Curse

Timeless Logic · Oct 17, 2006, 05:32 AM // 05:32

This piece is based primarily on an exploration I conducted with guildies about 6 months into the Prophecies campaign. Our goal was to search for secrets within the Maguuma Jungle. The characters are my own, but some references will be obvious. This is very rough, literally drafted into the text box. Be gentle on the dialogue. After ~9 years of writing I still struggle with it. Lastly, the formatting is by no means finalized, as a forum post is no place for such work.

"All truly great thoughts are conceived by walking."
-Friedrich Nietzsche

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."
-Confucius

Chapter 1
Click.

Sticks crackled in the darkness.

"Nariah? Is that you?" My voice hung on the breeze, imprinting a sinkhole into the jungle mist.
"Yes. Is everything alright?"
"I'm fine. I was afraid the beetles had come back."
"Was the mighty Jandal really afraid? Your master would be most displeased."

Her teasing, while fondly spoken, always prickled me.

"Of course not. Merely a figure of speech."
"Ah, yes. My mistake."

The rumbling sounded again, as it had each dawn for a week prior. The stillness was uncanny for such an overgrown area. "We're almost there," I remarked. "It sounds like four, maybe five Titans."

"I'm not deaf, bladebrain. And there are six of them."

We waded through a small creek. The ripples from our crossing spread no more than a few inches. Nothing stirred beneath the surface. Nariah halted, finally in tune with the deathly quiet.

"Isn't it a bit early for jungle fish to migrate?"
"Yes. By several months."
"What could have caused this? I feel so...deserted."

I squatted and ran my hands across the creek bottom. The water felt thick and the sand unnatural. My hands withdrew from the water covered in tar and ash. I glanced at Nariah's robes. Once spotless beige, the hem of her garment was stained and grimy.

To my right, a waterfall poured liquid crystal into what was once a reflecting pool. A blackened and mutilated shrine to Melandru stood at its crest.

"We've reached their lair."
"But there's nothing here," Nariah mused.
"They're likely out causing more destruction. The Old Gods resonate strongly within the Maguuma. The Titans must be discomforted by this."
"We'll wait for their return, then. We have nothing to fear from the silence."

The forest sighed in desperation.

"Nothing to fear," I repeated. We hunkered down for a brief respite as the morbid tranquility defiled our senses.

Aleks · Oct 18, 2006, 10:50 PM // 22:50

I don't know what you're talking about, your dialogue flows like a river. Your use of vocabulary is also well done. I can't wait for chapter 2 and the titans they will finally encounter =D

Timeless Logic · Oct 27, 2006, 03:51 AM // 03:51

This chapter is long overdue, but at least it's here. It's primarily dialogue, an aspect that developed unintentionally but not without welcome.

Chapter 2

"Are we lost?"

"Well, that's a loaded question."

"Answer me or pike off."

I let a hint of a smile ripple across my face, then removed it just as subtly. "I'm not lost. Would you like to be?"

"Oh, you're a riot. "Humor for the Gods, that." The warrior raised a sinewy bicep and wiped the sweat from his brow. "Your wit may suit Lyssa, but I don't fancy relying on an illusionist for guidance."

"Torvin, I'm impressed! Keep it up. You may yet win an argument."

"Damn it, Alt, where in Grenth's name are we?"

"We're on course. All you need worry about is dealing with the targets of our search."

"And just who might they be? If I'm going to kill, I damn well want a reason. Even if it is under contract."

"Awful picky for a mercenary, aren't we?"

The next moments were void of anything but silence.

"Are you ticklish, Mesmer?"

"How's your digestion, slime?"

Torvin looked down, then removed his blade from my throat slowly, to avoid upsetting the balance between himself and the crackling cane I had positioned against his stomach. I lowered my weapon and began to relax.

"The targets of our mission, my overly direct companion, are a monk and warrior."

"Are they of certain import? You have a knack for ruinin' a good outing."

"Oh, they are extremely important. So much so, in fact, that Lyssa herself spoke to me and requested their elimination."

"Lyssa spoke to you? This is top-notch hogwash. What does she care about you, the Maguuma or even Tyria?"

"Well, you've no doubt heard of the Undead Lich and the release of the Titans across the kingdoms of Tyria."

"Aye, they've been spreading nothing but havoc for the past two months."

"Well, four of the Five Gods agree that the Titans must be stopped in order to preserve order."

"And she's ornery about it?"

"'Ornery' isn't my term of choice, but yes. The twin goddesses have always been agents of misdirection and deception, even chaos when necessary, and Lyssa believes that the Titans could do considerable good by exterminating the populations of Tyra."

"Curses! Is she daft, blind or simply loony?"

"Neither. Lyssa wishes to rebuild Tyria from scratch. A clean slate, so to speak. She aims to eliminate the ills of this world and build a new society void of such problems. The two we seek aim to defeat the Titans and continue with the current order."

"How did a Mesmer with an attitude problem become involved in the plans of a goddess?"

"I don't know why she chose me, and I don't intend to ask questions. The motives of the gods aren't my business. I'm far more concerned with the outcome than the design."

"How did Lyssa approach you? You make her sound like any chestbrained chit from Lion's Arch."

"Don't take your jokes too far, Torvin. Even the coolest Mesmer can be angered. As to your question, I didn't understand it at first, either. I started feeling drawn to do things, as if certain events needed to come to pass. I followed my impulses, and it led me here."

"So you don't truly know that these two are the ones you're looking for."

"I know that they are part of a group operating against the will of Lyssa. That's more than enough to justify my actions."

"Well, as long as I get paid..."

"You will."

Bestial rumblings echoed through the wilderness.

"The Titans aren't far, and our foes will no doubt be waiting for them. We've lingered here too long."

"I'm already movin', sunshine."