(Chp 21) Gw2 Fanfic: Beneath the Heart

Professor Tekks, on 14 December 2012 - 02:15 PM, said:

You've been claimed :3

bump, more pls!!!

Lani, on 23 December 2012 - 04:30 PM, said:

Lani, on 23 December 2012 - 04:30 PM, said:

Working on it :3

GIVE. >=(

wow...the effort to write all this =.="

You said to bug you Rei, so here I am. WRITE

Reina!!! S2

WRITE WRITE WRITE!!!

Hey Reina, loved the stories. Not to pressure you or anything.. write more? :3 Pleaseeeeee?

She said she was writing the next chapter last night :D

Vinava, on 12 January 2013 - 02:08 AM, said:

Omg I feel so bad this got abandoned T.T

I abandoned my first fanfic for nearly a year before actually finishing it, so its alright. xD

I'm gonna continue this!!! Well hope to. U can bug me once again.... I might stick with shorter chapters though xD it's easier to throw out if I'm not overwhelmed by the thought of writing something long

Chapter 8

It wasn't without great effort that Reina and her noble escort made their way into the hamlet. The sun was still considerably a deadweight on her shoulders, water or not. She gave up with her hood which, supposed to be woven by a mixture of silk fabric and canvas, should have been cool enough to act as protection from the sun. But sweat was starting to drip down her forehead and she threw her hood back in dismay, her shock of auburn hair released to flutter in the wind. With her hood off, the air was fresh against her skin for the time being. However, she knew she wouldn't last long if her pale skin was exposed under the Krytan sun for longer. She ignored the glance from the Lieutenant who was probably seeing her clearly for the first time. How did he even identify her as the person he had intended to aid? Regardless, she should be grateful for the help. She would need his know-how til she was out of the reach of the Seraph. They trudged on.

Upon arriving at the village after a few minutes however, no doubt, every mystical nerve ending in her body was tingling as if a necromancer had performed an eerie summoning ritual. It became strangely silent. No wind, no birdsong, no hum of machinery, nothing. It was so still and quiet, her ears began to ring. She sucked in her breath and followed warily after the Lieutenant who appeared to be oblivious, glancing this way and that.

As they edged closer, they found themselves pushing along the border of a piece of farmland, tall crops rising like an army of men before their eyes. While there were crops, - corn perhaps - though it is beyond midday, there were no people to toil the lands. Yellow and splashed in muddy browns, crops stood at attention, withering, slowly and solemnly like they had been preparing to die.

Beyond the farm, there were two cliffs that rose up gently on both sides of the hamlet, tucking it away in a natural fortress. She could make out the shapes of little houses and huts installed in the shadows of the hills.

But it was so eerily abandoned one hand came to rest on the hilt of her greatsword. It was just as instinctual to begin doubting her captor-savior. She had just met him. Could she even trust him?

He seemed to notice her wary gaze and with a wry smile, turned to speak.

"This hamlet houses one of the largest silver and iron ore mines in Kryta. For years, this has been a great resource to us. However, also a great deal of heartbreak as it is a strategic position in the human-centaur war. There were constant raids on this location and the mine could be threatened at any time. It became customary to station Seraph guards here, yet, even that wasn't enough. But with things happening now..." He trailed off and pushed through a gate that was in their way. "Seraph Captain Logan Thackeray decided there was a need to relocate troops elsewhere. Instead, Mesmers created an illusionary enchantment to hide the place from view of the centaurs."

"So, this... eerie silence is caused by this illusion." Reina's hand loosened from her sword.

"Yes, that's right. In a sense, we are stepping into a different dimension."

"Different dimension?"

"Indeed. Mesmers typically either create a warp in the space time continuum or alter the perceptive mind of an opponent..."

His words were lost on her. Though she was a Mesmeric caster, she had never been taught the science behind the art. Is that what she has been doing?

