Chapter Seventeen

"Well… Flamemane, it's been a while." Pyre Fierceshot drawled from behind the surprisingly imposing metal bars separating him from the former shaman. "You could have told me you were still kicking. Maybe stopped by my stead… shared some roast dolyak and black wine. It would have been like old times. Come on, don't you have anything to say? Speak up, old friend… oh wait… that's right."

The Charr chief didn't even have to lean back, knowing full well that Grazz's reach wouldn't be enough as the once shaman took a quick swipe through the bars. "Goodness, I don't remember you having such a temper. You really should talk to someone about it… oh dear, I did it again, didn't I?"

"Grazz, stand down." A human voice ordered, and Pyre chuckled disdainfully at Grazz as the Charr obeyed.

"Listening to mice now, are we, Flamemane?" The ranger teased. "So desperate to have something to worship that you're bending your knee towards these diminutive rejects and humans? You're even more pathetic and weak than I remem..."

Pyre's taunt turned into a roar of pain as he discovered that while Grazz's reach wasn't enough to strike him… the human's arm, assisted by a most unpleasant looking spear, was. The barbed head pierced Pyre in his left shoulder, causing far more pain than it rightfully should… so painful in fact that the mighty Charr chief likely wouldn't have been able to move his arms even if they hadn't been bound behind his back.

"I'd wager you didn't know that two of the primary nerve clusters that collect and distribute information from the Charr nervous system are located just beneath each clavicle, did you?" The human paragon said grimly. "Quite painful if said cluster is damaged, really… not to mention quite permanently crippling. I'm quite tempted to forgo any interrogation and sever said cluster right now and steal away your ability to move any muscle on your left side from now until the day you expire."

The spear head retreated, and Pyre found that he could actually think once again. That was little comfort however.

"If I am a mouse, then your kind are mere insects… fit only to be dissected and studied in the name of science. If you cooperate, I will have your wounds healed. If not, I will demonstrate on you just how I learned the Charr physiology so intimately."

"Can we do that anyway?" A human female's voice queried from out of Charr's line of vision.

"Eve, quiet." Another human chided… but both voices were ones that Pyre was more familiar with.

"Well, if it isn't the Heroes of Ascalon. After all we went through together, I find it distressing that you are on that side of this cage while I am on this one."

"You are speaking to me. Not them." The paragon reminded, his spear now sliding through the bars at Pyre's right side. "I have already been informed of your dealings with my allies, but the denizens of Atal Ra have never taken trespass on their lands lightly, a tendency I share. You will answer my questions, and I will decide what to do with you then."

"May I at least first have the courtesy of knowing the name of my questioner? I'm already at enough of a disadvantage, I would think."

"I am the Headmaster of Atal Ra. That's all you need to know at this juncture. Now… why did you come here?"

Pyre nodded subtly towards Grazz and said, "I was following Flamemane."

"Why?"

"The remnants of the shamans have been gathering just north of Ascalon's precious wall. I saw Flamemane leave. Thinking he might be delivering messages to another unit, I followed to scout. He led me here and into the loving arms of your Asuran friends. Quite vicious little creatures, if I may be honest. No idea how to properly treat guests."

The Headmaster turned to Grazz, who started gesturing in what Pyre guessed was some sort of sign code. "Apparently, he was coming here to inform me of precisely the gathering you found." The human paragon affirmed. "Do you have any idea what they might be doing?"

"Whenever shamans get together, it never means any good for anyone." Pyre answered, stopping when he realized the Headmaster was still addressing Grazz and not him.

"Whatever they are doing, I do believe I'm of Pyre's opinion…"

A cacophony of shouts from the end of the attention hall interrupted his further musings. "Headmaster! We got another one!"

Pyre snarled. "I told those fools to stay outside the cave… I swear if one of my clan followed me, you won't need to interrogate him, I'll kill him myself."

"Who did you find?" The headmaster demanded.

"It's a human! She came after that Charr… I think they might be in cahoots!"

The paragon slapped his forehead. "For the love of the gods..."

"Gwen!" Devona's voice exclaimed.

"Who?" The headmaster queried.

"Gwen… she's one of the Ebon Vanguard lieutenants serving underneath Captain Langmar." The attendant next to the headmaster explained, which Pyre just noticed was wearing Vanguard colors herself. "She was probably tracking Pyre here like he was tracking Grazz… trying to figure out what in the Bone Wastes was going on."

