Mission 389 by: Pent Ghelsburg
Disclaimer: The characters depicted in this work are purely fictional. Any resemblance to persons alive or dead is purely coincidental. They are the original and rightful intellectual property of their creators. I use them with permission and respect. This work involves combat that features mild violence. You have been warned.
That feeling of longing when you are away from home for a long time. That ever-aching desire to return to one's roots. That almost instinctual sense of wanting to belong once more. No matter how long one is away, there is always that lingering core of oneself that remains where they came from. It makes no difference why one moved, as they will forever be part of the community, and so too will the community be a part of them.
A light wind cast across the horizon, carrying with it the freshly spread sprinkles of chilly winter powder. A frigid day to be sure, as icicles could be seen hanging from a nearby cave. The carved pitch of a gnarly elden oak tree lay scarred on the ground, sundered by several generations of inclement weather. The thing had long since been frozen over, yet its form remained very much intact, despite having lain to rot for many years.
A small woodland creature scurried about, its solid white fur making it hard to recognize among the constant flow of ice and snow. An elder yordle scout surveyed the area with its spyglass. The older male was wrapped up in an earthy-toned parka, his head completely covered by the pelt of game slain long ago. The man's sand colored fur was barely visible except for the few parts of it that sprouted out around his face, wearing bright red goggles to cover his eyes.
Teemo was a senior scout of the Elite Bandle unit known as the mothership. Now the ranking member of the group, the elder yordle only rarely saw action in the field. Yet after hearing about the tale of a long-forgotten ice wyrm, he was all too keen to take up the task. Much to his colleagues' dismay, the yordle took up his trusty blowgun and made his way to the Frigid northern territory of the Freljord.
The Freljord was the most unforgiving land in all of Valoran. For those who knew it, it was a frozen landscape that knew only strife and turmoil. The local tribes of Avarosa and the Winter's Claw had plundered the land devoid of resources. Those few that remained were highly coveted after and just as rife for conflict. Very few from outside the territories of the north ever saw the place, and those that did seldom lived to tell the tale.
The elder scout wasn't worried about such a thing. He was a grizzled veteran who had seen numerous campaigns across the generations of his life. Now in his seniority, things had slowed down tremendously for him. The younger members of the Mothership had regimented him to a more advisory role, but he was still by far the most capable member of the scouts. In his mind, he wasn't old but rather experienced, and this was his opportunity to prove it.
Teemo's breath frosted across the wind, clearly visible as he surveyed his surroundings. The area was but a flat and burren tunder with a small pit of brazen earth that arose ever so slightly into a small peak. Beneath its core, a volcano that had long been dormant. The only remnants of its activity lay deep beneath the snow. Padding over toward it, the elder yordle hoped to get a better idea of where he was.
Pulling out a map, the magical parchment showed a small spec of light where he was. Naljaag was the nearest village, a long-forgotten and abandoned old mining town at the heart of the icy region. Deciding he would head toward it to make camp for the night, Teemo shoved his map back into his pack. The small piece of magical parchment disappeared into his satchel the moment it touched the opening.
Teemo wrapped himself in the thick fur scarf he'd brought with him, covering the lower portion of his face. His fur was not quite thick enough for such a climate, and so he came prepared with extra garments for his journey. Taking a slow but careful breath, he tread off the small incline of the inactive volcano. The squish of his boot-clad paws echoed as the crinkle of snow echoed into the distance.
Huddling up, the yordle did what he could to keep himself warm. The harsh winds of the region were brisk and ever blowing. The constant gusts of wind could be easily felt brushing against him, even with all the clothing he was wearing. His button-like animal nose was now encrusted in ice, and he barely felt it anymore. But such things didn't bother the elder yordle as the mission came first and his own safety fell into the back of his mind.
Trekking some distance onto the frozen wasteland, some icicles cracked down near his person as the sound of his footsteps echoed into a nearby crag. The curly peak of it wavered over him with ice frozen into its sedimentary bases. A few dead trees lay barren with no leaves among them, their branches devoid of life and color. A small shred of bark peeled off near a scar of unknown origins.
A short while later, the elder scout thought he heard the sound of water in the distance. The constant echo of the flow of water gave him some hope that he could find a safer place to camp. Again, taking out the magical piece of parchment, he saw he was nearing the former harbor of Rakel. The old mining towns only port to the river of the same name, a large river that he saw extended through the middle of two ranges of mountains.
The sun was already starting to go down, and he didn't know how much daylight he had left. Teemo picked up the pace, climbing up a small incline of snow that led him to another flat area. Losing his footing a bit as the snow crushed beneath his feet. Yet just on the outskirts of a snowy visage, he could make out the silhouette of what he believed to be the town. Looking at the map once more, he confirmed he was indeed close to the old mining village.
