to the rest of the Vanguard, "we were called out here to check it out. I found it different from what we were used to doing."
"Like fighting the dragons through the Pact and taking care of small threats before they become big threats?" William noted.
"Yes, like those William," Nivrin said with a smile. William nodded with a smug look.
"I prefer a good fight," Skarr said with Kadra huffing agreeing.
"We haven't had a guild event in a while Nivrin," Dalvyr hinted from a sitting position beside the cliff while petting Thorn, his fern hound.
"We have not. You're right Dalvyr. We could use this opportunity as a guild event. We might as well see what's going on out here," Nivrin chuckled a moment and realized he could veil the mission under an 'event' to settle the lack of proper guild enthusiasm among the other members elsewhere in the world and not currently in the jungle with Nivrin. He looked back to the rest, seeing almost all fifteen sets of eyes, "Besides, Zhaitan's been defeated for some time now, the Dredge and Flame Legion are just trying to find something to do with their inner rage at the ones more powerful than them, and that leaves us with nothing to protect currently." Nivrin grinned. He realized this new mission probably was just an Asura golemancer testing out golems, be it Inquest or one from Rata Sum. It was either one Asura or one and his krewe. Would be simple to complete. Nivrin chuckled at the great idea.
"Until another dragon arises." Skarr said bluntly only wanting to use his greatsword on something.
"True Skarr," Aerion said while playing with some dirt and leaves he grabbed earlier. He whipped it about and coursed it through the air with his winds.
"Well, until then, we will find the root cause of this issue. Also, I want to see how the recruits handle our affairs. See their worth." Nivrin said now eyeing the recruits with a half smile. This would be perfect. Kill many birds with one stone, so to speak.
"If it is an Asura working way out here, it must be either Inquest or a golemancer using illegal operations to make them."
Nivrin ignored Grebb's comment, as it was already obvious. "Let's move out then. We will go to Nagaara Village where Vekklo, my contact, lives."
"Niv," William started shaking his head as they all began to move.
"Yes?" Nivrin said leaping off the cliff onto a smaller area of land looked to be used as a walkway. There wasn't much distance, so the jump wasn't lethal or hurtful in anyway.
"How on Tyria do you even know anyone at all way out here?" William too leapt, followed by the rest as they made their way deeper into the forest.
"I am in the Order of Whispers, do you not remember this William?" Nivrin grinned while moving on.
William shook his head, "Right, right. Let's just go,"
The entire group waltzed into the jungle. There were fifteen total from the Vanguard in the jungle. They were more than formidable for jungle enemies or obstacles with their numbers. There were the officers: Nivrin, Skarr, Dalvyr, William, Grebb and Amerial, And then there was everyone else: Hrafn, Revvo, Calla, Bane, Sworn, Kadra, Nikcoli, Shathalia and three others who just decided to tag along since they represented the Vanguard on the day the party set out on the mission. Sharki, the Asura Mesmer, Vaskar from Blight, the Guardian, and Vaugys the Sylvari Necromancer. There were no qualms with any of them, save the feelings of Arrik towards Shathalia, Nivrin towards both Shathalia and Nikcoli, and Skarr watching Bane. Other than that, they were just a nice big group of guild mates walking in a jungle.
The many made their way through the jungle not finding much along the way. That is until they reached closer to Nagaara Village.
"This isn't normally in jungles…" Grebb said seeing an odd strip of land mass with no trees, just many mounds of dirt. The trees from the circle were more spread out and not as thickly grown together. There were even a couple different paths leading from the circle to other areas in the jungle.
"I'm not in a jungle that often to know," Skarr mumbled looking the clearing of mounds over more.
The circular clearing, about twenty yards in diameter, just had mounds of dirt piled low and high. Some mounds reached the hips of the Asura present, while the bigger clumps in the middle stood a few inches higher than the Norn in the party.
"This doesn't look right…" Nivrin said looking at the rounded mass of dirt clumps. He noticed the odd tree in the center and thought about making his way to it, unsure whether or not to try because of the mysteries could be hidden under these mounds of dirt.
"It looks like a graveyard or something," Calla mentioned aloud wondering what it could be. Nivrin stopped his foot from going further at her comment.
"Let's check," Nikcoli said approaching the edge of the circle. She raised a hand as crimson and black energies began to course up her arm. Wisps of unholy green formed around her being as some of the mounds began to rumble and shake in some areas randomly. "There are definitely bodies under all them. They feel fresh too."
Nivrin gasped and looked to Grebb in an instant.
"What? I didn't do anything" Grebb retorted noticing Niv's movement.
