Submission (#5861) Approved

Quest: Resonance - Act 3
Act Type: Bravery
Word Count: 930
Adult Elnin Present: Faren (ELN262)
Regional Affinity: Strynhalde
Claiming Regional Affinity for: Boreas (ELN2921)
Rank Unlock Mini Requirements: N/A

The atmosphere was ominous as Boreas and Faren set out to find Mika in the treacherous mountain pass blanketed in snow and ice. Gusts of blizzard winds whistled through the towering peaks, foretelling a quest that would push them to the brink. The icy caverns loomed large and dark, mouths open like predators ready to swallow them whole.

"Mika has to be the most foolhardy kittom I've ever known!" Boreas growled, feeling the sharp sting of the blizzard against his fur. The icy winds of the mountain pass howled around him, bringing forth a storm that turned the world into a canvas of swirling whites. Despite his djinnin heritage, the cold was a relentless foe. his blue scales barely visible in the swirling snow. "Who in their right mind ventures into a blizzard, especially in these cursed mountains?"

Beside him, Faren's orange fur was dusted with a layer of snow, her whiskers twitching in excitement despite the dire situation.Her orange fur was glowing in the darkening twilight thanks to tiny motes of light lifting off it, grinned. "Oh, come on, it's an adventure! Besides, Mika is our friend. We can't just let her turn into a frozen fish stick!"

Boreas shot her a cold stare, blue scales shimmering. "It's not an adventure when Mika's life is in danger, Faren."

She tilted her head. "But Mika's strong, right? Plus, I feel like she's okay!"

They trudged through the snow, their paws going numb despite the thick fur. After an hour of walking, Faren, whose intuition had a knack for being weirdly accurate, stopped dead in her tracks. "Do you feel that?"

"Feel what? The only thing I feel is my tail freezing off!"

"No, silly! The air! It feels... different. We should head in this direction." Faren took a sharp left, heading towards a cavernous opening.

Without another word, Boreas followed, his senses alert for any signs of Mika—or danger. The cave was dark, with walls of pure ice that seemed to go on forever. Faren's fur radiated a soft light, which slightly eased the unsettling darkness around them.

They went deeper and deeper, and the temperature dropped further. Just when Boreas was about to voice his skepticism about Faren's 'intuition', he heard a faint echo. It was a cry, fragile and almost drowned out by the howling winds outside.

"That's Mika!" Faren exclaimed, her eyes lighting up.

Boreas and Faren hurried towards the source of the sound and using his djinnin flame breath, Boreas ignited a small flame to light the way. A few meters ahead, they found a sight that made Boreas' heart drop. It’s Mika. She was huddled against a wall of the cave, her ears drooped, her body shivering uncontrollably.

"I told you she'd be okay!" Faren whispered, though the relief was evident in her voice. She sprinted forward, nuzzling her friend to impart some warmth.

Boreas looked at the scene, a smirk on his face. "Look who decided to be a cave dweller."

Ignoring Boreas, Mika managed a weak smile. "I—I thought I could make it. But then the blizzard came out of nowhere, and I got lost."

Boreas rolled his eyes. "Typical Mika, jumping without looking."

Faren chimed in, "We can give her a lesson in 'Mountain Adventure 101' later. Right now, we need to get out of here."

"But how?" Mika questioned, her eyes filled with concern. "I can barely move."

Boreas, for the first time, seemed serious. "We don't have a choice. The blizzard is only getting worse. Hang on to me."

Mika grasped onto Boreas’ fur as he lifted slightly off the ground, his wings glowing an icy blue. They hovered inches above the ground, making the trek back easier on Mika’s frostbitten paws.

Navigating through the labyrinth of ice and darkness, they finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel—the cave's mouth, where the twilight sky met the onset of night.

The moment they stepped out, the wind howled at them, as if angry that they had reclaimed one of their own from its clutches. Boreas, his eyes focused, unleashed a burst of flame breath into the air, helping to signal their location.

In a couple of minutes, other elnins from Skolvigaard had arrived to meet them halfway on the mountain pass, led by Boreas’ fiery signal. Blankets and warm broth were distributed, and the three adventurers were escorted back home like heroes returning from an epic battle.

As they descended, Faren leaned over to Mika, "So, ready for another adventure anytime soon?"

Mika chuckled, her spirit unbroken despite the ordeal. "Maybe, but only if it involves less snow and more common sense."

Boreas, overhearing them, let out a boisterous laugh. "Common sense? In our group? You're more likely to find a fish climbing a tree."

Faren giggled, her eyes twinkling like the first stars of the evening. "Well, we found you, didn’t we? Anything’s possible!"

As they reached their village, safe and sound, Boreas couldn’t help but think that perhaps Faren's naive optimism wasn't all that bad. After all, it had led them to Mika, against all the odds that nature had thrown their way.

For the first time, he realized that sometimes even the most perilous adventures were worth taking, especially if they meant saving a friend. And so, under the watchful eyes of the twinkling stars and amidst the frozen but beautiful wasteland, their friendship found new depths—forged in ice, but warmer than any fire.