"Perhaps one day you will be able to perform such feats as well." He laughed at her bewildered exp<b></b>ression, despite her effort to hide it.

Her cheeks grew warm at the mention of her studies. She was incompetent. And she knew it. He didn't have to mention it so bluntly. Moreover, he knew more about her than she thought.

"This way."

He led the way into the courtyard between the houses. Cobblestone, bale and mud bricks. There were small trees here and there, adorned with bright green leaves and little fuchsia flowers. Though the sun filtered through the recesses of the cliffs and trees, most of the area was in muted shadows, plunging colors into washed out greys.

Of course, all was silent.

"Where are the villagers?" She asked her escort.

"They were relocated after a centaur attack before the illusion was cast. They will only return when the Seraph Guard has the resources to station men here. This was only two weeks ago."

"Ah."

She watched as he knocked on a door.

Nothing. No response of course.

"Pardon my intrusion." He said to nobody in particular and pushed his way in. He disappeared into the shadows. Was there really water in this abandoned place?

A few moments later,
"Come in. There's water."

" 'Kay."

Perhaps there was after all.




Next Chapter

^___^ and it continues on!!!!

:3 Next chapter coming later today! xD

Chapter 9

"Thanks." A faint smile.

She took the canteen he was holding out.

In reply, he merely tipped his head before stepping towards the door again. He was keeping watch, so he said. But she could guess his manners had taken over, deciding it would be awkward to be sitting together inside. She appreciated the breathing space - a nice change from his over concern before. Yet, was a watch needed here? There was absolutely no movement nor sound in this hamlet. It was unlikely for anyone to find them here.

Earlier, they had scrounged through the mud-brick house to find three canteens of lukewarm water and a bag of salted jerky left behind and sealed in an icebox. It seemed as if the inhabitants left in such a hurry, they could not revisit all their belongings. And luckily, because of the illusion, it was untouched. Reina was still unsure how such an illusion worked. Most mesmeric mantras, illusions, manipulations and likewise were tricks on the mind. How the former Seraph could simply know of such science was beyond her. According to what he described, she could assume the enchantment had somehow slipped the area into an envelope, into a "different dimension". What was puzzling, was how they could see it and access it without an issue, yet the centaurs and other animals alike stayed clear. Though, if it were up to her and if it weren't for their need for supplies, she would never have desired to wander into such an unnatural place.

Yet, there must be a way to learn such techniques. There was some arcane structure which selectively allowed access to humans. She decided to keep this in mind and seeing that the guardian was now standing outside, she quickly slipped out a notebook from her robes. Worn and yellowed with age,  the leather bound was full of hastily scrawled writing. Today was no different. She pulled out an ink pen and began to scratch onto the paper surface. "Dimensional rift". "Space time continuum". "Warp illusions". "Selective entry". How did he know so much? She needed to ask him in detail later.

She wanted to write more, perhaps even a diary entry to record the past week if given the chance. But it didn't seem like they had much time. They had to move soon. The comfort of the cool damp interior of the house would be short lived.

From what she could see, the inhabitants of the hamlet weren't well-off at all. The small abode was empty and devoid of furnishing or living comfort. There were only mining tools stowed away, cooking pots and utensils, straw for a makeshift bedding and a dusty oil lamp. Without the oil lamp lit, the room was dark, motted browns merged with the shadows, smelling of a dull musk. Though it wasn't pleasant, she would grit her teeth, bite back her tears and stand firm. She was no longer a noble in Divinity's Reach. She was a refugee. A deserter. A wanted criminal. She had no family. No friends. She knew she had to keep that in mind.

"My lady." He stepped back inside, his large shadow blocking the light through the door.

"Please, just call me Reina."

He hesitated. "Alright... Reina." He looked uneasy. But she smiled satisfied, in response. "Are you rested?"

"Yes." She said curtly. She was no longer sweating or out of breath. But she would need to be tougher from now on. She stowed her notebook away once again.  "I'm fine now. Let's get going."