"No, can you flatten all this? Make it easier to look through?" Nivrin ignored Grebb's comment.
"Oh. Um, sure I suppose," Grebb looked back to Aerion and then to Bane, "A little help would be great."
"Earth? I am no Geomancer, Grebb. That's all you. I can blow the dirt away if you want," Aerion said causing a small twister to appear on one of the mounds.
"I can help, but I don't know much about the earth magics," Bane answered. Walking up to Grebb. Skarr watched him the whole way.
"Just some help guys. Anything would be good." Grebb made his way to the edge of the circular area and told Aerion and Bane to spread out.
The three elementalists spread out some partially around the clearing. Grebb began to concentrate.
Chunks of rock began to lift from their spots on the ground around Grebb, orbiting around him randomly as the earth shook slightly in the vicinity of the clearing. Wind picked up and funneled into the clearing flowing upward, blowing the top layers of dirt and grass into the air and away from everyone. Bane picked up chucks of dirt with his elemental finesse and tossed them behind him.
"What is that?" Nivrin finally asked aloud seeing if anyone else saw the thing in the center of the clearing he had been eyeing. Now more visible, it looked like a small tree, but protruded through the ground in a manner not resembling a growing life form.
"I don't know. Looks like a banner-less banner," spoke the Charr warrior back to Nivrin.
"Grebb, Bane, Aer, cool it a second," Nivrin commanded walking up one of the mounds. Skarr, Arrik, Dalvyr and Calla followed him out of instinct.
Grebb stopped and watched Nivrin. Bane too stopped and shivered slightly. A cool breeze began to erupt through the area, causing many to shiver or to get goose bumps. The ones used to Aerion's tomfoolery shot him a sharp glance, despite it feeling good in the Maguuma heat.
"What? I'm bored," Aerion commented. He grinned, "He said to cool it."
"This… this was my contact…" Nivrin said now breaking branches and pulling leaves away from the display. After taking much of the overgrowth away, it was clear this was an effigy made from the remains of the Asura contact Nivrin spoke with days before. He looked it over in disbelief.
The Asura's head impaled through by the pole while his arms were strung up, held by vines above his head. His Order of Whispers uniform was wrapped around him with the hood of it forced into his hands.
"Vakklo…" Nivrin said shaking his head. Nivrin latched onto the crest of the Order and snatched it off the uniform.
"Was this the village?" William asked now putting the pieces together.
The fifteen Tyria Vanguard stood in their spots looking at the clearing in a new light.
"It's as if it rained dirt on the village…" Kadra said realizing what she was looking at.
Nivrin leapt off the mound he stood and headed off the clearing glancing at Grebb. Grebb, enthralled at such actions because this was his element that took the many lives of the villagers, began to focus again. The soil and dirt began to recede from the remains, flowing outward past the rest, causing the many present to raise their arms up to cover their eyes, mouths, and anything else needed to cover. Aerion helped blow it away from them, making clouds of dust and dirt behind them in the jungle.
Before long, Grebb whittled away the soil, revealing the remnants of Nagaara village. Small buildings made of wood and hide with other wooden constructs were completely broken and full of debris. Pottery, spoiled food, or bodies, were all coming together making up the entirety of each mound. It looked as though the village was buried alive with no remorse or ways to escape, simply buried, forgotten, and left for new jungle to grow over it.
"What caused this?" Dalvyr asked.
"A powerful Elementalist or Geomancer could do this, but this is a wide area. It would have to be very powerful." Grebb added looking over the remains in horror.
"It also looked like Vekklo was tied and pushed through the dirt from underneath it…," Nivrin stated thinking back at what he noticed prior to the dirt removal. "This is impossible,"
"Unless it were destroyers, they can burrow," offered Sharki, speaking for the first time today.
"No, they'd all be burned first before covered. They are of fire, not of earth," Bane corrected.
A cough mixed with a type of sneeze interrupted everyone's thought process. It didn't come from any of the Tyrian Vanguard.
Everyone looked to barely make out a Norn-sized humanoid rubbing his nose just as an enormous one walloped Vaugys, backhanding him far and partially into a tree some feet away. It roared at them as the rest of the smaller jungle trolls began charging at the Vanguard.
"For Great Justice!" Calla roared as everyone armed themselves, ready for the battle.
The big jungle troll stood up and grasped a smaller tree nearby, snapping it from its roots, and swung it towards the group, purposely missing, but breaking other trees in the way and getting rid of much of the leaves that grow on it. The scattering leaves caused a type of blurred vision for the Vanguard. The champion jungle troll placed the tip of the tree against the ground, leaned a foot into the top of its new weapon and snapped it off, now making for one big tree club.
