Blink of an Eye - a Guild Wars 2 Fanfiction

Chapter 2 - Rata Sum

I wasn't sitting at the table very long before a grumpy looking Asura brought me a jug and a steaming plate of food. He dropped the plate off without a word and disappeared before I was able to thank him. But I didn't really mind at all, because I currently wasn't in the mood for having a conversation with a stranger.

I took a deep swallow of the drink before me, the taste drawing my face into a grimace. While I couldn't say what exactly it was, it had a fruity hint and was pretty strong. Whatever it was, it would have to suffice for my current situation. I gave a quick poke to my food before concentrating on my dinner. My stomach was rumbling as the hot steam reached my nostrils.

The previous excitement of landing into this new world had overtaken the desire for things like food and drink during these past few hours. But now that there was something edible sitting in front of me, I realized how starved I truly felt.

How long did it take to get here?

The feeling of time had been lost during my strange journey. Thinking back on it, the adventure had felt as if only a few minutes had passed, but my body was clearly telling me otherwise.

I looked back to the presentation before me. Much like the jug sitting next to my food, the plate was also made of some polished wood. Its surface was already decorated with various scratches and cracks on the rim. It wasn't anything special, but at least the weathered-looking material didn't seem to crumple away in my hands. On the plate was a big piece of meat that resembled something to that of pork. It was a little too burned in my opinion of personal tastes, but it didn't appear too terribly charred. Beside it lay a clutch of cooked vegetables consisting of broccoli, carrots and kohlrabi.

A strange mix, that was for sure.

Carefully, I took the fork and scooped a portion of vegetables right into my mouth, surprising me with a mixture of diverse, culinary herbs. It was foreign, but not bad at all.

My focus moved towards the meat on my plate and I searched around the table in vain for a knife I could use.

No knife?...I thought, concern passing my face. Just as I was about to raise my hand to ask for something to cut my meat, my action was interrupted.

"You do have teeth, don't you?" a voice next to me suddenly asked. It sounded slightly childish, and its tone was at a near-annoying level.

Either I spoke my thoughts out loud, or the clear confusion on my face had simply been that obvious to the wandering eye.

The stranger had totally ripped me from my daydream of kitchen utensils, and with a jolt I soared up and bumped my knee against the table rim. I sucked in a breath of air through clenched teeth, suppressing a painful groan.

Ouch, that hurt! I winced, doubling over a bit while the pain dulled. I threw a glance towards my unexpected guest, when immediate recognition caused me to bump my already injured knee once more upon seeing who was sitting next to me.

The female Asura was bald and had ash-gray skin. Big blue eyes were intently focused on me, and her small mouth was grinning in clear amusement. The iconic pointed ears were covered by gold-garnished plates, some of which had brown ties dangling down from them. The straps seemed to sway to and fro with every little movement she made. The rest of the armor she wore was decorated in rich blues, and it sparkled as though it had been newly repaired and polished.

"Y-You... You are Zo-Zojja! THE Zojja!" I muttered, the only thing coming to mind with what I could meekly bumble out, since I was too busy holding onto my injured knee while staring upon the famous Asura with my mouth wide open.

"That's who I am, I suppose. Indeed. A real genius you are", she said with an arched brow.

I realized how stupid I was looking and my face heated up from disgrace.