Guild Wars 2

(NOTE: THIS IS BASED MOSTLY ON MY IMAGINATION AND SOME GUILD WARS 2 FACTS. THIS IS MY FIRST STORY. Many character’s to come are based on players on whiteside ridge server. I have altered their real life personality to fit the story. Please do not judge them based upon chapters coming later.)

Story 1: The Northern Seas
Chapter 1a: Ceremony

[spoiler]I flapped my way into the crowd gathering for the ceremony of blades. Here was where we first proved our worth as blade bearers. My parents were with me the first time i came here. My brother first became a hunter using his dagger to slaughter a poor quaggan. Her screams of death still echo within my ears. Except the screams of death were not screams, it was a song, a song i would soon come to understand. A song i would learn to live by. A song that rearranged my life from start to present. A song that I shall pass on to those reading this.

This time, i was alone as it was my time to go in front of my people and show them I had the power of blades within me. Behind the gathering crowd was a giant rock jutting out over our trench city. This was where some of the Tethyos of our city lived. They were known as Wielders of Tranquility. Only certain individuals ever got in those houses and even fewer got to earn the rights to those ranks. I turned back towards the ceremony when I heard them calling my name. “HIERONYMUS! STEP UP FOR THE CEREMONY OF BLADES!” shouted a Golden Blade. His gold and white armor glistening even at this depth in the sea. I flapped above the crowd and took the place next to him.

“What does thy Golden One wish me to do?” I asked as practiced between my father and I. The Golden Blade pointed at a giant Jellyfish. More Golden Blades surrounded the Jellyfish as it was escorted towards me so the crowd could see my clash against such a simple yet difficult first target. It was 5 times my size and i realized that the only reason why i was given such an obnoxious target was the fact that my mother was a Shadow Blade. We lived with our parents based upon gender being taught the first introductions to the blade as they were taught. My father was a blood blade which explained why my brother only had to execute a quaggan. My mother was a light bending killer. She could disappear without a trace if she wanted to. Just my luck as i only knew a few tricks of the shadow as she mainly focused on my stance in fighting.

Chapter 1b

I gulped and nodded like my father made me practice on his occasional visits. I flapped towards the jellyfish and stopped just out of reach of its giant multiple tendrils of constriction. The Golden Blades spread out so i could fight against this kitten ed behemoth. I watched it just as the veteran creature stared me down somehow with invisible eyes. For 2 minutes we studied each other like creatures frozen in time. It’s patience broke down first as it reared back and spread out it’s tentacles around him equidistant from one another. He began to spin at first slowly and then quickly sucking the water around him towards him in a vacuum. He was pulling me in but my wings prevented such things as i flapped hard to stay where i was.

Lucky thing too as his electrical tentacles shocked as soon as he stopped spinning. Any shock like that and he would’ve stopped my body entirely as i was young and without a mask. I drew my daggers now as my blood was boiling at his dirty tactic. “Want to play dirty then fine!” I shouted teasingly not just ready to disappear just yet. The blades in my hands were made of obsidian like my mother’s. The smooth rounded stone felt like silk as my hands gripped them tightly. Last thing i wanted was to lose one of these professionally crafted daggers. I waited for his next move which came sooner than i expected

His tendril flew at me without any sign of warning. I held up my blade in self defense but it grabbed my wrist. kitten all of my mother’s stand practice was now down the drain as i lost my courage. It shocked me on the wrist leaving a painful burn mark singed onto my pale blue skin. The only reason i lived was my instinctual urge to stab at my tormentor which chopped off a good portion of the tentacle. The jellyfish recoiled and sent two more tentacles at me as i had only one arm as a weapon now with my other arm paralyzed due to the electric shock it gave me. I disappeared as it was my only hope of getting away.