The first line of jungle trolls met their end from Amerial and Dalvyr's arrows, Kadra's and Revvo's bullets, and magics of Bane, Hrafn, Nikcoli and Shathalia, and Sharkie. The rest charged at the jungle trolls. Another small wave of trolls was repelled back into the jungle a few yards by Aerion's winds.
"Stay in groups!" Nivrin commanded leaping over two jungle trolls in a circular, spinning fashion, slicing away at them causing them to bleed their sap-like blood. Nivrin landed, pivoted and leapt back over them as they turned around to attack him. As he landed once more, Niv watched the troll attacking him on the right fall from its many slices and begin to quarrel with the last one still bleeding.
Dalvyr took down as many as he could with his arrows, however once some trolls arrived at melee range, he switched to his plant-made greatsword and slashed away at a couple attackers as his fern wolf too attacked his targets. Amerial stayed at range with the other casters and shooters, picking off easy targets while firing at whatever her drake and fern wolf attacked.
Another troll came up to Grebb, ready to pound him into the ground as the ground itself jutted forward, causing the troll to fall off balance. Within a second of falling, a massive rock slammed into its head. Grebb dodged backward, ready for another. He began picking up earth from beneath him, molding it into sharp, jagged edges and flung them towards the attackers.
Calla hacked off limbs of some trolls in her path as Skarr did the same, only cleaving fully through other trolls, their plant-like bodies no match for strength and blades.
William blocked four trolls heading right at him with a blue wave of force. The trolls attacked the field and watched nothing happen, save a slice from William's sword. Arrik leapt up high and came crashing down with his hammer, crushing a troll from the shoulder, which now due the hammer, was deep into its lower chest. Vasker from Blight raised his staff into the air, letting sun seep into the staff head from behind William's protection and after some time, slammed it into the ground, erupting holy flame on the ground. The flames seared into the jungle trolls lower halves, burning and scorching them, yet leaving the jungle itself and the plant life under the blue flames untouched by some means.
Kadra bashed a troll in the head with her shield, giving some distance, and then fired right into its temple, leaving the troll to the ground. Revvo had thrown out turrets upon seeing the enemies and was firing away with his Asura-made pistols right along with them.
Nikcoli spread plagues to the trolls around her and watched as their flesh became eaten away, dropping before even reaching the necromancer. With a grin, she rested her scepter and waited for more to spot her. Shathalia rose her hand to the sky as a shroud of blackness coated her hands. Within seconds, shades took form from the surrounding shadows and began attacking her enemies. After summoning them, Shathalia jumped right into the fray with them, slicing away with her daggers.
"What are they?"William asked as he pierced another troll through the chest.
"They appear to be Sylvari cousins, only built more like ogre's than frail humans!" Skarr roared cleaving into another jungle troll.
"They are a type of jungle troll, but of what kind," Nivrin started before dodging another troll's attack. He slid to the right and threw a blade right into its head, leaving it running to Nivrin, but only dropping humorously as brain function ceased. "It looks like a different kind of jungle troll. Some new form."
The champion troll roared seeing the majority of its small army defeated so easily. It began slamming the ground with its tree log club out of anger. It stopped and bulked up some, preparing to run in. Before doing so however, it put its free hand to the ground. Seconds after doing so, earth and soil began to surge from the ground up into the troll, even beneath its skin. The action caused the rocks, earth, and some plant-life to buff up the trolls skin, acting now only as armor. After it was finished, it appeared to be more of an elemental rather than a troll and even adorned a new mouth, mimicking something from a dragons mouth, except viney and full of sharpened rocks Grebb had jutted into it.
"What did that thing just do?" Aerion said while zapping one of the remaining trolls with a lightning bolt.
"Got stronger…" Amerial added now switching targets to the champion jungle troll.
Half of the Tyrian Vanguard now switched to the champion jungle troll, watching it soak in attacks effortlessly while slowly making its way to them. It heaved up the club and came down upon Arrik and Skarr, who were in melee range. They dodged out of the way, and retaliated with their ranged weaponry instead, realizing being close to the this troll-elemental was a bad omen.
"Uh, what now?" Aerion asked still slicing wind at the giant troll and zapping it with flashes of electricity.
"Find it's weakness of course," Dalvyr said aiming where his instincts lead him.
"I was just going to say that…" Amerial added too aiming at the champions forehead.
The two fired, but found only Amerial's arrow launched. It was a direct hit, but merely briefly blinded the massive being. Dalvyr's arrow fell before him due to his bow being attacked, but not by any troll.
