[Chr24] Prompt: Guardian of the North: Play the Game

“We’re almost there right?” Ekko shouts behind Amor his voice barely heard as the harsh winds push his voice southwards from their direction. Amor sighed for the twelfth time that day and stopped to turn her head towards Ekko with Sylvie glaring at the duneburrow.

“Like I said before, Ekko, I can only guess as to where we’re at. So I can’t tell you how much longer it will be.” Amor says frustrated only to stop at the sight of the last group member, Ing-eo, gone. A small flash of anger makes its way through Amor quickly followed by worry at their missing team member. As Amor struggles to keep her anger in check, Sylvie sees her girlfriend's frustration building and asks the question for her.

“Ekko” Sylvie says before Amor can begin to speak.

“Yeah?”

“Where’s Ing-eo?”

To this question, Ekko looks behind and around him for the missing wasteland becoming increasingly nervous at his absence. 

“Um, he was here literally like 5 seconds ago. He was just right next to me, like– look!” Ekko points to the paw prints in the snow that were quickly being covered up.

“His tracks just stop here, I swear he was right beside me minutes ago.”

As the three remaining members look at each other in a moment of indecision, above them in the distance a high-pitched scream can be heard. As all of them look upward at the scream it's paired with a dark shadow flying within the storm quickly closing in on their location. Amor is the first to react and makes a mad dash upwards towards a small break in the storm with Sylvie and Ekko rushing after. 

As Amor clears the top of the hill she is met with a break in the storm and flat ground that opens into a clearing. Within this clearing, a poorly built shelter sat in the middle, and large glacier-like formations grew from the ground upwards to the sky on its edge like the bars to a cage.

“To the shelter. NOW!” 

Amor yells as the others break into the clearing. As the three make a mad dash towards the shelter they stop as a shadowy figure drops from the clouds and lands in front of them with a bang and a large growl. Immediately screaming hits the group's ears as Ing-eo enters the scene clutched in one of the talons of the leering dragon. Its piercing blue eyes stare down at the group of bucks as it squeezes Ing-eo to quiet him and looks every one of them in the eye before it speaks.

“What are you doing in my territory? You have entered my domain without my permission.”

Amor is stunned to hear it speak in front of them eyes blown wide in surprise with Sylvie next to her a snarl in her throat and hackels raised ready for a fight. Unsure of what to do the group stands still before to everyone's surprise Ekko walks towards the towering beast clutching his friend.

“We came for the challenge of the mountain. