Guild Wars 2

(Sooo it only took, what, almost a year after the surprisingly well-recieved Mesmer vs Guardian fight I wrote, I’ve gotten something to share for Elementalists. This is something of a preview, as it’s a draft from part of a larger story that I’ll be sharing within the month. Special thanks to Gasmic for dueling me to determine the winner of this fight! Still working on the ending btw)

Aeoldyn stood nearly motionless out in an empty plain dotted with a few jutting stones and skinny leafless trees. He had a sword in each hand, blades pointed towards the floor, and felt the ethereal purple vines creeping from his wrists and crawling up and along the blade. These Nightmare Vines coated his sword with a toxin that, true to their name, induced nightmares so violent that it made it impossible for the afflicted to sleep. The gray clouds rolled across the sky, threatening of a coming storm, and the wind began to pick up. Aeoldyn, so lost in his thoughts, didn’t care.


“You know what I think? I think you spend 20 hours a day alone and contemplating about life since you have no friends and no one can suffer to be around you for more than five minutes at a time”

The words echoed in his mind, undeniably true.

You study and explore people’s thought processes and invent frivolous philosophies because quite frankly there’s nothing else for you to do!

He felt his grip tighten on his swords, and he inhaled sharply. Aeoldyn always found it interesting that air seemed to have an effect on emotions. People often sighed heavily when feeling down, as if breathing out their sorrows. When surprised, people would gasp as if to sublimate the shock. Laughter, an often-involuntary display of amusement, was achieved in a process eerily similar to the heavy gasps one took when trying to calm themselves from anger.

Aeoldyn shook his head, he was mentally distracting himself from the real problem. When Karayan had said those words to him, Aeoldyn gave in to anger and had assaulted the younger Mesmer, an action that spat on so many of the Mesmer’s creed.
“We all see the world through our own personal illusions…” He said outloud, to no one but himself. “We prefer half-truths, so that we may fill the other half with what we would like to believe. When someone throws an undeniable truth at us that clash with our illusion, our first response is frustration.” He said, putting his right sword into a slow rotation to feel its rhythm and balance. It was true that Aeoldyn, like most others, didn’t like being alone often. It was also true that Aeoldyn found himself alone most days because of his own insufferable personality. The second sword fell into a routine behind the first, as Aeol began practicing basic cuts and jabs. “How many of us can barely stand to look at our own reflection in a mirror? Or hear our own voice played back to us? How many personal flaws do we cover up, either with external makeup or internal lies?”

Fully engrossed in his deadly dance, Aeoldyn brought his right arm into an overhead chop, twisting with the motion to roll his trailing sword behind the first. The movement forced him into a slight spin that he ended with a forward thrust of both blades in a more solid stance. “Karayan exposed the flaws I choose not to see in myself. Thus, in a moment of weakness and damaged pride, I attacked him.” He stood calm, staring at his reflection in one of his blades, watching the thorned vines writhe across his hand without cutting them. “In order to erase this flaw, I accept it as truth.” He declared, again to himself. “And I accept that I made a ..” He coughed, “.. mistake.” It was a hard word to say, even to himself, but Aeoldyn never heard the word. A crack of thunder smothered his dialogue, and turned his attention to the sky with a slightly amused smirk.

There was a flash in the puffy gray clouds, soon followed by another burst of thunder. A second flash, a third, and suddenly a crackling light spilled out of the sky. Aeoldyn’s eyes narrowed against the brilliant glare of a ball of lightning racing from the clouds. The electrical bolt seemed to oscilate down towards where he was standing, yet the Sylvari stood perfectly still as he watched. Aeoldyn finally drew his swords when it became clear that the crackling sphere was going to slam into him, but by then it was too close, too fast, and too late.

BOOM!