"By the Mother Tree.." Dalvyr said watching as a shadowy being broke his bow. It lunged out at him, but stopped and looked him over, as if thinking perhaps he wasn't worthy of attacking. Dalvyr didn't hesitate to question why and swung around his greatsword, slashing at it.
Seeing this, Nivrin became angered knowing he was right. His head whipped around, "SHATHALIA!" he roared, but as he aligned to her location, he saw her having trouble fighting two trolls. One had her pinned as she fought back. The other troll was recovering from one of her attacks. Nivrin didn't know what to think, but felt the urge to act.
Niv withdrew his short bow and fired at the recovering troll while running towards her. It looked to Nivrin and roared, but a few more arrows found its way into its mouth followed by a few more in its head thanks to Amerial.
"What's going on?" Skarr asked, though all the Tyrian Vanguard present wondered the same. The shade-beings attacked both trolls and Vanguard alike and evidently weren't controlled by Shathalia.
"I-I don't know…" Nivrin said stumped. His guard was let down while trying to figure out what was going on as a jungle troll looked ready to decapitate him without his notice.
Shathalia leapt from her position and clashed with the jungle troll. She used her legs and arm to maneuver around him, without touching the ground and sat atop its shoulders while stabbing furiously into its head until it fell with her. Nivrin turned and realized this couldn't be from Shathalia.
"Uh, thanks." Nivrin was at a loss for words and understanding.
"No problem Mr. Guild Leader," she responded with a nod. She ran into the fray where some were fighting the shades and even began fighting the shadows along with her guildmates.
"Shathalia!" Nivrin shouted.
She managed to ward off the shade she was quarrelling with at Niv's beckon and watched as it wavered in stance from her dismayed attack. "What?" she asked weary of her enemy.
"They aren't yours?" Nivrin asked watching Aerion, Grebb, Vaskar, and Calla fight off shadows.
"They are not. They look more," Shathalia paused looking at the one she dazed. She ran waltzed in at it, grabbing it with her hand at its throat, and spurt out another spell. It froze where it stood and looked completely still. She turned it slightly here and there, as if looking over a piece of plywood, except in black humanoid form. "They look more humanoid, just lacking a material form." She dropped it to the ground, where it dispersed into nothingness.
Arrik watched the entire thing and realized what was going on from his experience in the past. He ran to Nivrin and pulled him aside.
"Niv. Watch them over there…" Arrik hushed out pointing to one of these new shadows fighting with a troll. The troll was more than weary from battle with the Vanguard, lumbering just to attack, but the shade eventually killed the troll. After, it leaned over the troll that lain slain.
"Right here. Watch," Arrik repeated while watching. Sworn and Aerion were close, so they too watched.
The shadow being began to draw from the troll's corpse. Little by little the body of the troll became a lighter color, almost white as the shadow being began to look more and more human. As it drew the last of the essence it drew, the shadow looked more Sylvari than anything thanks to the jungle trolls plant-like makeup. The new shaded being stood and stretched, as if finally alive while the troll corpse lacked any pigment.
"See," Arrik said resting his hammer on his shoulder. Nivrin looked all too concerned.
"Vanguardians! Fall back some! Leave the champion to the shadows!" Nivrin commanded watching his comrades follow his orders. The few trolls and shades that were following them were easily taken care of. The Tyria Vanguard group now stood some feet away. They gathered in a group of fourteen before waiting Nivrin's orders.
Nivrin threw out his hand as the group became swathed in a cloaking field. "Now we wait," he said looking over to Sworn, "After my veil is down, throw one up, would you?"
"What?" Sworn asked wondering what he meant. Not all thieves and people share the same abilities as one another despite the same title.
"I got it," Hrafn said ready to throw up illusions.
The group waited and watched as shadows fought with the troll. More and more, the shadow beings began popping up randomly and out of nowhere. The champion jungle troll smashed through them to no avail, as the rest overwhelmed it. It fell and within seconds became completely black with the amount of shades covering it. Mere moments passed before the shade humanoids dispersed from the enormous jungle troll, which was now a white husk. The shadow humanoids had taken form, but some not fully. Some had their arms wispy as the rest of their entirety was fully formed. Other were missing a leg or pieces of their body, not having absorbed enough.
"By Balthazaar…" Calla said noticing a familiar face, only whitened.
The group became horrified seeing Vaugys broken some yards away. His body completely white like Dalvyr and mangled from the trolls. The one shadow being by him looked just like Vaugys' outline, as if he were still alive. It looked to a dead troll a few feet away and extended an arm to it, watching the troll twitch and move at the shadow beings command.
