#lacoria

So, it seems that our primary objective has been fulfilled; the Pact despite its setbacks has managed to end the terror of a second Elder Dragon. Commander Nightrend has called for a meeting to discuss our plans from here on out. The Mordrem are still a threat so that still gives us some to do, but eventually those forces will be gone.

I’ve already sent word to Gontt with a basic map of the cavern layout. Now that we have a secure way to come and go from the base as we please, it may be time to get a feel for what he might have in mind in terms of making this base a lucrative investment. Between the sheer amounts of space that we have available for expansion and construction, and the mines that my team has taken up residence near, I’m quite sure that the clever little Asura will be able to come up with something.

Until then I need to continue to focus on my recovery. It’s been nearly three weeks and it seems there’s been hardly any improvement. The burning sensation lasted for six days; I’m guessing it subsided under the bombardment of Minthe’s water magic. I’ll document finally that most of the skin below my right knee is gone, only the skin on the inside of my leg was left unharmed by the acid. Warmaster Skamkelson’s team had a field medic who has kept my leg wrapped and covered in a poultice comprised of several of the local medicinal herbs. They’ve prevented infection and helped with the pain, but the healing is coming along a lot slower than normal.

The only other update I have to report is a shift in our approach to the functionality of the Mist Enhanced Armor and Weapon. We’ve decided to scrap the primary purpose of using the Mist Energy to enhance other types of magic for the time being. Instead, our goal is to now use the wearer’s and Mist energies to focus on the combined magical output. To this end, we should be able to avoid any of the overload issues that have presented in the past, as well as discover any new information that channeling Mist Energy might reveal.

“What do you mean he’s dead!?” Alexandria’s yelling echoed throughout the cavern, drawing the attention of Commander Nightrend, Minthe, and Warmaster Skamkelson. From their small meeting about current supply needs, the three emerged from the command tent; making their way to the large bridge that connected the central ruins to the path that led to the entrance.

A Pact messenger, a wiry Human teenager no more than eighteen years old stared at the yelling Magister with wide eyes. The approach of a Norn, a Charr, and a Sylvari only made him shake more in place.

“Magister LaCoria,” Ruo growled, her ears aching from the sound of the Human woman yelling, “report.”

“According to the messenger here, the Pact has already moved against Mordremoth. Between them and the Pact Commander’s forces, the Jungle Dragon is dead.” Falling silent, she stared up at Ruo with a clenched jaw.

“Mordremoth has fallen?” Ruo demanded of the messenger. “Does that mean the Mordrem have fallen? How did you manage to make it to our encampment on your own?”

“That is correct ma’am,” he replied shakily. “One week ago the rallied Pact forces marched on the domain of Mordremoth, in a region designated Dragon’s Stand. We sustained moderate casualties, but coordinating our attack with the Commander’s strike team, the dragon was defeated. Current reports show some reduction in Mordrem activity, but all messengers are still escorted by a nine man squad.”

“Right. You’re dismissed!” Snorting angrily, Commander Nightrend turned and marched back towards the Command Tent, barking orders as she went. “Find the Warden and Warmaster Sviennlark, I want them in the Command Tent in ten minutes!”

There had already been too much of a delay in her sending a letter home to family, letting them know that she was alive and well. It may not have been considerate to skip over the part involving her injured leg; but all that would result from that information would be undue worry. With the aid of an Asura device that attached to additional pens and copied the movements of one master pen, the letter writing went quickly. She sent three letters, one to Papa Eskara, one to Cristian, and one to her mother and Laila. 

I hope this letter finds you safe and in good spirits. I'm sure by now, plenty of horror stories have reached the streets of every major city; stories of the jungle itself attacking the Pact, of Sylvari turning against their allies. Sadly, these stories are all true but probably exaggerated. Regardless of whatever you hear from the fear mongers who would turn the truth into inflated lies to gain power, wealth, or whatever else, trust that I tell you the truth.