The ground shook, and the smell of ozone permeated through the air along with wisps of smoke. There was a circular trench four feet into the ground at the point of impact, and inside of it was not Aeoldyn.The Mesmer had been blown backwards and lay on the ground nearby, trying in vain to fight his electrical twitching. A human stood inside the crater, steam smoldering from his clothes. His breakneck momentum left him in a kneeling, and the electrical filaments that jumped from his eyes left them glowing a bright blue. As he stepped out of the crater, he folded his arms at the sight of the prone Mesmer. “Aeoldyn, I know you didn’t call me from the Mist Wars in order to fold over and die like that.”

Aeoldyn’s body fractured, shattering apart like glass yet drifting off into the air like paper. His voice echoed from behind the Elementalist.
“I know you’re busy, and I appreciate that you came, Na-“
“Gasmic.”
Aeoldyn smirked. “Gasmic. Right. Easier to use a nickname and harder for your enemies to catch you, but ‘Gasmic?’ Seriously? Even for a human that is a bit.. erm. Well, I can imagine the Orr jokes.”
Gasmic smirked. With his arms folded and standing so casually with two daggers belted to his pants it was easy to forget how powerful this mage really was. Gasmic was a guild leader of high renown in the Mists, and a fine fighter; so much so that if he hadn’t studied in the arts of illusions, Aeoldyn was certain he would’ve trained under Gasmic. “Yeah, keep makin’ fun, that’ll just make this all the sweeter.” The human replied.

“I hope so. I really need to clear my head.”
“Well, nothing like an Elementalist to wash away cluttered thoughts, right?”

Aeoldyn stared blankly, then drew both swords. “You fight better than you joke.”

Gasmic responded with a grin. He took one slight step forward before pivoting on his heels, an action that made fiery sparks burst from his feet, and suddenly he was jetting towards Aeoldyn on a column of flame. The Mesmer let his right leg slip behind him for a more solid stance, crossing both his swords up in front of him to block the oncoming Elementalist. Right before the two collided, Aeoldyn disappeared in a sudden burst of dancing lights, reappearing right behind the Elementalist and thrusting both swords into his spine.
But Gasmic had anticipated such a move, and with sudden burst of swirling wind he quickly twisted himself around to Aeoldyn’s side. The Mesmer’s sword struck only dissipating flames, and a smirking Gasmic ended his twist with a sudden backflip as the air that spun him suddenly surged beneath his legs and violently expanded between the two combatants, sending Aeoldyn –the real Aeoldyn-flying a dozen feet away. Not one to relinquish an advantage, the Elementalist already had the beginnings of another spell in his mind as he landed, but Aeoldyn was nowhere to be seen. Gasmic smirked, “You think I need mysight to find yo-Arrghh!” His words were interrupted by something sharp stabbing into his ribs. The Elementalist glanced over to see Aeoldyn, or atleast a transparent ghost-like image of Aeoldyn, standing before him with a sword drawn. Gasmic spared a quick glance at his wound, which didn’t seem too deep, and narrowed his eyes at the phantasmal illusion. It clearly wasn’t Aeoldyn, so if he went to attack it he could still be ambushed by the Mesmer, but if he ignored it…
A sudden ringing in his thoughts alerted Gasmic to the true Aeoldyn appearing at his flank, and he brought a dagger in line to intercept the Mesmer’s sidelong slash at his neck. As they clashed the Elementalist noticed Aeoldyn’s free arm pumping in for another stab, and again Gasmic intercepted the attack, leaving the two deadlocked. Gasmic inhaled, as if nervous, and the perceptive Aeoldyn smirked. He twisted his wrist to try and free one of his swords but quickly realized that Gasmic was subtly using magnetism to keep his daggers locked. The Sylvari lifted a foot to kick his opponent in the chest, but the Human was faster. His inhale drew oxygen down into his body, feeding the flames that roared in his stomach. His exhale blew a steam of fire into the Sylvari’s face! Aeoldyn’s eyes widened, and he leaned back as quickly as he could before finally releasing his swords and rolling away once the blaze singed the side of his head. Gasmic wouldn’t let him go so easily though. As the phantasmal swordsman lunged in for a second stab, the Elementalist closed his mouth and inhaled sharply through his nose, suddenly ducking underneath the stab of the Phantasm and stabbing his daggers into the floor. The magical flames that roared in his chest flowed out through the daggers and burst out in a ring between the two, trapping Aeoldyn inside and the Phantasm outside. Aeoldyn smirked, glancing over his shoulder at the fires and pretending that the sweltering heat didn’t bother him.

