The victorious heroes sat quietly around the warm campfire in the makeshift camp. Even though they had just succeeded with the massive feat of defeating an elder dragon and saving all of Tyria from the crushing grasp of Mordremoth, the air was filled with sorrow, rather than celebration. Their victory had not come without great sacrifices, and the losses of the great norn hero Eir Stegalkin, as well as the man behind the pact that had now defeated two elder dragons, Trahearne of the firstborn. After the defeat of the dragon, the pact commander that had played a huge part in said defeat had gone on ahead of the others, being the only member of the party proficient enough with a glider to make it through the grasping vines and treacherous updrafts of the area known as Dragon’s Stand. The other members had to to go by foot through the extremely dangerous terrain. After the fight with the dragon, they found themselves in the middle of nowhere, with no way to contact pact choppers for pickup. They did however know which direction to walk in, and sooner or later they would reach a pact camp. They had made their camp in a small glade, surrounded by thorny vines, and overlooked by a flat plateau. The members of the company were Rytlock Brimstone; Tribune of the blood legion and wielder of the legendary flaming sword Sohothin, who had recently returned from the mists, wielding new and mystical magic, Caithe, a Sylvari of the firstborn, and slayer of Zhaitan, Canach, of the secondborn, Braham Eirsson, son of the late Eir Stegalkin, who played a big part in the defeat and death of the infamous criminal Scarlet Briar, whose actions led to the awakening of the elder dragon Mordremoth, and Marjory Delaqua, a sharp-witted detective, although the two sylvari were currently not present around the campfire, as they were out in the jungle looking for food. At first, Caithe wanted to go alone, but she had still not fully regained the trust of her companions, after the egg incident in Dry Top. The duo had been away for quite a while now, and the ever-vigilant Brimstone had started to grow weary.

“Those plants have been gone for a while now. What’s taking them so long?” he snarled.

“Oh, you shouldn’t worry about it. The jungle is full of dangers, especially during night. They might have just ran into some Saurians on the way. They should be back soon” , answered Marjory calmly.

“Very well, but I know more than anyone else here what Caithe is capable of. If she doesn’t come back, I’ll burn this whole damn jungle to ashes to find her.”

“Oh, that won’t be necessary.”

The voice came from the plateau above the camp. The voice belonged to Caithe, who stood atop the plateau, holding Canach in a chokehold.

“Caithe...what the hell are you doing?”

The question came from Rytlock, and was more of a threat than a question. There was a look of pure anger in his eyes.

“My demands are simple. You let me go, Canach goes free.”

“...Let you go? It’s not like we’re holding you prisoner.”

“Oh, but you are. We both know you’d never let me walk away on my own in the heart of an elder dragon’s former domain. I’ll say this one more time. You let me go, Canach goes free.” Her voice was cold as ice.

“Caithe, what the hell is going on with you? You’re not yourself right now.”, Rytlock responded, the anger in his eyes having shifted to worry.

A grin spread itself across Caithe’s pale face.

“I’m not myself? You don’t understand. None of you understand. None of you can even begin to fathom my pain. The pain of being torn between your loved one, between your mother, and the ever-present whispers of an elder dragon echoing in your head. You will never understand. If I would go with you, I wouldn’t do myself justice. I wouldn’t do Faolain justice. I would continue being caught in the illusion of the perfect child. Faolain...I have to continue her legacy...finish what she started. I owe her that much.”

A hint of pain and sorrow had cracked through the previous cold steel of her voice for a split second, before she regained her former demeanor.

“Caithe, we’ve known each other for a long time now. Even though I still don’t trust you completely, I know you, and I know you wouldn’t do anything too stupid. You are free to go.” Rytlock said.

Caithe nodded, a slight smile forcing itself onto her face.

“Thank you” she said.

Pushing Canach away from her, she turned her back on the camp, and blended into the greenery.