It is true that there are Sylvari who have turned on the Pact, driven to such actions by the voice of the Jungle Dragon Mordremoth. But these are only a small percentage. Through their own willpower and the support of their allies, most of our Sylvari allies have ignored this call and spend each day by our side fighting the Mordrem.

As for Minthe and I, we've rejoined with the few remaining members of Noesis, along with two additional companies. We've secured a location in the region known as the Auric Basin. I'm sure there will be plenty of new maps circulating before long. The two of us just wanted to let you know that we are safe and share with you what we've learned since coming out here. 

Bolts of electricity tore through the air, arching across the gold surfaces and rendering dozens of Mordrem immobile, dazed, and in a few instances setting their bark ablaze. The incredible surge of magic gave the assault team Noesis the advantage they needed to charge their next objective. Magister LaCoria knelt as her allies rushed past her, momentarily drained by the overwhelming blast she had produced.

Frosthildr and Sviennlark stood back to back, taking up their positions on one side of the platform. The black and white ravens that belonged to the pink haired Warmaster screeched warning of approaching enemies to the two Norn. Arrows flew, crippling and pinning down enemies while shotgun blasts tore holes in armor and blew entire body parts from the constructs of the Jungle Dragon.

Minthe took it upon herself to protect her team from the snipers around them, incinerating their arrows midflight. Sparks danced in the air around her as she pushed her own magic to the limits, casting as many spells as she could and pouring as much of her rage and fear into them as possible. The normally orange and red flames of her magic were white and blue, burning with the emotion she poured into them, burning so hot that the Mordrem engulfed by them were no more; even their ashes were burnt away.

Zornuth sheathed his blade as he faced two Mordrem Guard with massive shields that seemed impervious to even his most enraged attacks. Snarling angrily he lunged at one of them, catching it off balance so that he could tear the shield from its hands. The Guard fell back, looking up at the Charr with pure hatred for a few seconds before the edge of the shield was brought down with enough force to sever its head.

“One of the pods is opening!” Minthe called out, pointing to the large blossom that was beginning to shudder, a precursor to it releasing deadly toxins into the air. Feeling a familiar hand on her shoulder, Alexandria stepped into her field of view, staff pointed at the pod, the air around her cooling rapidly. Nodding, she changed her attunement as well; better with water magic than her wife, their combined magic would be able to freeze the pod, preventing it from opening. “Does anyone have a bomb?”

“Yes ma’am!” On the other side of Minthe, one of the light mortar wielding Sylvari appeared as well as one of the Charr Vigil riflemen. Lowering his cannon, he unloaded his first shot at the pod which was now covered in a sheet of ice. When it struck, it filled the cavern with the sound of a hundred windows being shattered in unison, and one of the massive petals crumbled, having been embrittled by the onslaught of ice magic.

“What are you doing out of position?” Ruo demanded, kicking another Mordrem over, and pinning it beneath her massive clawed foot. Cutting down a second enemy who rushed to aide its trapped ally, the force of her leaning forward sent her claws deep into the first Mordrem’s head, and it crunched into a disgusting pulp beneath her.

The Charr riflemen leveled his rifle and with two successive shots dropped two more snipers perched above the battle. Even with massive, clawed paws, his ability to reload his gun was not impeded in any way. “Just following orders Commander Nightrend. Once this is done you can report me to Imperator Ruinbringer yourself.”

“Watch your tongue cub, or I’ll rip it out myself and present it to the Imperator as an apology for having to bring petty insubordination to his attention!” Ruo’s words may have sounded like a threat, but coming from a Charr, it was more of a playful jibe. Taking the lull in battle, she turned her head, assessing the few opponents who were retreating. “Alright, we’ve secured this location! Cub, return to Maelcoluim and Skamkelson, have them push forward, I want them to hold this zone and zone one. We’re moving to take the north tower!”

Opposition on the stairs leading up to the ruined northern tower were minimal, and the assault squad easily pushed up to the landing. It was when they reached the top that they encountered heavy opposition. Three Breachers, wurm-like constructs comprised of large nodules filled with acid roared and opened their maws to fire on the intruders.