"Good. Indeed, we can't stay here for long. The Seraph has eagle patrols all over Kryta. They might have seen us entering this zone."

She got up stiffly and brushed off her robes. Now that they were outside, and as she had taken off her cloak before, she was exposed to the harsh elements and her ivory skin burned like ants had crawled up her arms and were devouring her alive.

"It's too hot." She spoke of the obvious.

"Most travellers don't journey through Kryta during the summer seasons. Only traders and Lionguard escorts would continue such feats. Merchants are a different breed." The Seraph Lieutenant laughed quietly.

"You don't have to either?"

"Well, of course the Seraph Guard has a lot of work around Kryta, but not great distances of travel. Units are deployed from the nearest stations. And it is never too far from your station usually. I think only Captain Thackeray himself gets that much action."

She threw her cloak back on now but kept her hood off. On the other hand, Nathaniel no longer had his heavy plate armor on. He had disassembled his armor in exchange for a lighter leather tunic.

"You're leaving behind your armor?"

"Yes, it's too heavy for travelling long distances. I don't know how the Lionguard does it." He left the obvious question unanswered. He was no longer a Seraph, his eyes seemed to say.

"Won't they find your armor here?"

"Essentially, they can't enter the same illusion we did."

They were pushing past the crops now, flanking the sides of the mine, heading back towards their intentional path.

"I'm not sure I understand." She felt like an ignorant child.

He smiled weakly but explained patiently. "This is basically an instance, this rift, only exists at one point in time. We have entered a version of the illusion. Others will enter into a different version."

"Isn't this hard to do?"

"Oh, no doubt. But Queen Jennah, herself, the most powerful mesmer, maybe in all of Tyria, coordinates these masterpieces for implementation."

Queen Jennah of Kryta was a powerful and well known name throughout the world. Yet, Her Majesty was still humble and down to earth, from what Reina last recalled, always aspiring to better the lives of citizens through egalitarian rule. Since Reina was young, she studied the mesmeric arts with instructors of the royal court in Divinity's Reach. Despite it being scholarly and based on textbooks or scrolls, eventually she had the opportunity to come under the mentorship of Countess Anise and later, Queen Jennah herself for a short period of time. Both women had both been the most patient and kind teachers, setting aside some of their time to see how Reina was doing. The fond memories would never leave her side. However, unfortunately, not even Countess Anise nor Queen Jennah could grant protection for her. Without proper evidence to prove her innocence and the current legislative structure, ever since Minister Caudecus has been gaining more power, operating on a fundamentally "guilty until proven innocent" belief, Reina had lost all hopes and Queen Jennah herself, sent an informant to warn her of imminent danger. By Her Majesty's grace, she had finally been saved by a hair's breadth.

"How do you know so much?" She couldn't help but blurt out. But immediately, she grew flustered and regretted asking in such a way. It was more the fact that she didn't know anything. The books she had poured over were barely the tip of the iceberg.

He chuckled as they reached the edge of the illusionary field. From the inside, they could actually see the rippling of the air, with a brief light tinge of pink and purples, glowing and wavering like looking through water.

"Well, you can say, my commanding officer was quite knowledgeable. And, when we would go for drinks, you wouldn't believe the things he could speak of. If an enemy needed information, he would be the first person to approach. Luckily, we only visit a private officer's bar, as per our policies. They mostly end up being something like half a meeting."

"Ah, I see." She smiled to herself. This man was rather talkative. Maybe she would be able to have more questions answered as they went along. "Maybe I should become a regular at bars too."

When he heard her fit of giggles, his shoulders relaxed visibly and he grinned. "Feeling better now?"

She nodded. In fact, she was rather, curiously amused perhaps. Amused at her despairing situation. Amused at the amount that she didn't know. Amused at this talkative young man who calls her "my lady". What a bizarre world she was stepping into. It was nothing like Divinity's Reach.