The Asuran guards drug the female mesmer's boneless body up to the headmaster, who groaned in displeasure. "We figured you would question her like the other prisoner. By the way, I think we fixed the calibration issues on the T.A.S.E.R. This one didn't twitch nearly as long as the Charr."

The paragon ripped the infernal device out of the Asurans hands, and exclaimed, "Give me that before you kill somebody!"

Pyre couldn't fight back his laughter. "I never knew 'headmaster' was merely a fancy word for 'babysitter'…"

The paragon whipped the device in Pyre's direction, and said, "I actually know how to use this thing. Don't push it." He ran his right hand through his hair, and finally ordered, "Alright… get some monks down here to try and resuscitate Gwen… right? And… patch up Fierceshot here as well. When everyone is conscious and properly healed up, we'll meet in Large Member Conferencing Chamber Three for a proper briefing and just what we plan to do about it."

"Even the Charr?" The Asuran guards asked.

"Even the Charr, as it appears his appearance here was case of mistaken allegiances, rather than any attempt at violence. He means this academy no direct harm, and perhaps might even be of use to us."

* * * * *

Both Gwen and Pyre were in for a few surprises before business even went underway. It occurred when one of the Asuran students stepped in…

"Headmaster Coran… do you require anything else?"

The young man again slapped his forehead, and muttered, "No… that will be all… thank you…"

Pyre blinked rapidly, wondering why that name should be familiar to him when Gwen's eyes bulged and she pointed in astonishment. "You… you're supposed to be dead!"

"I've been getting that a lot lately as the under and upper worlds have finally met." He muttered, "But as you can see, I clearly am not, and I will grudgingly accept all your queries and whatnot after our business is concluded."

"What is our business, then?" Devona asked before Pyre could manage himself.

"Yes, I trust Flamemane was able to get a lot closer to whatever the shamans are doing than I was." The Charr chief noted ruefully.

"Not really." Coran answered. "Most of the shamans that had gathered were unknown to him, and he didn't feel confident that he would be accepted among their number. The best he could gather was that the Charr were attempting to dig up something… apparently from quite deep within the earth. But what concerned me more was that Grazz reported some strange black being leading them that he couldn't adequately describe. Could you add something to that, Chief Fierceshot?"

Pyre shook his head, "Yes and no. I definitely saw what Flamemane saw… this… thing… black as onyx, floating just above the ground and giving orders. But I couldn't give you a good description; I have never seen anything like it before. All I know is what I said earlier; whenever the shamans get together, no good is going to come out of it."

"Should we inform the king about this?" Devona added.

"No." Coran insisted sternly. "I am not going to allow my father to screw this up as well. Chief Fierceshot, how large of a force do you think will be needed to break up the shaman presence?"

Pyre thought on this, "Most of the shamans' attention is focused on whatever they're digging up. I suspect a small force would probably be more effective than an army. If we hit hard and fast enough without alerting our presence… we could have half the encampment dead before they even knew what was happening. And it wouldn't take me long to mobilize my tribe either. Depending on just how much of a presence you're planning on bringing, we could move out immediately."

"Good. The less people we can involve in this strike, the better." Coran acknowledged. "Devona, are you and your guild up to this task?"

The warrior silently addressed her comrades in arms, and was satisfied by the equally silent response. "Certainly."

Coran then turned to his contingent. "Yue, Grazz, and Vekk… have the First Elite Defense Krewe issued and ready in one hour." Then his eyes focused on Gwen, "Would you wish to accompany us as well, miss? I understand you have some considerable experience working with many already committed as it is."

"I'm always ready for a chance to grind Charr to gravel." The mesmer growled, then added with a glance in Pyre's direction, "Present company occasionally excepting."

Doing some quick math in his head, "That will give us twenty-five on my end."

"I currently have thirteen able bodied for combat that could be ready for a fight by the time you're all ready to march. That should be enough for what we have planned." Pyre added on.

"Good… then we shall plan for departure in one hour at the northern tunnel of Atal Ra." Coran stood up, and without further word left the chamber to prepare. The last time the Charr shamans had planned something on the scale being reported, Coran had been unable to stop it. This time would be different.

It had to be.