“Scatter!” Came the order and the six of them dove to any cover or untargeted spot. Of the six of them, two were hit by the splash of acid. Ruo snarled at the feel and smell of the fur on her arm being singed by the acid, while Alexandria shouted in pain as the acid chewed through one of her boots, searing her leg as it ate through the metal.

Fighting back the blinding pain of the acid burn on her leg, Magister LaCoria summoned an earth elemental who charged blindly into the opening where the breachers roared. It successfully drew their attention from the hiding members of Noesis, giving the squad a chance to launch their counterattack. “Aim for the acid nodules!”

Rising from their cover, the air was once more filled with projectiles, all seeking out the sensitive, exposed acid nodules. Several on the two constructs closest to them were burst, the acid flowing down the rest of their bodies, evoking howls of pain. The nodules themselves were impervious to the acid, but the rest of their bodies weren’t and the acid quickly ate through their stems, severing them from their roots and Mordremoth.

Before the third one could be destroyed it retreated back into the ground, likely sent to a battlefield where it would be able to contribute to a success for the Mordrem. Already they could hear the cheers from the central plaza, a sign that it wasn’t just the Breacher that had retreated. Past experience had taught them that a retreating enemy was not always the sign of victory, and the team hurried back to the central plaza where the majority of the forces were gaining ground rapidly, gunning down the few Mordrem who still dared to oppose them.

As the ground shook beneath them, the cheers subsided, and everyone watched as dozens of vines broke through the ground, sealing off the last remaining chamber of the ruins. The rumbling ceased, and the cavern grew startlingly silent, the sound of mortar fire having ceased now that the central plaza was theirs, leaving the bridge unoccupied.

Of the dozen riflemen, eleven were still on their feet. One of the Norn proudly bore two of the twisted arrows in his left arm, leaving him to wield his rifle in his outstretched right hand. Another two of them bore several gashes on their bodies, which were being bandaged in the brief moment of respite. The light mortar squad along with one of the other Norn knelt next to the only casualty so far.

“Report,” Ruo barked, as they joined up.

“What we didn’t kill retreated back into that chamber right before those vines appeared.” Skamkelson barked back, wiping the sap and grime from his face with the back of his arm. “One casualty, one of those cursed snipers went stealth on us and cut Cloudtamer’s throat before we knew what was happening. That’s his kin there with him, figure he’s going to be wanting some revenge real soon.”

“Dammit,” the Commander said, her eye looking towards the body of the fallen rifleman. “I’m sorry to cost you the life of one of your men. Maelcolium, signal the rest of your squad to relocate down here, take whoever you need from my team to help them move their gear.”

“Yes Commander,” the Sylvari said with a proud salute. Without asking four of the riflemen joined him and his light mortar squad to cross the bridge and return to the ledge.

“No need for an apology Commander,” the Warmaster told Ruo. “My men know the risks of going into battle. That, and no Norn would complain about his final hunt being this glorious. I’ll pound on the drums myself as the Skaalds sing his legend.”

“Very well. Everyone, stay on guard, but take this chance to patch yourselves up and prepare. This battle isn’t over yet! I want this chamber cleared of Mordremoth’s taint before the sun sets. Tonight we will honor our fallen ally and victory over the Modrem!” This time everyone cheered, even the brother of Cloudtamer, who looked proudly upon the body of his fallen brother.

Several beams of light filtered from crevasses onto the golden, glimmering ruins in the cave beneath. Combined with the luminescent glow of the native minerals and fungi, the whole scene sprawling out before them was eerily radiant. From high on their ledge, Commander Nightrend, Warmaster Sviennlark, and Magister LaCoria looked down upon their soon to be battlefield.

“Five minutes,” Ruo said firmly, gesturing for her two oldest comrades to follow her back to where their forces were preparing for battle. Three heavy mortars were set up; ready to bombard the bridge linking the ledges they were currently on from the occupied ruins below. Nine of the twelve members of the Vigil rifle squad were strapped into their gliders read to accompany the members of Noesis down to secure the first platform.