Arriving at the village of Naljaag, he passed by an old wooden sign carved with the Avarosan script of the name. Teemo couldn't read it, but he didn't need to. Looking around the village, he could see but a few abandoned buildings, all of them worn with their rickety wood planks creaking with the wind. One of them was without a roof, completely open to the elements, but the rest of them were covered in the same fashion as wrapped bear or elk pelts.
Teemo headed toward the smallest of them, figuring it would be the easiest to warm up. A small collection of lumber lay stacked on a glazed-over black-iron rack. Surprisingly, it was covered in snow, but it didn't seem to be frozen over like the trees in the area were. It made the elder yordle think to himself; Had someone been here recently? He couldn't be sure, but he had no choice as the sun was already starting to set and the temperature was dropping at an alarming rate.
Stepping into the small shack, he found the inside of it decorated with naught but a few animal hides strewn across the floor. Teemo looked to the back and saw what he thought was a makeshift bed made from bundled up dead leaves, twigs, and dried out seaweed. On top of it, a bloody chunk of meat with a piece clearly ripped out of it. The elder yordle grabbed his dartgun from his pack, fully expecting that something had taken up residence here.
Taking slow but careful steps, the wood creaked with every one of his movements. The constant sound of it was drowned out only by the howl of wind outside the windows. Teemo continued to search around for any other signs of whatever creature lived here. Finding a collection of bones that had been carved into what looked like boomerangs. Eventually, coming across a small barrel of thawed-out water that had likely been collected from the river just beyond the town.
As the scout was distracted by dipping his finger into it, the door behind him swung open violently.
"Gnar!" An orange yordle crashed through
The bigger yordle seemed surprised to see the other one. "Gnar? What are you doing here?"
"Okano goova maga." The smaller yordle lept forward, immediately crashing into his old friend without a second thought.
Gnar and Teemo rolled around a bit; the brown furred yordle wasn't able to put up much of a defense. The orange yordle was much stronger than he was, despite being smaller. Eventually, the smaller yordle ended up on top. A fiendish smile crept across his face as he looked down at Teemo with glee.
"Hursh oga. Reesho shugi bahnah?" The orange yordles' speech had always been a bit broken.
The bigger man couldn't help but crack a smile at the other's playfulness. "I came here on a
to find the Ice Wyrm."
"Shoo lagga onna. Ganaloo fue goova?" Gnar seemed confused by his purpose.
The brown furred yordle slowly worked his way from underneath his friend. "I was looking for shelter for tonight. Is this your house?"
"Tibbah ovag Ahanga. Oga mo mata on rega?" The orange-furred yordle finally got off him to let him up.
Teemo smiled at him. "Yeah, I would like that. I was already planning on staying here the night."
"Goova! Gavara rao oga lagga." Gnar was intent on helping his friend with the task at hand.
The smaller yordle led him over to the area of the house where there was a fire pit. Teemo watched him as he pitched a fire from nothing but kindling, some twigs, and dead leaves. Within moments, there was a fire inside the small hut. The brown furred yordle felt the warmth begin to fill the area, making him that much more comfortable.
"Manna oga rao huega mo shoova?" The smaller yordle peered back towards him.
Teemo nodded. "Please, I'm starving. I haven't eaten since noontime."
Gnar walked over towards a small basket, pulling out a venison of deer that he'd slain previously. The slab of meat was almost bigger than he was, and yet he had no issue in hauling the thing over to the pit of fire. Slapping it right onto the core of the flame without a second thought. The scout started to take some of his upper layer of clothing off as the temperature in the small shack started to rise.
Taking a load off on the floor, Teemo was more than glad to relax a bit. He'd been on his feet all day and hadn't had much of a chance to relax. It wasn't exactly the most comfortable spot, but he knew little else since there was no furniture in it. Besides, he had slept on the ground before, so it wasn't the first time he had dealt with such arrangements. He watched as Gnar made food for both of them, adding some vegetables and broth into a small stew pot.
It was a short while before the venison and vegetables were fully cooked. The smell of it quickly filled the small room with a rich aroma. Teemo was already hungry, and the smell wasn't making it any easier on him. Gnar fished out the venison with a single poke from a large bone, pulling out the pot in the same fashion, laying out the fully cooked meat in front of both of them to share.
"Shagoovara." The orange yordle said before digging into the flesh with his claws.
This was not the first time Teemo had seen his friend eat like this and had practiced the same in the past when he was out. Ripping into it with his fingers to pull out small enough pieces for him to enjoy. The meat was fresh and well-cooked, pleasing his palate as he consumed it. The smaller yordle chewed through the flesh with his fangs, slathering slobber all over the floor in front of him. Seeming unconcerned about his uncouth behavior.