What he didn’t notice were the humanoid shapes that were forming in the flames.

“You know, not all plants are vulnerable to flames. The Eucalyptus, for example, has adapted to actively encourage fires to destroy other competition.”

To Gasmic, the oddest thing about that statement was that it wasn’t Aeoldyn who had said it; his phantasm was speaking as it lunged forward for a second stab. This time the elementalist didn’t dodge away, but flicked his arm forward as if cracking a whip. His fingers and wrist twitched, emitting a static-like noise, before filaments of electricity jerked from his palm. The lightning lashed out, striking the Phantasm in it’s chest, arms, and face with a thunderous boom. The phantasm didn’t jerk or spasm at all, but it’s leading arm dissipated into a thousand purple sparks as it’s blade was inches from Gasmic’s neck. Without stumbling, without missing a beat, the one-armed illusion’s sword appeared in its left hand and it slashed upwards to rip Gasmic open from belly to neck. The surprised elementalist jumped back in time to only receive a slight scrape, but the swordsman pressed him with a heavy chop down onto the mage’s skull. He crossed his electrically charged arms up over his head, taking a slight cut for blocking the blade and surging electricity into the phantasm. The illusion froze in place, staring blankly at Gasmic, before lightning jumped out form it’s mouth and eyes. Fractures raced across it’s body, and in a flash it fell apart into dissipated ether.
At the same time as the Phantasm had first attacked, Aeoldyn had arm extended and swaying rhythmicly. He was chanting something under his breath, over and over, focusing his thoughts on one core concept. “Obfuscate. Disorient. Confuse. Obfuscate. Disorient…” He continued to repeat this mantra, using his phantasm to buy himself some time.

He almost didn’t notice the roar of flames behind him.

The sylvari dove to the side right before something slammed into his back. The creature —a vaguely humanoid-shaped entity composed entirely of fire-- barreled forward past Aeoldyn and with one powerful beat of it’s wing-like appendages it pulled up into the sky and looped around to dive at the Mesmer again. Aeoldyn could feel the vines on his wrist writhing in what could almost pass for fear. Sylvari were naturally attuned to the plant life around them, and though Aeoldyn had boasted about some plants actively encouraging fire, his nightmare swords were not made from one of those plants. Worse, the fire elemental was not alone; the ring of fire that caged him had spawned two more. Seeing no real choice, the sylvari watched calmly as the elementals dove for him, firey claws stretched out to rend his face, and at the last possible instant vanished with a psionic chime.

Aeoldyn appeared outside of the ring of fire.
Gasmic, in a flash of lightning, appeared right behind him.

With a quick pivot and twist, Aeoldyn whipped both swords behind him in a vicious double-slash at Gasmic’s chest and belly, but the elementalist –his eyes still radiating electricity- blocked both with his daggers yet again. Aeol hadn’t put much strength into the attack, making it easier for him to retract and step in with a double-thrust to Gasmic’s midsection. Gasmic, his grin telling, threw his hands down in a preemptive cross-block, the ring of steel chiming throughout the valley. Aeoldyn vanished. Gasmic vanished. Both reappeared with their arms pumping in a flurry of jabs, crosses, blocks and counters. Unable to help himself, Gasmic started laughing, even while not missing a single block. Nothing the Mesmer threw caught him offguard, and no matter how advanced or deceptive the strike the elementalist always seemed one step ahead of the Mesmer.

Aeoldyn just didn’t understand.

His left-arm sideswipe passed just inches over the ducking elementalist’s head. Gasmic easily weaved his following right thrust, grinning in Aeoldyn’s face. Spinning with the motion, Aeoldyn swung both blades low in a slice that’d sever Gasmic’s legs, but the elementalist easily jumped over it.

