Curse

antialias02 · Jan 11, 2006, 03:21 AM // 03:21

This is my first contribution to the Guild Wars Fiction arena - the first part in what I hope to be a five part short story, featuring my main PvE character. In the near future, I look forward to getting more involved with the roleplaying community here on GWG. Comments and critique are welcome.
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Feet danced across the ruddy dirt ground. Arms and hands flailed in arcane gesture and graceful attack. Battle cries and pains of struggle resonated for a league or more - such was the discord of never-ending battle.

Of course, all in a normal day's work at the Ascalon Academy. Especially after the horrible Charr Invasion now referred to as the "Searing," Ascalon Academy was overflowing with recruits and volunteers willing to commit time, effort, and intellect to help push back the menace. The Charr thought they had won.

All they did was give Ascalon new fervor. The Academy remained the heartbeat of that pulsing drive. On one particular training ground, four seasoned recruits awaited their turn at a scrimmage.

"Are you ready? Ayenne, I don't see your aura about you. Don't do anything silly. Ayenne?" Ayenne was a short elementalist with her bright red hair tucked behind her ears; currently, she was staring off to the side of the battlefield. "Ayenne Coronis!" the voice barked. She came to attention at once and waved her wand in a circle about her.

"I am sorry, Benjamin. I'm nervous. You know Warmaster Tydus is watching today." Benjamin did know; he'd been deliberately avoiding any glances in that man's direction. Every student on the battlefield wanted to impress him, it was true. Still, Benjamin knew, today, he had something special to demonstrate.

"Enough bickering," a nearby ranger spat, scuffling his impatient feet against the dirt. "We have almost begun. You all know what to do, I hope?" Benjamin rolled his eyes. No frills, no special tactics - just a good old fashioned fight. Having gotten this far, he hoped his team knew how to play their roles. Maybe the ranger was nervous, too - or newer than he let on. It didn't matter. Win or lose, the true talent would be self-evident.

"What's your name?" Benjamin asked him, after a moment.

"Ranego Lolandia, Mesmer."

"I advise, Lolandia, that you concentrate." The fight commenced - a warrior and necromancer were running straight toward the group. Ranego raised a hand to the air.

"The Necro!" he shouted, and lifted his bow. Ayenne nodded, preparing a flare and letting it fly to its mark. Benjamin considered him. Just beyond stood a monk alongside a pretty elementalist. He smiled. Between the two of them, Benjamin would find his target.

He darted past the necro and raised his cane toward the monk, muttering something. Benjamin envisioned a kind of barrier around him - something with a bite. Backfire. After two spells, the monk stopped casting, helpless and wary of another attack.

Satisfied, Benjamin conjured a ghost in front of the warrior. In the next moment, the startled fighter clutched his side as if he had been severely wounded; no mark scratched his armor in that place.

Perfect.

The battle raged on. Ayenne fell quickly, followed by the monk - a jovial fellow by the name of Santhos. Even Benjamin found himself on the less-pleasent end of the warrior's sword twice. Rising again at the Resurrection shrine, he dusted off his jacket and gritted his teeth. It was time. The opposing party had held the upper-hand long enough.

"Ayenne, keep that warrior company!" he called above the din. "I'm going in." His casting companion grunted and acknowledged him; now was not the time for a proper response.

Rushing into the fray, he focused on the fair-skinned air mage that he had been eyeing earlier - this time, however, to look at her casts and not her face. She stood huddled in with the monk and necromancer, preparing to send a jolt of lightning at Ranego. Nodding to himself, Benjamin twirled his cane and thrust it with vigor in her direction, just as he had been shown.

The elementalist called out a word that would have made hardened soldiers blush. Perhaps Tydus did. She and her two teammates stumbled in unison, each of them interrupted. Benjamin grinned to himself, satisfied. Ranego and Ayenne overpowered their monk soon after. After a few more seconds, Benjamin repeated the trick: this time it was the necromancer's turn for embarassment. Exactly as he had been told. Exactly as intended.

The battle was all but over.

"Cease!" a booming voice finally cried from atop a nearby stone wall. "Enough. Report inside immediately for your follow-up and a meeting with Warmaster Tydus. Benjamin Naoran, Elementalist/Mesmer, remain where you are." That was Cogneus, the Chief Instructor, and a bull of a man.

Benjamin blinked as his compatriots left the field; Ayenne looked back over her shoulder at him quizzically. He simply shrugged. This had never happened to him before. Hadn't they won? What could this man possibly want to say to him alone? Benjamin's eyes widened. Perhaps the recognition he yearned for had truly come. But the man hadn't sounded happy.

Then again, Cogneus never sounded happy. Heart thumping as if to leave his chest, the nervous mesmer stood alone on the Academy battleground.

Symeon · Jan 11, 2006, 07:43 AM // 07:43

Hey, this is a really nice story man. Keep it going, and I hope others will feedback on it too.

Synapse · Jan 11, 2006, 08:16 PM // 20:16

Bravo! Keep it coming.

megalomaniac_mutant · Jan 13, 2006, 03:15 PM // 15:15

Great stuff, gimme more!
By the way i thinkin of making something like this too, but not so serious..more like a comedy...

antialias02 · Feb 02, 2006, 11:52 PM // 23:52

Now that I have some more free time (class of doom is over!) I will try to work on finishing up this series of stories. And especially now that it's linked to the frontpage. ^^;