“Warden Maelcoluim, as soon as we take flight, I want you to open fire.” Ruo ordered sharply, her good eye blazing with the same fire as the ghosts that her people had fought for so long, the same passionate fire that had led her to rally the troops at the Battle of Brassclaw Landing. “You all have your orders. The Mordrem may be vicious and numerous, but they do not have the will to survive that we do. We will purge this place of Mordremoth’s rot and remind him that he does not fight Charr, Norn, Sylvari, Human, or Asura, but that he fights Tyria! I expect all of you to fight until your last breath, and should any of you fall this day I will drag you out of the Mists and return you to this battlefield. Is that understood?”

Had this been any other battlefield, the troops would have cheered loudly, but all that could be done in the moment was for the assembled force to salute proudly. Warmaster Skamkelson couldn’t help but break out in a chuckle, his large chest heaving with the restraint it took to fight back the full blown laughter of an excited Norn heading into battle. “Should my forces take point Commander? We could probably clear a nice spot before we even land.”

“That won’t be necessary Warmaster,” Magister LaCoria’s voice drew his attention downward. It was almost hard to take the tiny Human seriously when he was looking at the crown of silvery hair being tucked behind a tight black hood. But her eyes when she looked up at him caught him off guard; her blue eyes seemed to dance with flame. “My wife and I have some family issues we need to work out, and it’s only fair we deal with the extended family first.”

Everyone looked towards Minthe who seemed a little uncertain having all the attention suddenly upon her. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and opened them again, showing just as much determination as her wife. “I want to prove to everyone that not all Sylvari serve Mordremoth. If that means I can kill a few of them in the process to prove it, that’s fine by me.”

“It’s decided then. My forces will take point, and you will follow thirty seconds behind. I have no doubt the Mordrem are going to attempt to swarm us, so the air support will be appreciated. Now, let’s move out.” Another salute to the Commander preceded the mass movement towards the upper ledge. After one final check of the new gliders, a single nod saw the six members of Noesis take flight.

Alexandria and Minthe led the flight, gauging the distance between where they were and the island they were to land on. Ruo, Zornuth, Frosthildr, and Sviennlark followed close behind, the tension mounting with each passing second that brought them closer to the first zone they needed to secure.

“Snipers!” Frosthildr called out as they got closer, turning sharply to avoid three arrows launched from the bark armored Mordrem Snipers, vicious constructs with deadly accuracy. Continued barrage of arrows forced the group to scatter more than they wanted to.

“Alex!” Minthe screamed, drawing the attention back to the Magister whose glider had been hit sending her into a deadly downward spiral.

There was no scream from the Human, only a giggle as she spiraled faster towards the golden bricks below. It was not her tiny body that struck the ground and the first blow against the Mordrem; instead a vicious cyclone whipped up dust and debris, sending bodies and weapons clattering against the stones and into the water.

“Fucking mouse, always having to show off.” Ruo grumbled, watching the cyclone that supported the Magister in its eye move forward to give them enough room to land. “Descend!”

Almost in unison they hit the stones and charged forward. Arrows, bullets, and fireballs struck the first line of regrouping Mordrem, breaking their lines once more. Ruo and Zornuth surged forward, their blades gripped in massive paws as they passed Alexandria who had calmed the winds around her body. Both Charr felt a strong gust of wind at their back, sending them with greater speed into the disoriented Mordrem.

“Leechers!” Sviennlark swore, taking hurried steps back as small, thorned vines attempted to snare her feet. A sharp whistle caught her attention, and she barely had time to respond to Alexandria’s gesture to jump before a column of stone lifted her into the air, and away from the vines. Regaining her balance, she grinned and fire arrow after arrow at the hovering, overgrown flowers that were referred to as leechers.