Certainly, Lion's Arch would be a lot more interesting.

No matter how hard she tried to remember, her guilt and mourning over her family's deaths was beginning to vanish somehow. No, she felt guilty still, guilty that for the first time in a month, her spirits slowly began to soar.

There were exciting things to come.

With an involuntary smile on her face, she suddenly ran into his back. He had stopped so abruptly.

"This isn't good."

Beyond the film of the illusion, they could see a multitude of figures. Dark silhouettes and shadows. A dozen, maybe more, lined up like a wall surrounding their escape. No, they weren't human. There were long bodies and four legs.

Centaurs.





Next Chapter

Chapter 10

It appeared that she wasn't off the hook yet. With the storm of voices swirling about, laughing and shouting, the clink of glasses and clanks of mugs, she still couldn't understand why the professor came to such a place. To risk whatever ... egg... he acquired and his short stature amidst drunks, violent men and lecherous women - was he insane?

Professor Tekks wouldn't say much to his human escort though. To Tekks perhaps she was just another expendable contractor to accomplish the job and nothing else. But for Liric, she admitted to her curiosity. While this job continued, she vowed to find out more.

"Well, well, a lil' asura, a rare sight to be seen hither this edge of town! Are ya on the main platter today?" The human bartender had a wide grin and was hollering for all to hear. Upon her exaggerated tone, the patrons turned to look at the occasion, raising cups and mugs and cheering. Asura, a delightful surprise. The rowdiness was even more rampant than before. But no one dared to approach them.

The tavern located at the top of Lion's Arch, perched on twisted amalgams of flotsam and no longer seafaring ships, was a popular place, packed at nights til early in the morning. Liric, a frequent visitor of Lion's Arch, was a familiar at the Crow's Nest. Not only was it the largest tavern in Lion's Arch, but it was also the location of the Captain's Council, the government composed of "pirates", captains and other seafaring folk of different races. The symbol of commercial prosperity and cultural diversity was dependent on the Captain's Council in conjunction with Black Lion Trading Company, which had proved again and again of their cunning and wisdom through treacherous political and commercial territory. Like their sailing experience on rough seas, the citizens of Lion's Arch trusted the Council with glad hearts - for the most part.

Liric realized nothing had changed in here as she followed the small form of the asura, who had parked his golem near the entrance of the bar. He had no worries for the golem - they were generally so heavy and without the proper key and knowledge of the creator's magical circuits, there would be no way to move it successfully.

They were greeted by the usual smell of cigars, pipes and cigarettes lit with a multitude of different flavors and colors, smoke rings filling the air. The worn wooden floorboards and walls, dimly lit oil lamps and torches, and the dusty bottles of alcohol were not foreign either. Liric quickly relaxed and threw on a smile when she saw the bartender.

But upon, her comment, the asura on the other hand, leapt up in surprise, face twisting into a snarl. He was barely visible above the counter, despite the bar stool.

"Fool! How dare you look down on me, bookah?" He stamped his feet in tantrum.

But both human women chuckled at the egocentric professor. "It's difficult NOT to look down."

With a scowl, he said nothing in response and settled down. "I'm here to enjoy the evening, I'll be civilized and restrain my violent tendencies to send my golem's polycarbonate synthetic -" The bartender raised her hand to cut him off.

And he sulked some more. "I'll cut to the chase, fetch me some Juniberry Gin." He paused and then added, "In a vial, please."

"Name's Sara." The bartender winked and tossed her deep scarlet red hair over her shoulder.

She turned towards the mercenary. "Liric Aurora Whitecloak with 'er legendary Sunrise blade, been helluva long time! What 'bout you, matey?"

"The usual."

Sara chuckled and reached over to slap Liric on the shoulder, a heavy clank against the armor. "Ya gettin' stiff, girl! Flask of Firewater ain't it? Gotta get ya goin' again 'ey? Lube for the gears, hun."

"Oh, I'm plenty going." Liric glanced pointedly at the Asuran professor.