                                 *******

 

The pact commander pushed further into the dense jungle, using his machete to cut down the thick vines blocking the path ahead of him. Although Mordremoth had been defeated, he still had a busy schedule. Now that the pact’s previous marshal and leader had died, the commander had temporarily shouldered the role of leader of the pact, or what was left of it. After the defeat of Mordremoth, he had quickly traveled back towards the main pact camp in Dragon’s stand by glider. From there he had headed straight towards Rata Novus, eager to meet Taimi and see if she had made any progress with her research. As he glided through the dense jungle, he noticed several changes and oddities in the landscape. There were less Mordrem than earlier, and the ones that were left looked pale and powerless. This was also true for other parts of the jungle. Some trees and vines had paled and withered. Parts of the landscape that had earlier been colourful and vibrant now looked completely lifeless. Maybe this was a result of the jungle dragon’s death, maybe the dragon truly was the jungle, and as long as there had been a Maguuma, there had been Mordremoth. The commander cleared the thoughts from his head. as he noticed that he was just above the forgotten Asuran city. There were now several pact camps around the area, and a defensive perimeter had been set up against the Chak. Several priory research teams were busy with excavations. The commander headed deeper into the city, and finally got to the old lab where Taimi had set up camp. There were several notes and gizmos littered around the floor of the room, and in one of the corners, what seemed to be a half-finished golem exo-frame sat hunched over. Taimi herself looked concentrated on pulling out...something, out of, well, something.

 

“Need a hand with that?” asked the commander.

 

The sudden interruption broke Taimi’s concentration and made her jump. She turned around, and her face lit up with glee.

 

“Commander! I’ve missed you! Where are the others?” she said, with a look of curiosity on her face.

 

“They stayed behind and took the long way back. Most of them were too exhausted and injured to go back by air, besides, this jungle isn’t exactly easily navigated.”

 

“Oh..” she answered, a look of slight disappointment took over her face, before it was quickly replaced with excitement, like a child that was eager to show their parents their perfect test score.

 

“Oh, right, I have made some BIG discoveries while you were gone. I noti-

 

The commander interrupted her.

“..Wait, you’re not going to ask me about the encounter with Mordremoth, or anything?”

 

“Oh no, I didn’t think that would be necessary. I knew you were gonna take it down. And by the look of your face, it looks like everyone made it out alive, as well?”

 

“Almost everyone. Trahearne..didn’t make it. The corruption was too great. I had to put him down.”

 

“I..see. To be honest, I was prepared for the worst. He was strong to resist long enough for you to liberate him.”

 

“I only wish I could have made it to him before it was too late.”

 

“War is war. Sometimes sacrifices have to be made.”

 

The tone of Taimi’s voice was suddenly more stern and hard than usual.

 

“That’s a very mature thing to say, Taimi.”

 

“I’ve learned from you, commander. Anyways, let me show you what I’ve discovered!”

 

Taimi waddled over to the ley line energy map that had been discovered earlier. The large dot that had represented Mordremoth was completely gone, but that wasn’t the only thing that had changed. The dots representing Rata Novus and the forgotten city of Tarir and Glint’s egg had grown larger, and there were two new gatherings of ley energy on the map, but this wasn’t just some old magic artifacts or temples that had absorbed the shockwave of magic that Mordremoth’s death released. These reading was at least as large as Mordremoth, if not larger. Mordremoth’s death woes had awakened something. Something ancient and powerful was stirring. The locations of the readings were also curious. They were both centered around the Tarnished Coast, one of them worryingly close to Rata Sum, and the other, strangely enough, in the middle of the ocean.

The pact commander looked puzzled.

“What could this mean...there aren’t many things in this world more powerful than an elder dragon. Either another awakening has happened...or we’re dealing with something else entirely, but I can’t imagine two elder dragons so close together...and certainly not waking up at the same time.”

 

“I know. Besides, as far as we know, there are no elder dragons known to sleep in the area around the Tarnished Coast.”

 

“That doesn’t prove anything. We’re not even certain how many of them there are - wait...the vision...six spheres, yes it all makes sense. I see now.”

 

“Uh, commander? You still with me?”

 

“Huh? Ah, I’m sorry, something just came to my mind.”

 

“..What was that about a vision?”

 

“Nothing important. Anyway, those things could still be dragons, and even if they’re not, we can’t let a magic reading that large remain unchecked. I better go scout it out.”

 

“Are you sure? I think you should rest before you go away on another dangerous journey. Besides, the pact needs you here. A new leader needs to be chosen, and the future of the organization needs to be decided. Are you sure it’s okay for you to just leave without saying anything?”