Gnar wiped his maw with his hand, leaving a trail of saliva across his tufts of lanky fur. Unlike Teemo, the Freljordian yordle had become accustomed to the climate, and his fur was much thicker than the elder yordle.
"Do you have anything to drink?" The brown furred man asked his friend.
Gnar bounced up from his crouching position. "Gada."
The larger yordle watched as his friend fetched two hollowed-out skulls from what beasts he knew not. Stuffing them into a barrel before pulling them back out. Handing one of them to Teemo, the older male smiled at him.
"Thanks." Teemo looked briefly inside the makeshift cub, seeing what he saw looked like fresh water.
Both of them sipped on water, drowning down the large meal they had just had. Once they had finished, the orange yordle shoved the scraps of the venison into a corner. Wafting his tail once over it before padding back towards the bigger yordle.
"Ganaloo fue maga. Goova ma rao maxa?" Gnar walked over to rekindle the flame to keep them warm for the remainder of the night.
The brown furred yordle nodded. "That's a good idea. We should get to sleep early and head for the Nal peaks in the morning."
Teemo looked around briefly for something he could use to rest on. Eventually, finding a bundled-up pile of bear pelts. It was warm inside the small hut, but he figured his body would need it once he started to relax. Taking off his shoes and gloves, but he didn't bother to remove the rest of his clothes. Teemo had nothing else to change into, and he wasn't sure if the fire would last the entire night. It was better to stay warm than wake up frozen in true ice.
The two started to tone things down. Gnar buckled down the door, securing it with a large mammoth tusk against it. Teemo had seen his strength before and was unsurprised by how little effort his friend used to move it. Both of them turned down for the night, each resting for the remainder of the night. It wasn't long before they fell asleep. After all, it had been a long day of travel for both of them.
The next morning, Teemo awoke to the smell of a rich aroma filling the hut. Rising from bed, he found the orange yordle already hard at work making something in a pot.
"Good morn, Gnar." The bigger yordle yawned and stretched before getting up.
The younger male looked back at him with a smile. "Onna rega, Tee."
Slowly, the brown yordle got up to join his friend. Gnar grabbed the same two skulls from the previous day. Dipping them into the pot and withdrawing them before handing one to Teemo. The broth steamed up the bigger male's nostrils. Already his stomach was grumbling.
"This smells good. Thanks, Gnar." He playfully rubbed the other yordles' fur.
"Vimaga ksha." The orange yordle wasted no time in sipping down the meal.
Teemo tipped the skull to his maw, gingerly sipping it at first. The taste was savory and rich, a mixture of fish and vegetables. It warmed his very core and hit the spot.
"Are you ready to head out?" The brown furred man wanted to get an early start to the day.
The smaller yordle nodded. "Nakotak"
The elder yordle grabbed his things, putting back on his shoes and gloves. Gnar worked to snuff out the fire, simply patting it with a swish of his tail before doing the same with the tinder underneath it. The hut darkened as the fire hushed as Teemo wrapped his scarf around him once more. He helped Gnar to move the large tusk, unbarring the door as a swift gust of wind blew the thing open.
Stepping out, the elder yordle was reminded how cold it was. His nose twitched as he angled his head down a bit lower and covered it with the upper hem of his scarf. Surprisingly, Gnar did not seem bothered by the frigid climate. Slamming the door shut in a single slam, causing a raucous noise to reverberate through the canyon. Teemo braced himself as he followed the other yordle as they made their way out of the mining town.
Gnar and Teemo trekked forward for a while, entering into a cavernous maw. The darkness swallowed them within moments of entering. Only the sounds of the whistling wind and dripping of melted ice. At the top of the cavern, icicles hung, and occasionally shards of true ice could be seen. The brown yordle was used to seeing such anomalies but knew better than to touch such a dangerous thing.
Sniffing forward, Gnar seemed to know his way even through the pitch black of the abyss. Teemo reached into his pack and pulled out a magical torch. The flickering flame brandished from his mere touch, illuminating the area around them. Various stalagmites could be seen in various shapes and sizes, and a frozen lake glistened just into the distance. The many shards of ice above glowed as they reflected the light on them.
Eventually, they hit an incline, taking them up a slope that gave way to snowy terrain. Again, the howl of wind gusted from before them, shifting powder around their persons. Teemo still had no idea where they were going and took out his map. Yet the illuminated piece of parchment showed them on an unmapped territory. It seemed he would have to rely on his old friend to lead him through the treacherous territory.