She laughed. "True say. True say."

Without another word, Sara turned around to pour the drinks. She dusted off a few bottles.

"Is that even sanitary?" Tekks scrunched his grey skinned face up as if he could smell a putrid odour.

"As sanitary as you can get in Lion's Arch."

Tekks didn't respond to Liric's comment but watched as "Dagger Hands" Sara deftly slipped out a dagger and spun it in her hand. The arcing spiral of a wicked ebony blade. Without hesitation, she flipped the bottles upward now and effortlessly swiped the edge of the blade twice. Left and right. The entire tip of the bottles along with its cork launched into the air neatly and deposited themselves into a garbage pail. Then the bartender got busy with a flask and vial. Liric, satisfied with seeing the signature "dagger trick", set her massive greatsword to rest on the counter.

The weight of the sword made a thunk and the customers along the bar stools slipped a peek. The mighty blade was one of the legendary blades in Tyria. Not many could afford to forge one or even wield its tremendous size and weight in their hands. However powerful, it was a wonder she could keep herself from attracting too much unwanted attention. Perhaps it was the down-to-business glint in her brown eyes or unwavering tone in her voice, but it was easy to keep people clear of her way. But with such a weapon and a successful reputation to date, there were bound to be many seeking the Whitecloak name.

Interestingly enough, she never once wore a white cloak. Nor would she ever.

"Firewater for you, babe." The wooden counter thudded with the glass flask and a small thin vial. "Juniberry Gin, lil' asura."

There was no word of thanks from both of them as they threw back a gulp of the alcohol.

"Y'all that thirsty huh?"

"Hooo. What have we here?" A low whale-like resonance drifted over them.

"Flotsam Sam!" Liric raised her flask in greeting and couldn't hold back a hearty chuckle upon seeing the blue quaggan. The strange, short, smooth-skinned animal that stood on its hind legs, with the round blubbery body of an orca.

A huge grin parted its mouth and it lifted the bottle in its flippers in reply. "Liric." He emphasized the last syllable like he was trailing off in a chant. "What brings you here?" His voice is warm but she knew the owner of the tavern was keeping a tab on them.

"That's what I'd like to know." Already loosened up with the Firewater, Liric laughed, pushing away Sam's wary inquisition. "If Professor here would graciously inform me."

Sara leaned forward onto the counter her elbows, like she was intrigued, poised for a story. "Better spill the tale, 'Professor', or I'll spill ya blood." A joke, an empty threat but a dangerous glint in her eyes.

The Asura snorted, defiant. "Your threats have no effect on me, barista professionale. Spill my blood and lose your only opportunity to absorb a sliver of my infinite knowledge."

"Hun, what am I ever to do with knowledge here, dear professor?"

Liric held back her smile, as it was such a far-fetched joke on the wealth of knowledge and intelligence the tavern's patrons and staff represented. Bars with its mixed bag assortment of beings, accumulated possibly, the grandest spectrum of information - especially with the informants available, usually hunkered down in the darker corners of place.

While on the unpredictable side, "Dagger Hands" Sara, infamous for her brilliant combat tactics and skill, would never strike unintentionally. When she does, she would only do so to kill. Though she had taken leave from her past as a Mist Warrior and her job as a pirate conquering the seas with her guild, her skill had not been dulled. But upon asking, she would usually say that she enjoyed her humble kingdom as a bartender at the Crow's Nest.

Of course, Professor Tekks, hailing from the laboratories of Asuran sci-fi metropolis Rata Sum, was unfamiliar to the characters in a place like Lion's Arch.

No doubt, stubborn words aside, Tekks might be shaken inside.

He was about to speak.

All three of the others, inched a little closer, to hear his tale.

Why had he come to Lion's Arch? Why had he visited the bar? How much would he say?

Just then, there was a loud clang, as the main door flung open, tearing off its hinges.





Next Chapter

<3