With Alexandria, Sviennlark, and Frosthildr locked in their fight with the leechers hovering on top of a small building, Minthe turned her attention to her other allies. Unlike other foes whose armor was built to withstand only a few heavy blows such as the Charr could deliver, the Mordrem were constructed from heavy bark. Taking a deep breath, she cleared her mind of doubts, needing all her focus for her own unique blend of elemental magic.

A single gesture with her free hand brought forth a bubbling pool of molten rock, and with a sweep of her staff, a small wall of earth rose behind it. Pushing both hands forwards, the combined spells roared forward, churning angrily. Caught by the sudden spell, the unfortunate ones were knocked over and doused with the molten earth, setting bodes ablaze. Some made it to the water, hissing as bark cracked and crumbled, while others turned to ash in under a minute.

Caught in the intensity of battle, the sound of the mortars thundering echo throughout the cave was nothing more than subtle background noise. It was the cry of nine rifles that seemed louder than the roar of Modremoth when the Breachmaker had fallen. The superior numbers of the Mordrem quickly began to dwindle under the hail of gunfire, until one of the superiors, a massive Mordrem Guard atop his vicious mount called for a retreat, yielding the first zone to the attackers.

“Move forward!” Commander Nightrend roared as she followed relentlessly after the retreating troops, cutting down as many as she could, her blade ablaze with pale blue fire. “Rifle squad, form up and hold the line! Second mortar squad, move it! I want you down here now! Assault squad, to the northern path, nothing is to cross that bridge!”

Rifles continued to pierce the silence, filling the cave with ring after ring as if it were singing the second part of a wicked harmony to the thunderous booms of the first mortar squad raining death down upon the bridge. Amidst the noise, the eerie shadows of the remaining three rifle squad members, and the second mortar squad drifted from the ledge; the reflecting light from the water below dancing across their descending forms.

“Leopard’s claws!” One of the riflemen proclaimed as he landed, shedding the glider on the ground. “I’m already behind by eleven!”

Joining their comrades, the twelve man rifle squad expertly took splintery chunks out of their opponents who were taking cover behind low ruined walls, boulders, or any other object that would spare them from the rifle shots.

“Keep them covered and hold this line!” Ruo’s voice was a terrifying roar as she shouted above the sound of gunfire to give the mortar squad their orders. “Once my squad has secured the second island north of here, you will move forward and clear the central plaza out. Nobody moves forward until after we take the ruins of the north tower! Now move!”

Anyone who had thought it loud before would have been overwhelmed as the five light mortars joined in on the orchestra of destruction. Though the rounds were smaller, they were still effective enough to send chunks of stone and gold the size of an average Human’s fist flying. Once she rejoined her troops, Ruo gave the order and the six of them rushed to the next zone which lay over two bridges and was outside the range of the mortar or rifle squads backup.

What had started out as a simple attempt to claim some ruins for their use, was turning into a small campaign of its own. Ruo, Alexandria, and Minthe had returned from Tarir the morning after they left with not only a mortar team, but a twelve man rifle squad, courtesy of their Warmaster. The rifle team had been courtesy of a very bored Norn Warmaster who had expressed a great deal of delight at the idea of taking the fight to a hive of Mordrem.

Most of the rifle squad were Norn like their Warmaster, with two Charr in their ranks to give it some diversity. To temper the excitement of the Norn, the Charr seemed more interested in being able to test out new anti-Mordrem rounds than the sheer thrill of killing hundreds of their foes.

The mortar team helped keep everyone, save for Alexandria, Minthe and Ruo, alert. Sadly, the animosity towards the Sylvari had not lessened, even as the rate of Sylvari turning was diminishing every day. Centurion Firerain had been almost too willing to turn the ten man Sylvari team over to Ruo without any questions.

“I’m more than willing to get these traitors off my defenses,” Firerain growled, his dark blue fur glimmering in the waning moonlight. It was obvious his attitude set Ruo’s fangs on edge, but for the moment, no one chose to comment on that fact. “If any of them make it out of your campaign alive, feel free to keep them or kill them.”