From the stealth I chopped the first one flying at me leaving 2.5 more tentacles to take care of. The second I wasnt quick enough to chop off as my stealth wore off. I was still an amateur at light control, any slip of my concentration and i was able to be seen. The Jellyfish decided to charge me head on which wasnt a bad idea since i only had one arm to stab it with. My wings and it’s lack of vision as it swims prevented it from hitting me as i dodged out of the way.

I turned around only to see the other 2.5 tentacles extended towards me. One grasped me around the belly and shocked me. A Golden Blade had enough and immediately stabbed the brain of the creature within seconds of the shock sent through my body killing the jellyfish instantly. I couldnt think as the tingling pulsing sensation rushed throughout my body. My entire body felt as though it had just been crashed into by the tail of a Humpback Whale. I blacked out afterwards without any memory of what happened afterwards.

Chapter 2a: Disowned

I woke up in with my mother sitting there with a cold expression on her face. A face that would’ve made any icebrood look like a sick joke. Her stare colder than Jormag’s heart. The only thought running through my mind was “So this is what it would be like if she wanted to kill me… wait…”

Before i finished my thought train she picked me up by my neck. Her hands squeezing as though she wanted my head removed from my torso. I began struggling with all my might but her grip was made of steel or something as nothing i did broke it. I looked into her eyes and gagged as I drew my final breaths. That moment when our eyes looked into one another’s… it was as if she remembered that I was her daughter for the past 12 years. With that one staredown between us she let me go.

I fell to the floor holding my neck which now burned more than my wrist. I breathed as though i was a hyperventilating dragon if that was even possible. Each breath in tasted like Thundershrimp laced with Quaggan Kelp Wine which was a delicacy for my race as Quaggans and Largos in the Northern Seas were at war only 10 years ago before Jormag rose from the depths of the trench we now lived in.

I looked up and stood up immediately after my breath was back in me. My mother still stood where she was shaking and trembling. I could tell she was restraining herself from spilling my blood. Many Largos parents did that if their child failed the first test. My mother however promised me long ago that she would not kill any of her children as she watched her older sister get her throat slit for failing to complete her task in the Ceremony of . Her own sister’s death traumatized her for the longest time and still continues to traumatize her as they were closer to each other than Sylvaris are to each other.

Chapter 2b

I opened my mouth and before i could ask her if she was okay she backhanded me across the face so hard i flew to the other side of the room like a human doll launched by a trebuchet. Even in the water, my body managed to make a dent in the wall where my back hit. I floated there with the world spinning around me. Next thing i knew my mother grabbed me by the hair and dragged me out of the room. “You…. “ was the only word she said as she stabbed her dagger into the wall just inches away from my face. It went in with a crack sound louder than a dragon roaring within your ear. She threw her other dagger to the other side of the room and pushed me outside of the cavern we shared. The last memory of her was her silhouette standing in the entrance of the cave before she disappeared into the darkness without a word.
i knew what i had done wrong. Failing the Ceremony of Blades meant dishonor and humiliation from the Largos society not just for yourself but for every member in your family for the rest of their lives. Every other challenge after that just meant a short term humiliation from Largos society. This meant my father, brother, and mother were humiliated bringing me home. It also meant, I was never going to see them ever again.

Tears were shed as i realized I was now an outcast as no Largos would accept me as their disciple. Family was usually the most accepting of all Largos families but now… I had nothing but the daggers they gave me and my own body. Outside, people stared and whispered as i flapped out towards the open ocean killed with krait, icebrood, quaggans, and Kodan. I didnt even know how to disappear that well yet which was an even bigger challenge. I disappeared from where i grew up. Taking one look back at the happy place I once knew as it faded into the darkness of the memories I made in my last few days there. I would come back one day and they would accept me… but I would not accept them

Chapter 3a: The Shadow of Colossus.

