Chapter 24: Another Level of Urgency

Nienna made a face and adjusted the wolf pelt until it sat evenly on her shoulders. She wasn’t thrilled about the constrictive sensation of having something so heavy around her neck, but it kept her warm and helped tie together the overall appearance her new attire conveyed. Pulling her long hair free, she let it fall behind her shoulders. Before the group departed earlier that morning, she had combed it for the first time in longer than she wanted to admit. She looked so put together and respectable. She hardly recognized herself.

What was your plan here then? Did you think you and your rag-tag group of misfits were going to just waltz in here, kill us all, and then stroll out of here with your people?

If the Byrnes didn’t take her seriously, how could she expect her people to do so unless she started looking and acting the part? The concern drove Nienna into the armory before sun-up in search of new attire. Setting aside Quint’s jacket and her ragged clothing, Nienna dressed herself in a set of armor pieces in the Priory’s armory styled after the kodan culture. It was warm and functional, and it conveyed the image she wanted. It was also the only full set in her size. She found the wolf pelt in a pile of cloaks, and wanting to remain as mobile as possible, she chose the pelt over the heavy cloaks. Its great head had been perfectly preserved with an open mouth full of teeth and fangs, ready to bite. The aggressive expression appealed to her on an emotional level, mirroring the rage she felt for her enemies.

“So, please explain this to me again,” Nienna began. A fresh layer of ice crunched beneath her boots from the morning frost. She and Elena had elected to bring up the rear of the group, mostly at the asura’s behest, so they could speak in private.

“The magic from the blade is having an effect on your body at the cellular level,” the asura began, making sure to keep her voice low. “I first saw this when examining your blood cells. It appears the magical elements from the blade seeped into your body upon its use. At first, I thought they were destroying your blood cells, but then I noticed they weren’t doing that at all. They were bonding with them. I then cranked the cellular imaging machine up as far as it would go. They’re all changing!”

Nienna flashed a quizzical glance down at the enthusiastic asura. “Changing? What’s all changing?”

“Your cells—you! You’re not dying,” Alena exclaimed, but upon realizing the increased volume of her voice, she quieted down. “At least, I don’t think so.”

“Your confidence is assuring.”

“I’m sorry. This is new territory for me, and this is only preliminary data. Without further testing the blade, as well as your body, I don’t have much else.”

Nienna sighed. “It’s okay. It’s not like we have all the time in the world right now.” And who knows how much time I have before whatever is happening to me—happens, she thought to herself. “How’s Dee doing?” she asked, desperately needing to change the subject. “We’re getting close to Hoelbrak.”

“Eh, quiet, that’s for sure,” she replied.

Frowning, Nienna kicked at a small ice chunk in her path. “I asked too much of her to come to this place.”

“She wouldn’t have come if she didn’t want to, you know. She’s stubborn like that.”

“I know.”

Nienna looked ahead at the norn walking next to Tuborg and Clarkus. The three plodded along in silence, with the dolyak who bore Nienna across the snow, in tow. They had decided to keep him as a pack animal. She could see the weight of their mission resting heavily on her friends’ slumped shoulders. “I’m glad she came. I’m glad you all came.”

The asura looked up and flashed Nienna a toothed grin and gave her arm a gentle tap of her staff. “Me too.” Suddenly, her eyes went wide as a thought re-entered her mind. “Oh! There’s something I almost forgot to tell you.”

Nienna raised an eyebrow. “What’s that?”

“Do you remember that little break-in the Priory was being all hush-hush about?” the asura asked. “Well, it had been poking at my brain, and I needed to stretch my legs after a long research session, so I wandered over to the archives and did some digging. Turns out something was stolen. The Sanguinary Blade. It’s a sword forged from Jormag’s blood ages ago. It has a long history, but recently, it was stolen from the dredge by a norn named Steag Frostbeard and his merry band of Icebrood. He was going to use it to create an army of frozen creatures and march on Lion’s Arch. Thankfully, the Priory stopped him, and the weapon was recovered. Even though its original scabbard was said to be lost, a new one was forged using shavings from Grenth’s statue in Reaper’s Gate with a modified jadeite rune of holding woven into a shadow shard. That’s some pretty inventive containment, if you ask me.”

Pursing her lips in thought, Nienna made a thoughtful sound. “Icy appearance with a blue glow, by any chance?”

“According to the records, yes.”

“Grenth’s horns,” Nienna muttered as she kicked at another ice chunk on the ground. “Lord Byrne had it at the Priory camp, and he wasn’t afraid to use it.”