As Aeoldyn was expecting, and the low swipe was a fake to lead into a double upward chop while Gasmic was helpless in the air.
Except that Gasmic had expected Aeoldyn to expect that, and the elementalist’s foot snapped up faster than Aeoldyn’s blades, crunching his nose and sending the sylvari stumbling back several feet.

“Ha! Didn’t know Elementalists could read minds too, huh!?” His last word was smothered under the boom of thunder. The human lashed out with both arms, sending whips of electrical filaments cracking towards Aeoldyn. Aeoldyn jumped to the side, predictably, and with a subtle adjustment of the elementalist’s fingers the lightning struck the sylvari.

A flash, another boom of thunder, and Aeoldyn was gone.

“Hiding now? Fight like a man!”
“I’m a plant.” A clone of Aeoldyn appeared behind Gasmic, stabbing both swords through his back.
“… You know my meaning!” Though he suffered a superficial cut, the mage easily destroyed the clone.

Aeoldyn watched carefully from his concealment, thoroughly unnerved. Gasmic was reading his mind? Impossible! Yet every single one of his attacks had been dodged or parried no matter how intricate or advanced the technique. In all his three years of life Aeoldyn was a student of the sword, so much so that oftentimes the Mesmer felt more kinship to warriors than others of his profession. He knew that his knowledge of swordplay was far greater than the elementalist’s yet Gasmic seemed to know his techniques before he even executed them.

… Like a shark.

Aeoldyn’s eyes went wide. It all made sense! Sharks, having organs known as electroreceptors, were not only able to track prey by the electrical signals the brain sends to the body, but could even acutely read those signals to know when and which direction the prey was going to turn during a chase.

Gasmic, attuned to air, was doing the same thing.

That explained why Aeoldyn’s clone, a construct with no central nervous system, could harm the elementalist while Aeoldyn prime could not. His mind was hidden under the safety of his cloaking spell, but the Mesmer knew that would not last long. He had to force Gasmic to switch attunements, and fast.

Seconds after the human had destroyed the first clone behind him -causing it to burst in a swell of dancing ethereal lights- two more illusions appeared in his face, slashing at him wildly. An arcing surge of lightning dispelled them, and Gasmic made certain to keep his focus peeled for when the real Aeoldyn would strike. These clones also burst into scattering chaotic energy, but where two had fall, four more took their place, charging the elementalist from all sides. Knowing Aeoldyn was getting desperate, Gasmic didn’t mind. The more energy he spent producing clones, the less he’d have to defend himself.

Then he sensed it.

The energy the dying clones were leaving behind was not harmless. Gasmic realized he was breathing in deadly chaotic magic, and could feel the effects of the caustic energy throughout his body. His wounds, instead of closing, were tearing themselves open. His skin felt softer, more vulnerable, and the electricity he was generating was surging weaker and weaker.

And the blasted sylvari would not stop squatting out clones!

Gasmic’s head jerked backwards as the electricity that had been racing through his body jolted out of his eyes. It jumped defensively around him until molding into a spherical barrier around his body. He crouched low as the clones’ blades raced in, not surprised as each and every one of them were halted by the shocking aura. They’d only be held for a moment, but that was all he needed. The mage snapped up, leaping into the air and coming down with a heavy stomp.

Obfuscate.

Impossibly heavy. As if he were a meteor crashing into the earth, a shockwave rolled through the ground and took all the clones (and a hidden Aeoldyn) from their feet. Gasmic, his face as expressionless as stone, landed in a kneeling position with his daggers plunged firmly into the earth. His head was bowed low and his entire body was impossibly still as he focused. He could feel the pulse of the earth, the tectonic activity that controlled the planet’s movement, and he called to it. Like a focal point of an earthquake, the ground began to shudder for miles.

Disorient.