I had no idea where I was going or what I was doing. Everyone knew the open ocean was full of icebrood patrols and there carnivorous creatures. I didn’t care anymore… honor was everything in largos society. I lost not only that but my birth mother and the rest of my family all because the city I lived in decided to give me an over-sized target that would’ve been a challenge even to a blade bearer. It was unfair as I realized later on in my life. I was young and stupid and did not realize that the whole city tested me unfairly because they ran out of testing subjects as I later found out. Robbed of my honor, my pride, and my family I swam upwards towards the light in the open ocean. At that moment all I wished for was to be dead and gone with so I would never be ridiculed again.

I swam and before long I almost got what I wished for as a icebrood fish spotted me. It swam towards me and all I remember thinking was “finally… take me…so I can begin anew”. It swam closer and closer ramming into me knocking my backwards as though it wanted to toy with me before I died. At least I would be something before I died. I smiled closing my eyes accepting my fate. Then the beatings stopped and I felt the water around me begin to move differently. My eyes were still closed thinking this was the end. The end never came like I hoped for.

I felt my daggers being taken away and a strong large hand grasp my arms. I was being pulled upwards. I opened my eyes and saw a large white hairball swimming through the water dragging me behind. At that time I was too weak to even resist and allowed him to drag me through the water towards a large giant chunk of ice. I was thrown into a different world first landing on the slippery ice. The first time I felt the wind made was absolutely horrid. The cold air made me shiver. There was a blizzard and worst of all… I was wet and had no weatherproof gear like the ranks of the blood blades got.

I turned my head and saw what threw me out of the water. It was still carrying the icebrood fish that tried to grant me my wish. It’s white bear-like face on a humanoid body. These… were the rumored Kodan capable of ripping anything in two with their hammers and great swords if they wanted to. This one had broken through the icy hide that protected the icebrood and caved it’s head in.

Chapter 3b

It moved over towards my weak limp body and picked me up off of the ice. As I leaned onto its fur body, I found warmth. Something I so longingly wanted since I left my geothermal sea vent heated city. I snuggled into its soft warm fur and looked up at it. It looked down and simply said in the deepest voice you ever heard “shhhh… everything is going to be okay… Colossus will take care of you young one”. It looked up and nodded at two other Kodan guards.

“Colossus! Being greedy is not Kodans way.” Said the one on the left sending the two Into a chucklefest. Colossus made a laugh that sounded like the booming of thunder. “Colossus saved this one from Icebrood, this one is weak and tired, Colossus shall give young one shelter.” The two guards nodded and pulled on the chains sending the giant gate into a creaking frenzy. It slowly opened to reveal a city that looked like a giant ship. There were masts that disappeared beyond the clouds that sent blinding snow down upon the ice covered buildings. Kodan and quaggans were inside speaking in equally deep voices. The quaggans all looked up and turned a bit red as they smelled my blood. They raised their spears up and took a defensive position. This sent the Kodans to unsheathing their gigantic weapons. They all stared at Colossus and more importantly… me… an assassin race that sent every creature into a panic by the sheer scent of our blood.

“Kodans! Quaggans! Lower weapons! Assassin helped Colossus hunt meal for feast! Assassin nearly die! Shelter for bravery of young assassin!” Colossus says loudly trying to get them to accept me into their city. Colossus threw the giant icebrood fish into the center of the Kodan Square. “Sniff, Assassin’s blood on Icebrood.” A Quaggan waddled over lowering his weapon. He lowered his snout towards the Icebrood and sniffed and looked up. “It’s truuuuUUUUuuue. Assassin bloooOOOoood is OOoooooOOn fish.”

With that, every person in the Square sheathed their weapons. The simultaneous shnking of weapons still echo in my head. “Very well Colossus, Assassin is Colossus responsibiliy.” a grayish Kodan says returning to his shop. The crowd returned to whatever they were doing as though nothing ever happened. A Kodan about as big as Colossus walks away dragging the Icebrood fish behind him.

