Blink of an Eye - a Guild Wars 2 Fanfiction

Chapter 6 - Traces in the Snow

The next morning came way too soon. I had dreamt about my family, about the life that I had lived only just a few days ago. If someone had told me a week ago that I would soon lead a whole new life in Tyria, I would have declared them for being insane.

Would I ever get the chance to go back? What was my family doing right now? Were they searching for me, did time stand still in the other world as long as I was here, or was a parallel-me living my former life now? Had there been more cases like mine, and if yes, what had happened to them?

Even if I could not answer a single question, I wanted to get back. This world was unique, amazing, fantastic - but it was also dangerous. Tyria fought against Elder Dragons, and I was right in the middle of it. But I couldn't even fight! How could I ever dare to believe that I would possibly survive more than a few days in this world? And what would happen to me if I died? Would I return to my old life, or would I disappear once and for all?

I want to go back. I just want to go home.

"Back where? To Rata Sum?" I heard a strange, but familiar voice.

Someone parted the curtains without much of a warning, and my blanket disappeared with a sudden flash of movement. My condition was quite similar to the morning during my stay at the tavern in Soren Draa. Except this time, rather than having just a headache, every single part of my body ached as well.

They had cleaned the wound on my arm last evening and smeared an ill smelling balm on it, which made the pain bearable and closed the wound as well as possible. But Authen had warned me that I would still feel the consequences of the poison for days - and now I began to realize what he had meant with that.

My right arm was starting to hurt again because the balm's effects faded. The left shoulder, where Zojja had grazed me with her fireball, blazed and tore like a sunburn. It felt as though pure fire seemed to be flowing through my whole body.

Added to that, was now the dazzling light and the sudden envelopment of cold, after the wonderful warm blanket had disappeared so abruptly.

I moaned and hid my head in the crook of my arm, but as the seconds passed and nothing changed, I dared to peek a look. In front of me stood Narru with her arms crossed, and she was already in full gear and was shouldering a wanderer's backpack.

That was definitely not good.

"What are you waiting for? Night is long gone!" she began. "We have a very long way ahead of us, and not much time. Get dressed and pack your bag, I want to get moving in half an hour."

"Eh?" was all I could give as an answer. It was so early in the morning, and my brain wasn't capable of bringing out more words. I supposed it was still a long time until midday, but I was hungry, everything was hurting, and I would have given anything for a nice warm bath right about now.

Narru groaned at my lack of immediate movement, and threw my bag to me at the hammock. "My ears, what are you? Asura or Skritt? I already said yesterday, that I'm going to be training you. In the Shiverpeaks. Starting today. And time is running away from us. I expect to see you at the lab entrance in half an hour."

With these last words, she disappeared and shut the door with a bang.

Painstakingly, I sat up and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. The skin on my left shoulder was peeling and it looked horrible, and the right arm was swollen and hot. I definitely needed more of this healing balm.

Since when did I admit to this training...?

It was obvious that I didn't have any time to dawdle around, no matter how reluctant I was to the concept. But I didn't know what Narru would do to me if I was late, and I didn't want to find out.