In typical Ruo fashion, she rose to her full height, her uncovered blue eye pulsing with the same eeriness that her blue mane did. Leaning in close to the Centurion she nearly tore the poor male to piece in front of several dozen soldiers. “Centurion, cabbage or not, they are still your soldiers and under your care. As long as they do their job I don’t give a shit if they’ve got a dozen dragons trying to turn them against us. If they turn, then I’ll consider turning them into chopped salad without a single feeling of guilt, not a moment before. As for your team, I will keep them and show them how a proper military unit operates.”

Perhaps it was the Commander’s display that gave the mortar team such enthusiasm as half of them began setting up their equipment. This gave everyone else to go over the plan to secure the ruins. Sviennlark began the debriefing by going over the layout that her reconnaissance had revealed.

“The ruins are elevated over the water, so we won’t have to worry about forces approaching from any front we don’t want them to. This bridge here,” she gestured to the main bridge which seemed to be the only solid connection between their ledge and the main plaza. “The ruins seem to be divided into small sectors, probably for varying uses when they were still occupied. We can take it back one area at time with the numbers we have.”

“I can have three heavy mortars set up at our position here.” Everyone’s attention turned to the leader of the mortar squad. A grey colored Sylvari, he was quiet but seemed to have an incredible sense of tactics according to the Centurion. “Using shrapnel rounds, we can bombard the bridge and effectively hold this position without tying up too many troops. That would give you five of my light mortars for the rest of the assault.”

“If you’re bombing the bridge, where are we supposed to move in from,” demanded the Warmaster in the best whisper he could manage.

“We’ll use the new gliders that they developed for travel around Verdant Brink.” Ruo stated, looking down over the ruins. Gesturing to the nearest island with one claw, she continued her explanation. “We glide to that island, clear out hostiles and secure it. It looks like there are only two small bridges and if things get too difficult we can detonate them and thin out their numbers from range.”

“Once you secure that location, my men should be able to get their equipment down there without too many problems.”

“I’ll leave three of my riflemen up with yours,” the Warmaster offered to the Sylvari. “They can help glide your gear down once we’ve taken that island. It should get them even more eager to take out some Mordrem. Nobody in my squad wants to be the one with the fewest kills! That poor sod spends all night cleaning the gear instead of drinking with the rest of us.”

“We can discuss punishments later,” Ruo snapped, shutting up the Norn quickly. “Once we’ve secured that first zone, my team and I will move north to secure this side of the ruins. Warmaster Skamkelson, I’ll let you and your men get plenty of kills. You’ll hold the clearing north of zone one, between the numbers in the middle and giving us covering fire, your men should get their fill. Warden Maelcoluim, would the clearing give your light mortars enough room to operate effectively.”

“It won’t be a problem Commander. Our light mortars are essentially handheld cannons.” Drawing the mortar off his back, he held it in front of him, both hands gripping handles. “They’re designed to be portable support for squads such as the Warmaster’s here. They’re a touch noisy, but I’m sure our friends won’t mind.”

All eyes turned to the Warmaster, his expression unreadable behind a thick, black beard. After that comment, it would be very easy for the Norn to join the majority of the remaining Pact forces in their distrust of the Sylvari. The tension was palpable as everyone waited in silence, until the Norn let out a chuckle, “can’t be any louder than a moot! Me and my boys will keep your little cannons safe.”

It had taken half a day since their departure from Tarir to locate the ruins that Minthe had mentioned. Navigating the natural growth of the jungle would have been difficult enough under optimal conditions. These days sadly, the conditions were as far from optimal. Mordremoth’s growths, thick, writhing vines adorned with vicious thorns lived among the natural growth, a deadly trap for those who were caught unaware.

On top of the vegetation, the wildlife also proved to be a great threat and hindrance. With all the magic in Tarir, it was no wonder that everywhere around the city was crawling with Mordrem. Several times during their travels they had encountered everything from small scouting parties to full blown raiding parties. Occasionally they also witnessed the local saurian and sentient mushroom engaging in skirmishes with the Mordrem.

Once they had established their base of operations, Ruo intended to dedicate the manpower of both the Intelligence and Research Division to studying the wildlife they had encountered. Sentient mushrooms she could wrap her head around, deadly poisons, and other unpleasant chemicals that fauna naturally produced. It was the saurians that upset her. Massive, armored beasts that traveled in packs and had twice forced them to find secondary routes to their objective.

Their second hurdle had been locating the ruins with the very limited information. Beyond, ‘ruins scattered around the area’ they had very little to go on. Alexandria and Minthe had offered to clear away some of the more choked areas in hopes that they would find a cornerstone or some evidence of the supposed ruins. That offer had quickly been retracted when the two of them had nearly started a fire that would have likely burned down half the jungle around them.

In the end it was a rest break and waterfall that had led them to their destination. Sviennlark had been filling their canteens with water when she noticed the stream vanishing beneath a rock face. Closer inspection had revealed a cave mouth hidden behind several dense layers of vines and other plant life.

“This isn’t good,” Ruo growled from the ledge they stood on. Looking out over the ruins, she could have sworn they were right back in Tarir; the architecture matched the golden city and it too was made of glimmering gold. Evidently, the jungle had pushed back the Exalted to Tarir as well as the Mordrem. It was not the gold that upset her, but the sheet number of Mordrem that seemed to have taken up residence in the ruins.

“I think we’re going to need some backup,” Alexandria said, clearly distracted by the expansive ruins that stretched out before them. Her look of wonder was mixed with that of concern, her eyes darting from one ruined building to another. “We may be able to convince a mortar team to help us. There were quite a few of them back at Tarir, I think they were helping bolster the cities defenses against the Mordrem, but I have to imagine that they could spare a squad.”

“We have another problem.” Since they had entered the cave, Minthe’s expression had been one of utter disgust. Pointing to one of the massive pods that had broken through the stones of the ruins, everyone quickly noted that Mordrem concentrations around them were heavier than in the rest of the ruins. “Those look similar to the Vine Crawlers that we encountered in the Silverwastes. Considering we’re in a cave, we’re going to have issues if those start releasing toxins into the air.”

“Right. Nightrage, Sviennlark, Frosthildr! You’ll remain here; gather as much intel as you can about the forces down there. I want to know how our thorny friends down their think, move, act by the time I get back. I also want cave markers and a barricade up. Once we start this fight, we don’t need backup slipping into the cave and flanking us. We’ll do our best to return before nightfall, but if we have to escort a siege team, it may take us longer.”

“Yes ma’am,” the three replied with a salute.

Ruo Nightrend sat in the northern courtyard of the golden city of Tarir, with most of her squad close by, save for Alexandria and Minthe. Had she known that Priory forces were the ones that had landed in the Auric Basin, she would have made camp back in Verdant Brink, and marched straight through the camps in the Basin.

Unfortunately for her and her sensitive ears they had pushed through to the frontline camp in the Basin. It had given Magister LaCoria plenty of time to talk to her fellow Priory members, and learn about the Exalted and their golden city in the middle of the region. At one time she may have been used to the high pitched squeaks of excitement from the tiny Human, but that was no longer the case.

“I thought we were looking for a base of operations?” Zornuth growled irritably, keeping one massive paw on his blade as the ethereal, golden armored Exalted glided past them in eerie silence. “How long are we going to let her run around like...”

“A Skritt?” Minthe asked, getting everyone’s attention as she approached. The Sylvari seemed on edge still, many of the forces they encountered had regarded her with disgust and unconcealed hatred at best. “I do apologize for my wife; she’s just extraordinarily excited about all of this.”

“How difficult is it going to be to pull her away from here?” Having seen the Magister delve into studies to aide the group in Orr, the Commander knew that a study of this side could take months. She would have no issue allowing Alexandria to return to Tarir after the established a frontline base. “I want to get moving within the hour Minthe, can you get her ready to leave?”