"No…" Amerial said realizing the implications of the actions.
"It steals not only colors, but ability too?" Grebb asked now scared of these life forms slightly.
"This is interesting…" Nivrin said watching the creatures gather together.
"What will we do with Vaugys?" asked Dalvyr, concerned for his fellow Sylvari comrade.
"We will bury him where he lies," Nivrin said, feeling bad to have lost a guild mate.
"Yes. His memories and experience are with the Pale tree now," Amerial said with a head veering down.
The shadow creatures lingered for a few moments searching for any signs of life they could steal from. In an instant, they all collectively veered their heads afar, to the mountain out in the distance. Immediately after, they disappeared into the shadows of the jungle.
"What are they?" Revvo asked with a jaw dropped. Nivrin threw up another veil before Hrafn's disappeared.
Commotion began to collect between the group of what they just saw, until Nivrin interrupted them all.
"Silence!" Niv shouted, looking back to make sure no shadows were rising up. None appeared to show up, so he continued. "I do not know what that was we just saw, but it has to be some kind of new creature from the jungle. Some new life that spread…"
"I don't think so," Grebb added looking around, "The jungle trolls were just like their plant cousins and the other stuff out here. Those…"
"Those were different," Skarr finished. He rested his greatsword at his back.
"Yeah, they were definitely different…" Bane commented recalling the event.
Nivrin turned to Shathalia. "Anything you can grant us about these beings Shathalia?"
She looked to his side while fixing her armor at her leg. She stayed knelt down on one knee while deep into thought.
"Well?" Skarr asked impatiently.
"I cannot offer an explanation, but I do know they are of shadow."
"Might they be of the Nightmare Court?" Dalvyr offered recalling how they seemed to resemble Sylvari.
"I doubt that Dal," William noted.
"I agree with William," Amerial jutted in, "If they are Sylvari in anyway, they would be sought after by the court, but I do not believe they are Nightmare. I suppose they could be though."
"Speaking of Sylvari," Hrafn started, "Those trolls looked like muscled, well built Sylvari. I've not seen such Sylvari before."
"Yeah," Aerion began with a contemplative look, "They did have plant bodies instead of the nasty skin."
"Perhaps they were elementals that copied the creatures of the land?" Amerial offered looking to Grebb.
"I don't know. I believe they are some kind of elemental. If they were elementals, they sure were summoned from something great." Grebb looked over to one of the bodies. "I would like to get a sample, if possible." Grebb looked over to Nivrin for the okay.
"I believe they are gone. Go ahead Grebb."
Grebb did just that as Nivrin let down their cloaked veil.
Skarr drew his greatsword, Arrik his hammer and Aerion his scepter and dagger. After nothing seemed to jump out or show themselves, they relaxed their grips slightly.
"What now?" Sworn asked wondering.
"Now we go back to Lion's Arch. I must meet with the Order," Nivrin looked to Aerion, "Aer, meet with the Priory. See if there is any knowledge of either buff Sylvari trolls or shadow people." Nivrin glanced to Skarr, who interrupted.
"Vigil. Got it. I doubt they've fought anything like them, but we'll see."
Nivrin nodded. He looked to Hrafn. "Any chance your group of mesmers may have encountered anything of the sort?"
Hrafn chuckled and smiled before speaking, "You think of us as more of a well known organization." He shook his head slightly, "I'll see anyway."
"That's all I ask." Nivrin then looked to Calla.
"The Vanguard records?" she asked him. Niv's smile and nod let her know she was right.
"Indeed," Nivrin said turning around and beginning to walk the way they originally came, "Let's bury Vaugys, talk a bit about him and get out of this damned jungle."
Most present agreed and followed. They fixed Vaugys, making him a little less broken, and placed him atop the mound with the rest of the dead bodies. The ones that knew Vaugys a little spoke of what they knew about him. It was hard finding words for a person they didn't know that well. This due to Vaugys being mostly a hermitic Necromancer living out of Kessex Hills.
"Alright. To Lion's Arch." Nivrin said placing a guild crest atop the new Grebb-made mound on Vaugys' corpse.
The fourteen began to head out with Arrik lagging behind covering the rear. He starred at Shathalia the entire time it seemed. Arrik was worried, angered, and confused and as it stewed within him, Arrik wanted to just use his hammer on her and be done. He didn't simply because he wasn't sure if she actually was part of these beings. All Arrik knew was that she was associated with them somehow, whether she knew it or not.