Story Contest Winna! -Kalliope-

[Ketchaeatcha]

Well de entrys be in and I have de winna of de Contest.. now dere was gonna be some sort of votin on which story was de best and all dat but umm... only one of em got de story in by de deadline.. so wit out further adu de winning story

Read it!...... Now... Or Else........................................................well I don really got a or else but ya will feel bad if you miss it



One Whey or Another
-Kalliope-

"I don't think that's what you're supposed to use pungent seal whey for," he said in disgust.

Sparky sighed deeply, brushing a strand of mousy brown hair out of her face with her free hand. The other steadily poured the noxious liquid into her chopper's fuel tank. "Just because it hasn't been done before, it doesn't mean it's not supposed to be, Kevin."

"That also doesn't make it a good idea," Kevin shot back. "What makes you think this whole thing won't just blow up in your face?"

"Don't be ridiculous. Seal whey isn't flammable."

She really didn't understand why she put up with him and his attitude. Kevin had been nothing but critical of her passion for engineering ever since she'd met him all those years ago. Not that she had a lot of support elsewhere either. But he should know her better than that. Sparky sighed deeply, her breath visible in the frosty air of Winterspring. She supposed he was the closest thing she had to a friend out here, and vice-versa. However, that really wasn't saying much, considering that the last time she'd seen a sentient lifeform with two legs, it had been an unsavory goblin with severe halitosis in Everlook. His unwelcome advances had resulted in the loss of three cartons of seal whey and her hasty departure from civilization. Come to think of it, Kevin getting stuffed unceremoniously into the sidecar was likely a contributor to his current disposition.

Sparky shook the last few drops out of the carton, then chucked it into the campfire, where it burned into nothingness in a matter of seconds. "See? No boom!" She smirked at the dour expression on his face. "Now let's get the hell out of here."

A strong hand grabbed the back of her cloak. "Not so fast, shorty. I'm not going anywhere on that thing. Not until you get that junk out of there."

Sparky whirled around and glared at Kevin with pure venom in her eyes. He KNEW she hated being picked up and dangled around like a freshly caught suckerfish. "Look, mister, this is your only ride out of here, whether you like it or not. Either you get your bony ass in that chopper or you might as well climb over that ridge over there and surrender yourself to the moonkins." She snorted derisively. "Or maybe you'll get lucky and tame one. Then you could ride it back to town."

"Silly gnome, everyone knows moonkins are too smart to be tamed," Kevin sneered back.

Sparky took a deep breath and held it, willing herself back from the edge. "Look, there are no other options. This little ill-advised excursion of yours has gotten us into enough trouble already."

His steel blue eyes narrowed. "It's not MY fault you didn't fill up before we left Everlook. That's on you."

"We wouldn't even be out here if you weren't obsessed with that infernal cat! Rak'shiri is a LEGEND. SHE IS NOT REAL!" The realization hit Sparky in the pit of her stomach, like backfiring rocket boots. "This isn't about the seal whey at all, is it? You just want to look for that damned cat."

Kevin said nothing. He didn't need to. The answer was written in his steel gray eyes. Sparky knew that look of desperate hope all too well, no matter how much he tried to conceal it.

"Fine. Chase your white whale. It'll be the death of you." Sparky kicked Kevin in the nose and landed lightly on her feet when he dropped her. She hopped onto her chopper and gunned the engine. "I'll never understand humans," she spat, quickly riding her chopper off before pity for the ashen expression on his face got the better of her.

Sparky noted with satisfaction that the seal whey mixture worked, even making for a smoother ride over the snowy mounds. She'd have to make a regular thing out of this once she got back hom- what the HELL was that?! She slammed on the brakes, almost toppling her bike.

A massive blue and white mass bellowed to her left. Though she was quite some distance away, Sparky felt the wind from the gigantic beast's wings push her back as it flew north. She'd never seen a chimera that size before. "Holy mother of Mekkatorque," she muttered under her breath. It had to be Brumeran. Sparky had heard Kevin tell tales of this beast for hours, of how poisonous her venom was, of her ill temper and habit of killing innocent passersby for sport. But she'd never been sighted this far north before as far as Sparky knew. And she was headed directly toward the camp....and Kevin.

She swore loudly and turned back to the north, kicking her chopper into high gear. At the speed Brumeran was traveling, Sparky would be hard-pressed to reach Kevin in time. Assuming that the beast would even cross paths with him...which she would if she kept flying that way. Why did he have to be so insufferably stubborn? Sparky's thoughts deteriorated into incoherent rants as her brain occupied itself, trying not to think of what she might find ahead...

Oh no. No. Nonono.

Sparky slammed on the brakes, horrified at the sight before her. Kevin lay sprawled out in the snow next to the remains of the campfire, his limbs twisted in unnatural angles. Brumeran loomed over him, dwarfing his broken body in her monstrous shadow.