Neither Aeoldyn, nor any of his clones could find their footing. The churning earth was relentless, shaking them off the floor, then slamming them hard when they landed. The Mesmer cursed, hitting the ground seizing hard and shaking down to his core. Now would’ve been such a perfect time to stab the impertinent elementalist! He had to settle for the next best thing though, and while laying on his chest on the shaking ground the sylvari pointed one sword towards Gasmic. The elementalist’s focus was absolute, and he continued to build up seismic energy. He couldn’t react in time as the remaining mob of clones made a desperate run towards him. All semblance of realism had flown from these illusions, and they had charged the human with one goal in mind: Shattering, and wracking apart his mind in the process.

But Gasmic, a powerful guild leader and veteran Mist warrior, had faced countless Mesmer before. As the clones advanced on him, hairline fractures raced from the ground beneath the elementalist’s feet. Large chunks of stone ripped themselves from the ground, orbiting around the human before coalescing onto his skin, forming a solid stone exoskeleton. Aeoldyn’s clones surrounded him, each one of them overloaded with chaotic energy, and though they were illusions and mostly figments of his own imagination, they burst violently all about the human. None of the shattering illusions released any kind of concussive force, yet the shockwaves of energy blew off chunks of Gasmic’s stone armor and sent pain through his head like a dagger being lodged into both his eyes.

But Aeoldyn, who was less than ten paces away and prone, had failed to knock him out.

Gasmic screamed, and slammed his fists down to release all the energy he had built up into a titanic seismic wave. He hadn’t intended to kill Aeoldyn of course, but the massive shockwave had all the force of an avalanche, splitting the ground open and pushing up uneven spires of stone and debris. Dust would fill the sky and the mesmer’s screams were smothered under the roar of the still-shaking planet.

… Atleast, that was what the elementalist intended.

Confuse!

The instant before his fists hit the ground, Aeoldyn thrust his mind into Gasmic’s. His mantra burned into the elementalist’s thoughts and suddenly the human’s world went white. The mental intrusion only lasted for a moment, but Gasmic had suddenly felt extremely dizzy. Try as he might, in that short amount of time Gasmic couldn’t remember where he was, why he was there, or even what his own name was.

Water. His first clear thought was thinking of water. A quick attunement swap, a refreshing cleanse, and he’d be ready to fight again. Yet when his vision cleared, he was still kneeling, but he was looking down at a blade tucked dangerously under his chin and less than an inch from his throat. Aeoldyn, smiled before dipping a respectful bow.

“Victory appears to be mine.”
“Tch. Mesmers…”

Very nice story

Ty Emiko! =D Next up I’m leaning towards Ranger vs Thief… but I don’t play either class, so that may be a bit difficult.

This needs a bump cause this is about me

Ah, great as always Chaos Archangel! Do more of these, seriously, they’re awesome. You’ve got to make one with Necromancer vs X. Would be cool.

Awesome, As a Mesmer I was Rooting for Aeol, As a Secondary Elementalist I was predicting Gasmics Moveset… I was Guessing they Would have Tuned Water Rather than Earth.

I hadn’t noticed the responses before but thanks guys! Will have more stuff up soon. As for Ele going Earth rather than Water.. yeaahhh, looking at it now it would’ve made all the more sense for him to go water.

… Unless someone was messing with his mind.

Necromancer sounds awesome, I’m definitely considering it. Mayeb Necro versus Ranger rather than Thief.

Hi Chaos,
Just stumbled upon this piece of work of yours. Awesome story, Chaos. Keep up the good work.

Wanted to give a quick heads up.. The next entry will be “vs Necro” but I’m not too sure if I’m going to use Mesmer, Elementalist, Warrior, Guardian, or Ranger.

After that, I have one final story longer story similar to Mind of the Mentalist before I move on to other non GW-related project.

As always thanks again for the overwhelming support! You guys have inspired me to really take my writing further.

A quick apologies to those waiting on the Necro vs … story. =[ Lots of IRL stuff in the way and I actually am having a hard time figuring out who the opponent should be.

Originally I was going to use ranger, but now I’m torn between Elementalist, Mesmer, or Guardian since those are the three classes I play and know well. Any suggestions?

I say either Guard or Ele, because both seem to represent life or the preservation of it, where the Necro represents death.