Colossus looked down and smiled. “See? Assassin safe with Colossus.” For the first time in my life i felt something inside of me… something different… something warm… something fuzzy.. that something, was love. Something that few Largos experienced according to my knowledge of Largos. We went off reproducing based upon the merits we received and traded in. We were bred by the Tethylos to be better than our parents with a few occasional slips up every now and then like me. This was something i almost never felt with my mother, we were raised to not be close to our parents. I loved him for defending me like i was his own child when he could’ve just thrown me into the city square and ended my miserable life.

Chapter 3c:

Colossus walked into a house nearby that was dark and empty. It was cold but was the only thing that i remember being my real home. A home that i still visit every now and then with dust covering the once clean walls. Colossus lit a light and for the first time in my life, i smelled fire. The scent was a bit sickening my first few times. Later it became a scent of home and safety. Colossus laid me down on a Arctodus pelted wooden bed and disappeared into the hallway.

He came back without our weapons and held two small steaming mugs in his hands. “Drink Assassin…but do it slowly. Burns are not good.” he said taking a sip out of my cup as though to prove that it was not poison and to show me how to drink. I took the mug from his hands and held the warm object close to my body. He took a seat next to the bed. “Colossus want to know name of Assassin” he said. I looked up and opened my mouth. “Hemnenes” I shut my mouth as my words came out. It sounded different than it did in the water. It was so much higher pitched, shrill, and jumbled. Colossus didn’t laugh at my attempt although his eyes told a different story. “Colossus not hear name clearly… say name again slowly” he said. I opened my mouth once more. “H-er-o-nim-us.” I said pronouncing everything differently. “Hieronymus?” He repeated. I nodded frantically. “Welcome to Colossus home, Hieronymus” he says spreading his arms wide. “Hieronymus stay here until better” he said patting me on the head. “Hieronymus should rest. Colossus wake Hieronymus for feast later” With that he closed the door to my room leaving me with the flickering torch, my warm chicken soup in a mug, and the arctodus pelt bed. I sat there and for the first time in my two day swim upwards from my exiled home, I cried myself to sleep.

(going to type what the quaggans say in normal speech as to prevent my eyes from popping out of my sockets)
(I also made this harder on myself as I mixed up quaggan culture with Kodan culture. Quaggans don’t use self references whilst speaking… kodans can… /derp)
Chapter 4A: The Silent Feast

Later that night, i felt myself being shaken. My eyes open and i squint blocking the bright candlelight from my eyes. “Up Hieronymus, The feast has begun.” Colossus said although i could not really recognize him with that new layer of ash on his body that darkened his fur. He held out one of his gigantic paws and motioned for me to use it to drag myself into an upright position. I held his paws, I looked down only to find that my hands were the size of his large claws. He picked me up easily and set me down on my feet and turned his back “Follow Colossus to feast” he says walking out the door.

I followed him out into the now calmer snowstorm that was the remnants of the giant blizzard earlier in the day. The City streets were empty save for a few patrolling guards which were on duty. Now i got a clearer view of everything around me, they built their houses inside of giant ice spikes that the glacier had or they were made of wood on open ice. The engineering behind every house cleverly made not only to strengthen the glacier but also made so giant buildings could sustain life without damaging their glacier ship. Kodans nodded as a greeting as I observed from Colossus passing every guard. I soon followed his example which made some guards snort. We passed the now empty village square. Nothing was there but the wind and the snow that bent in a strange way at one point in the snow. i felt eyes staring back into mine as i stared at that spot but i knew nothing was there. “odd… I’ll come back here later and find out who is staring at me”

My view of that odd point in the snow was lost as i went past a street post. I looked at it again but the odd spot in the snow was not there anymore. Even though it was not there, I could still feel the eyes staring at me from somewhere I could not identify. I shook it off thinking I was hallucinating but half hoping it was my mother that was watching me. I resumed my pace with Colossus and was finally walking side by side next to him. We kept walking in silence for the next 3 minutes. I was shivering by the time we made it to the dining hall. He rapped on the closed door twice.