“Yes, it’s not really that hard. Also, some of the Exalted mentioned a few ruins scattered around the area. I left my notes with Alex, just in case you were interested.” With a slight bow of her head, the dark green Sylvari scurried off to fetch her wife.

“Ruins?” Zornuth seemed unimpressed by the sound of that.

“Preexisting buildings Nightrage,” Ruo growled. “If we can save ourselves some works and gain a defensible position, I’ll take it. You can like it or not, but if it serves our purposes, we will claim it and fortify it. Now wake Sviennlark and Frosthildr and get them ready to leave within the hour.”

Zornuth saluted and marched to wake the two Norn who had spent the past two hours catching some much needed sleep. With forces stretched so thin, the two had offered to aide in perimeter watch the night before and had only caught a short three hour nap before Ruo had issued the march order. If things worked out in their favor, they would be able to secure a location for operations by the end of the week, and hopefully gain a few more soldiers to bolster their numbers.

Minthe made her way back towards the chamber where she had left Alexandria who was excitedly studying everything that caught her eye. In a city made of gold, that was quite nearly everything. Even being in the middle of enemy territory, there was something about Tarir that made her feel a little more at ease. Perhaps it was the fact that it was mostly Priory members moving about, or rather the fact that most of them were too busy studying the city rather than noting who among them were Sylvari.

“So you’re saying that it was a different use of Bloodstone magic that made your transformation possible?” Minthe couldn’t help but smile at the sight of her wife talking to the Exalted, seeming so overjoyed by their current location. She also did feel a little bad for the being that was cornered and being interrogated. Knowing how Alexandria could be when she got involved in her studies, she was confident that with enough time Alex could convince Mordremoth to spill all his secrets.

“That is correct,” the Exalted replied. “The Forgotten had greater knowledge of the Bloodstones and how to utilize that magic than any other race on Tyria. They were capable of channeling it to the end of turning us into the beings you see now. I have heard many of your Priory refer to us as immortal, though that is not entirely accurate.”

“Still, the ability to use the Bloodstones in such a way!” As she spoke, her eyes studied the being, taking in every detail. There were so many questions she had for the Exalted beyond what they knew of the Forgotten. How did their forms still retain sentience? Their memories? What abilities did such a transformation imbue them with? Was their armor a central part of their being, or was it something that was there to protect their magical forms.

“Dearheart,” Minthe spoke softly, placing her hand on Alexandria’s arm, ready to leap out of the way in case she startled the Human.

“Minthe! Oh my Gods, the Exalted are amazing! They actually knew the Forgotten!” Bouncing with joy, she embraced Minthe, giving the Exalted enough of a chance to depart to continue on whatever task the Magister had been keeping him from. This caused Alexandria to pout when her attention went back to him. “Oh, dammit! He got away!”

“You can ask them more questions later. Commander Nightrend wants us to be ready to head out within the hour.”

“Within the hour?!” Gesturing wildly to everything around them, Alexandria looked almost panicked. “But there’s so much here to study! I spoke with a few of the teams who are studying the city and they say that it’s going to take months for us to make the first pass over this place. Plus, in an area this big, we’re bound to miss stuff, so that means another few months double checking each other’s notes and finding everything we missed!”

“I know dearheart, I know. We can always come back once we’ve established a base of operations. Unless you want me to tell the Commander that we’re staying here?” Watching her partner with an amused expression, she saw the reality slowly dampen her spirits. “Don’t look so sad. I promise, we will come back here and you can study the city to your hearts content.”

“Yeah… I know,” she sighed. Still looking disappointed, she walked over to a small gold block where her notebook sat out. Closing it, she slipped it back into the leather satchel that she always carried with her in the field. “It’s just that there’s so much history here, so much that relates back to my ancestors and the struggles they went through during the fulfillment of the Flameseeker Prophecies, the Krytan Civil War, all of it. But, we did come out here to do a job, and we have to focus on that first.”