With an anguished cry that caught in her throat, Sparky kicked on her rocket boots and hurtled toward the massive chimera at top speed. Sensing her approach, Brumeran turned to face the gnome just in time to catch Sparky's axe between the teeth of her left head. The beast let loose a blood curdling howl as a dagger hit home in her chin. The enraged gnome threw blow after furious blow, each one wilder than the last. Acidic chimera blood fizzled in the snow around them. Sparky's axe sank into one of the beast's thick necks. Suddenly, the tiny engineer found herself flying through the air as Brumeran shook her loose. Before she could activate her parachute cloak, Sparky slammed into the side of a hill.

The world spun. Brumeran was angry and done playing games. Sparky tried to flee, but her legs gave out under her. She saw her own blood on the snow. Brumeran was coming. There was nowhere to hide, no way to run. She was done for.

A loud crack sounded through the area. Brumeran turned toward it, not slowing her pace. Sparky dragged her head out of the snow to see her savior.

Kevin was on his feet! He was very much alive and mostly unhurt, from what she could see. He'd been playing possum, the oldest trick in the book. She should have seen it. And now he was leading Brumeran away from her.

The beast bellowed as she tripped one of Kevin's traps, becoming immobilized. Sparky sat up in surprise, but sank back into the snow as the world reeled again. Kevin was making intense eye contact with the chimera, something he only did to win a beast's affection and loyalty. He was actually trying to TAME that monster!

A low growl echoed through the area. Sparky's blood froze. There, on the hill above her, was a stately blue striped tiger. She knew instantly that this was the fantastic creature Kevin had been looking for. Rak'shiri. Sparky's eyes flew to Kevin. He too had seen the tiger and gaped, wide-eyed. Sparky gasped, realizing that he'd broken his connection with Brumeran. It was only a matter of time before his trap broke as well.

"KEVIN!"

[Ketchaeatcha]

Her yell was enough to break Kevin from his reverie. With a long, last mournful look at Rak'shiri, Kevin turned back to Brumeran and began to forge a connection with her again. But his trap failed and the furious chimera advanced on him, both heads snarling angrily. Sparky dragged herself across the snow toward him futilely, knowing there was nothing she could do to help. Brumeran screamed in rage, hurling a thick coating of poison over Kevin. He didn't flinch, didn't blink. He just kept up his connection. With a sickening screech, Brumeran tore into his chest. Blood flew everywhere. Kevin somehow stayed focused. Sparky inched closer. Brumeran reared back, both heads ready to fling their poisonous venom at the crouching hunter. Kevin didn't look like he could take another hit without collapsing. Sparky cringed inwardly. They were done for. She couldn't look.

The two-headed beast let out a guttural moan. Sparky opened her eyes. The beast's heads stopped flailing. With almost a purr, Brumeran flew over submissively to Kevin, who toppled face first in the snow. Sparky dragged herself over to her friend's limp poison-bathed form and rolled him onto his back. He didn't look good.

"Come on, Kev, stay with me," she muttered, rummaging through her pack. Seal whey, perfect. Sparky tore open the carton and splashed it in Kevin's face. The poison washed off, the acid being absorbed by the pungent liquid, but he remained unconscious. Brumeran let out a soft croon of concern for her new master. Sparky grabbed a scrap of cloth from her bag and dried Kevin's face with it. Still no change. She frowned and leaned forward to check his breathing. No dice. Quickly, Sparky pulled out her gnomish army knife.

*BZZZZZZZAP!*

Kevin gasped hollowly as the shock from the knife's battery reverberated throughout his body. His eyes flew about wildly before settling on Sparky's. "Welcome back, kiddo," she said with a sigh of relief.

His slightly glazed eyes wandered left to Brumeran, who nuzzled his hand gently with the head closest to him. He patted her softly as his gaze then crawled to the right. Sparky turned around to see Rak'shiri watching them silently with her big soulful eyes. The blue tiger nodded, then turned and padded off into the distance. Sparky whirled back to Kevin. "Don't you even think about it!" she growled sternly. "You're not going anywhere for a few days, not until you recover."

"I don't need to," he rasped weakly.

"What?"

Kevin cracked a smile. "I already have a pet."

[Kalliope]

Thanks, Ketcha! It was very fun to write.

[Rhyela]

I love it!!! You literally had me on the edge of my seat, lol. Didn't realize it til my husband walked in and startled me.

Excellent work, Kalliope, and grats on the win!!!

[Saturo]

A good story.

[Ryno]

/claps

[Azunara]

I approve! *has an itch to write now... *

[Lupis]

This is great, I loved it.
I'm curious as to what race Kevin is, though, I may have missed it if you mentioned it.
This is awesome, though. Much love.

[Kalliope]

He's human. I suppose that makes this set after the release of Cataclysm.

(I'm with Sparky; I don't understand humans either.)



Thank you all for the kind words. I feel VERY out of my element when it comes to Warcraft-based writing, so I really wasn't sure how this piece would be received.

[Sarayana]

Very nice Kal! Excellent writing, and for such a simple story (I mean it spans what, 20 minutes or so?) it really sucks the reader in.