 

“While my allegiance currently lies with the pact, I have always been a traveller, and I go where I must go. And, like you said, war is war, and as far as I’m concerned, my war is far from over.”

 

“But surely they’ll notice you’re gone?”

 

“Tell them I went back to Hoelbrak because of urgent family business. It’s not much of a cover story, but it’ll have to do.”

 

“You seriously think they’ll buy that?”

 

“No, but I don’t have any better plan. I need to go alone on this mission. If the pact were to be informed of another elder dragon rising so shortly after the defeat of Mordremoth, chaos would ensue. Don’t tell anyone about this. Understood?”

 

“...I guess. I just wish I’d gotten more time to show you the other progress I’ve made with my research.”

 

“I’ll look over it when I get back. I’ll be leaving as soon as possible. Goodbye, Taimi.”

 

“Goodbye.”

 

The pact commander walked out of the room, and prepared for the journey towards the tarnished coast. He was unsure of what he’d face, but he was prepared for anything. The pact would have to manage cleaning up without him.

            *******

 

The air in the room was filled with tension, as the three leaders sat down by the table. Gixx, steward of the Durmand Priory, Almorra Soulkeeper, general of the Vigil, and Doern Velazquez, preceptor and spokesperson of the Order of Whispers. There hadn’t been much of a celebration after the pact’s victory against Mordremoth. When the news were announced in the several pact camps across the jungle, rather than a roar of happiness, there had been more of a collective sigh of relief. The war against the jungle dragon had taken everything the pact had, and what was left was a shadow of its former glory. The fleet was all but wiped out, the infantry forced had suffered heavy losses, and perhaps the greatest loss of all; the death of Marshal Trahearne. Uniting the three orders under one banner had been a difficult task, and all of that work was now under risk of being nullified. The pact needed to elect a new leader, and this was not an easy thing to do. Trahearne had been an outsider to all of the orders, which had made him a perfect leader, as he was completely neutral, and didn’t focus on any of the orders before the others, but whether the leaders of the orders would agree to letting an outsider yet again take control of their operations was uncertain. That was why this meeting had been called in. The silence was finally broken by General Soulkeeper.

 

“So. Got any nominees, outside of yourselves?” the charr asked.

 

“Yes, I do. This probably won’t come as a surprise to any of you, and I’m sure we can all agree on him being the right man for the job.” answered Doern.

“The commander.” Gixx guessed.

 

“Indeed. He has shown himself more than capable of handling difficult situations and leading groups. When it comes to battle prowess he rivals, or even outshines members of Destiny’s edge. There’s no other option, the way I see it.” Doern said, looking pleased.

 

“I disagree. The commander is a traveller. While I do agree that he would be a great leader,I don’t think he would accept the offer. As leader of the pact he wouldn’t be able to keep his current lifestyle. I don’t think he’s the type of person that would sit in a chair and do paperwork and devise strategies day in and day out. He’s a fighter, not a bureaucrat.” retorted General Soulkeeper.

 

“...That’s a valid point, but then, who else?” Goern asked.

 

“Well, there is someone else.” the charr said.

 

“Who did you have in mind?” asked Tixx, curiously.

 

“I don’t think you’re gonna like this but...Canach.”

 

“Are you mad? You want that treacherous weed in charge of the pact?” Tixx retorted furiously.

 

“I think you’re overreacting a little bit. I, too, had considered the idea. He’s a changed sylvari. He showed great courage and leadership skills in the war against Mordremoth. His days as a criminal are over. He’s devoted entirely to Tyria and the pact now.”

 

“I still don’t like it. Who’s to say he doesn’t fall back to his own path? Besides, can we really trust a sylv-” He didn’t make it further.

 

“Watch your tongue. The pact was created to protect the peoples of Tyria from the dragons. ALL of the peoples of Tyria, sylvari included. If you are going to eliminate nominees based on race, we might as well just end this meeting right now.” Almorra interrupted the priory leader, and her previously calm voice now boiled with anger.

 

“Yes. That is what we will do then. And as far as I’m concerned, the priory is no longer part of your friendly little alliance.”

