Part 1
Vephriel trudged through the frozen landscape before her, bright green eyes narrowed against the driving snow. Her cloak did little to ward away the cold fingers of wind that blew in from the north, and her hands were growing numb inside their fur-lined gloves.
Large shadows passed overhead occasionally, making the blood elf pause and glance upwards warily. Proto-drakes on the hunt. The blue behemoths that patrolled the skies did not pose any direct threat, however she knew she was in range of their nesting grounds. There was no telling what a protective mother would do to an intrusive presence, so she erred on the side of caution and advanced as subtly as she was able. Luckily she was a great deal smaller than their prey of choice: primarily woolly rhinos and the odd mammoth.
The Storm Peaks seemed to oppose her very presence. The mountains were not her enemy, they had no sentience, however everything about them served to hinder her journey. The frigid area was hostile enough to permit only the strongest to survive. The barbaric and formidable Vrykul were one of the few races that had carved out a living in these desolate surroundings. Vephriel had skirted the borders of their villages earlier, hardly keen on a confrontation. She scoffed a little in her hood, her breath escaping as a puff of vapour. She was most certainly strong, and in the end she would get what she desired here.
Though she felt alone and uneasy without a companion by her side, this quest was one that she had to accomplish on her own. What she sought amid these towering cliffs was something far greater than any treasure she could imagine. The thought brought a smile back to her face, and she plowed on with renewed resolve.
Legend had it that a great mythical beast was known to appear in these very peaks. Taking the form of a mighty blue wolf, the entity was said to have lightning dancing across its pelt, and a roar like thunder. Some insisted that it was an elemental god that ruled the stormy skies, others that it was a vengeful spirit personified into wrath itself. Though Vephriel could not ascertain which rumour held truth, she did know that something was out there....and she intended to find it.
She inhaled deeply, and the air sent an invigorating wave of cold through her body. Her mind felt sharp and focused despite her fatigue, and excitement tingled at the edge of her thoughts.
The hours passed by and the weather slowly improved. Snowfall thinned and began to drift gently around her, flakes clinging to her eyelashes. A heavy silence blanketed the area, save for the soft steps of the solitary hunter. She had made it through the wide valley. Ahead of her the cliffs dwindled down to reveal an open plain which was her final destination.
A sudden tremor drew her attention down from the sky, and she barely had time to move as a large shape erupted from the ground before her. She rolled sideways to put distance between herself and the attacker, muscles protesting at the abrupt movement. Her breath caught in her throat as she looked up.
Vephriel grabbed her rifle, backing up slowly while keeping the gun aimed at the monster. Her fingers were numb, her limbs cold and tired. She was wholly unprepared for the encounter and could only hope adrenaline would keep her quick on her feet.
The beast advanced towards her, slithering its massive bulk over ice and snow. It shifted its head as it moved, as if sniffing for her location. Jormungar were naturally blind, relying mostly on movement and vibration to track their prey. Unfortunately she had nowhere to hide, and even the most cautious of footsteps would be felt by the worm. It knew roughly where she was, and it was drawing closer by the second.
Swallowing against the lump in her throat, she made a quick decision and fired off a round to the left. The worm hissed at the noise, momentarily distracted by where the bullet had bit into the ground. Vephriel sprinted in the opposite direction as fast as her legs would carry her, knowing that it would not be fooled for long.
Before she had taken three strides a terrible growl sounded behind her. She knew without looking back that it was pursuing her. As she ran her practiced hands reloaded the gun, this time with mammoth cutters. The thick hide of a Jormungar would be invulnerable to regular ammunition, and she could only hope the other bullets would do at least some damage.
A cluster of trees became visible in the distance, and a risky but desperate escape plan formed in her mind. A quick glance over her shoulder revealed the worm to be much closer than she anticipated. She fired, aiming for the head. The shot connected and the Jormungar screeched in pain, halting its advance. With a burst of speed she changed direction and darted for the trees. As she neared them her long legs vaulted her upwards towards a branch. She grabbed it and swung her body up, climbing deep into the pine. Then she became perfectly still and waited, heart pounding in her chest.
The Jormungar had shaken off the pain from its bullet wound, growling dangerously. It waved its head back and forth for a moment, attempting to locate her. If it figured out her hiding place she was as good as dead - the tree was not nearly tall enough to keep her out of its reach.
The worm snapped its mouth in irritation. It made a few sweeping passes of the area, snarling intermittently. It had lost her tracks, and clearly could not detect any sort of movement on the ground near it. Eventually the beast seemed to abandon the search, roaring its frustration before burrowing back beneath the snow.
Vephriel finally allowed herself to exhale, relief washing through her.
... To Be Continued ...
Will the wait for part 2 be long? /pine