A wild yelp echoed through the chasm, causing Teemo's ear to jump. Gnar, seemingly unfazed, treaded ever forward as the thick snow slushed beneath his feet. A renewed light blazed from above them as they emerged from the cave, still making their way up an incline. Using nearby rocks and divots as footholds. Gnar did not have to rely on such things, as his claws were more than sharp enough to dig right into them.
They soon emerged into a flatter area. A small path led them across an open chasm split asunder by geological processes long passed. Snow slushed out from beneath their feet, shaving off the sides of the pit below. The wind was now silent as the only sounds that could be heard were the pitter-patter of their feet. Yet, they trekked on ever still through the icy winds as it raged against them, making them go at an ever slower pace.
Gnar stopped abruptly as they arrived at the edge of the path. Rocks crumbled beneath him as he took a single step back in case it caved in. Padding in right behind him, the bigger yordle looked over his shoulder. Naught could be seen below except the fog of winter, a light misty haze that carried through the chasm. Suddenly, a gust of wind swept both of them forward, causing them to lose their footing and forcing them over the edge.
The two yordles slid down the side of the wall. Rocks crumbled as their backsides peeled further and further into the abyss. The misty haze clouded their vision for a moment, making it difficult for them to see. Teemo reached out to grab Gnar's paw, the two joining hands so they didn't get separated. Plummeting ever further down the slope before it finally dropped them onto a slushy pile of snow.
"You alright?" Teemo asked as his voice echoed in the chamber.
The orange yordle picked himself up. "Nakotak."
Teemo got up before looking around in front of him. Surprisingly, the pit was well illuminated by the bright blue glow of true ice. The shards of it could be seen scarred into the walls surrounding them. A few pieces of what looked to be obsidian could be seen in between each of them. The shifting hues of black and blue merged with molten basalt that had long since cooled from lack of activity.
They trekked forward since they could not go back. A pile of snow mounded up before them, far larger than anything else they'd seen before. As they neared it, the white powder started to shift. A muffled groan resonated through the chamber. A serpentlike head flicked up from underneath, bellowing with a boisterous voice that caused the two yordles to cover their ears. As they looked upon it in awe, they realized they had found themselves in the lair of the ice wyrm.
Legends told of the beast, a dragon that had been in slumber for eons and thought lost to the ages. Its scaly carapace flaked with true icy thorns. Sharp fangs jutted out of its reptilian jaw, their edge not dulled from generations of slain prey. Its eyes glistened with golden pupils, one eye glazed over from blindness, and the other was furious with rage. The beast stared at them with a hiss, and with a hiss it snapped forward right toward Gnar.
The orange yordle lept right over the thing's head in a single bound. Despite the thing being far larger than Gnar, the small creature had no difficulty in bounding it. Bopping it in the head with his boomerang before being reared off. Quickly, Teemo reached into his pack, fetching his blowgun. Blowing into it a single time, a sharp puffcap-tipped dart was ejected from it. Finding its mark right on the creature's side.
The serpent hissed again, its tail now snaking out from the confines of the snow that had hidden it only moments ago. Trying to wrap itself around Teemo, but the brown yordle ducking underneath just in the nick of time. Reloading his dartgun to shoot again, landing yet another venomous dart on its undercarriage. Gnar reeled up its back, digging the sharpest end of his boomerang into the thing's head.
A loud hiss of anger followed as the thing thrashed about, bucking its head in both directions. Throwing gnar off, but the orange yordle landed square on his feet. The elder yordle scout launched another few darts at the creature as the poison from them continued to flow through its body. Its hissing was becoming less persistent, even hoarse. Its body movements were less fluid and frenetic as the thing finally slouched over with a muffled thud.
Gnar and Teemo caught their breath. The whole battle had only lasted a few minutes, but the frantic nature of it left them winded. Reaching into his bag and pulled out a small satchel. Stepping up to the now deceased ice wyrm, he touched it gently with the woolen sack. A bright yellow light exploded from within before encapsulating the serpent. Capturing the thing within the confines of the bag before the brown yordle pocketed it back in his bag.
"Mission number 389 complete. Another badge earned. Thanks for your help, Gnar. I couldn't have done it without you." Teemo patted him on the back.
The orange yordle wagged his tail happily. "Gnar!"
The two made their way from the pit, having to use one of Teemo's portals to get out. Returning from whence they came to spend the night once more to the shack alongside the River Rakel. Catching up on lost time for the remainder of the night before it was time for the elder yordle to return home. Of course, he offered for Gnar to come with him, but the orange yordle turned him down. After all, this was home now, and he wouldn't have it any other way. Stepping through the portal back to Bandle City, the scout promised to visit him soon in the future, hoping for new adventures and another chance to prove himself once again.