 

“Gixx, come to your senses! You cannot fight the dragons alone!” Doern pleaded, but to no avail. Gixx stormed out of the room, and Doern and Almorra knew that what he had said was final, and that this could mean the end for the pact as they knew it.

          *******

The charr sneaked through the golden pillars and corridors of the golden city Tarir. He was still thinking through what he was doing, and questioned if it was the right thing to do. He cleared his mind, and pressed on, determined to reach his goal. He was an ash legion soldier, trained from birth in the arts of stealth and espionage. He had been on many missions like this one, but none that involved such a high risk as this one. His objectives were simple. Get in, get the egg get out, as quick and cleanly as possible. Though he had previously been loyal to the pact and the Order of Whispers, he couldn’t refuse the offer he had gotten. Gold. More gold than he could ever dream of. His mission giver had supplied him with everything he needed. His usual assassination techniques wouldn’t work on the exalted, who were constructs of pure magic. His mission giver had a way around this. The device. It was one of a kind. One of the few weapons in this world that could completely dispel magic. It had been created long ago, for purposes not known to the charr, but one way or another it had fallen into the hands of his mission giver. The mission giver. He was extremely subtle, and to this day he still only knows him by one letter. E. Usually, he would be suspicious towards accepting offers of the like, but there was just something about E’s charisma and way of speaking, that made him reconsider. That, and he payed upfront. He sneaked through the corridor up to the doors that barred the supposed “egg room.” He focused on hiding his presence, and he sneaked up to the guards unnoticed, and and know what he had to do. Click. Click. The guards vanished, and left nothing but masks. He pushed open the heavy door, and there it was. He was stunned. It was the most beautiful sight he had seen in his life. Golden spires, arching upwards, in the middle of a pool of crystal clear water, and in the middle of it all, the egg. Normally, this is as far as someone would have gotten. The sight of a dragon egg would have stopped most people in their tracks. But he was determined. He had an objective, and he was going to carry it out. He dispatched a few more guards, and walked up to the egg. He did what he had to. He grabbed it. He was shocked. Paralyzed. Thousands of images bursted through his head. Battles. Blood. Deaths. Nations being forged, and nations falling. It was all clear to him. He felt the power flow through him, and jumped. As he jumped, dragon wings carried him upward, and he sprinted up towards the top of the sanctum, and made it out. He had never felt raw power like this before, but not even powers like these outweighed the sum E had offered him. As he stepped out into the jungle, the egg hidden in his cape, he heard a voice behind him.

 

“A job well done. Now hand it over, please.”

 

He recognized the voice immediately, and turned around. The last thing he ever saw was the figure of the man. E.

 

“You…”

 

He didn’t get further. He felt the cold steel of a dagger pierce through his heart, and he knew he had made a terrible mistake.

 

       *********

 

The pact commander cut through the thick jungle of the tarnished coast with his machete. As he looked up, he saw a messenger raven. He grabbed its leg, and yanked the piece of paper from it. He read.

 

“URGENT

 

Commander, we need your help at once. The foundation of the city of Rata Sum has been shaken. It’s the destroyers. He has awakened, and this time he will not just settle with driving us from our natural habitat again. The future of our entire race is threatened, and I’m sending you this letter as a last resort in hopes that you receive it. Please, come as fast as you can.”

Councillor Phlunt

Before he even got a chance to think through what he had just read, he saw another messenger. This time an eagle. He tore loose the piece of paper.

 

“COMMANDER, Lion’s Arch has been attacked. Hydra-like creatures rose from the sea, followed by a tidal wave the size of the one produced by Zhaitan’s awakening. This time, however, the lionguard was prepared. No more, will we see our city ravaged and destroyed. We have had enough. We are standing against the creatures with everything we’ve got, and we seem to be driving them out, though our docks have sustained heavy damage. Your help would be appreciated.

 

Captain Magnus Irondawn

 

The commander didn’t know what to think. First the magic readings, know this, and he was faced with a choice. Continue his journey towards the magic sources, or head for Rata Sum?

 

With Caithe once again having run away, the awakening of something ancient and powerful, the rising of another elder dragon, the theft of the egg, and the breakup of the pact, what will happen as the fate of Tyria hangs in the balance? Find out, in season 3 of Guild Wars 2, living world!