Alena reached up and nervously tugged at her long ear. “This certainly adds another level of urgency for this mission.”

***

The southern gate leading into the norn city of Hoelbrak loomed before them, welcoming weary travelers from the southern Shiverpeaks’ challenging environment. Nienna’s heart skipped a beat. Inside was unfamiliar territory she was both excited to explore and apprehensive to enter. A part of her wanted time to study norn culture. She had never stepped foot inside the great norn city, and there would no doubt be many things to learn. However, any personal exploration would have to wait. Time seemed to be slipping through their fingers at an exponential rate.

Their mission aside, Hoelbrak itself presented an issue; Dee was sure to run into trouble if recognized. Surely, the number of locals and travelers would lower that possibility, but it was still a possibility. She felt a pang of guilt for pushing this option. Whatever happened, she would stand by her friend’s side if trouble came her way.

“I’m so hungry, I could eat a whole dolyak,” Clarkus grumbled as they approached the gate.

Their pack dolyak grunted and pulled back on his lead.

“Don’t worry, not you, Maddox,” Tuborg assured him with a pat on his high shoulder. He pulled on the lead, and the dolyak continued on at the sylvari’s behest, but not without keeping a wary eye on Clarkus.

“Maddox?” The charr let out a hearty laugh. “You named it?”

“Of course, I did,” Tuborg replied matter-of-factly. “It seemed only fair since he’s a part of our group now.”

“Right,” Clarkus replied as he eyed Maddox and licked his chops to try to get a rise out of the beast. All the charr got in reply was a snort as the great beast swiped his head as a warning.

As the group passed through the gate, Dee hung back. Nienna did as well, and the two watched the others continue on in search of a place Clarkus could fill his empty stomach. Looking up at her friend, Nienna immediately noticed the deep lines along her furrowed brow.

“You okay?” she asked Dee, despite already knowing the answer.

“Not really,” she replied, her eyes locked on the south gate. “The last time I was here, I was basically kicked out.”

“I know this is hard for you-“

“No, you don’t,” the norn interrupted. With her hands on her hips, she gazed up at the gate with a healthy amount of apprehension. “Your family members weren’t labeled traitors and driven from your home.”

Nienna shook her head. “No, they weren’t, and I’m sorry. I sympathize. I’ve had my fair share of family drama as well. It’s not easy, by any means. But I want you to know that I appreciate you being here, and whatever happens, I’ve got your back.”

After a moment of silence, the norn’s visage softened. She placed a hand on Nienna’s shoulder and gave her a wordless nod of appreciation. Nothing else needed to be said, and so they went to catch up with the others who had stopped a local to ask for directions to the nearest tavern. While they listened to the norn woman’s hasty directions, Nienna took a moment to look around. Hoelbrak was larger than she had ever imagined, but she guessed it would have to be in order to accommodate the large, northern race. The great halls stood higher than any dwelling she had ever seen. The scale of their grand sculptures of their spirits of the wild illustrated just how much they revered them. It reminded her of the towering monuments of the Six in Divinity’s Reach.

The group made their way to the tavern, getting lost only once, and secured Maddox outside before going in. The huge doorway seemed to swallow them all, except for Clarkus and Dee, whose large frames made the oversized entryway seem more reasonable. The room inside was warm and inviting. The light from the roaring hearth in the center of the room reflected off of the smooth, knotted designs etched into the beams, and the scent of roasted goat from the spit filled the air. Most of the tables were occupied by local and traveling patrons. Behind the bar along the back wall, stood a broad-shouldered norn man, sporting a dark beard plaited into two braids. He finished drying a clean tankard and set it aside as soon as he saw Nienna and the group approaching.

“Welcome travelers! What can I get ya?”

While Clarkus inquired about the food options, Nienna took a look around the room and breathed a sigh of relief. Their presence didn’t seem to interest any of the other patrons at the moment. She was just about to turn her attention back to the barkeep and request an ale and food, when the sharp scrape of a chair against the wooden plank floor cut through the low hum of chatter. Nienna froze and swallowed hard as she stole a glance over at Dee. She should have known better than to be so optimistic.

“Don’t you dare serve that traitor’s daughter and her friends!” a raucous voice warned.

 Everyone in the tavern fell silent.

Dee braced herself against the bar’s edge and hung her head while uttering a string of colorful curses under her breath.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Nienna rest her hand on the pommel of her axe and mumbled under her breath, “Well, here we go.”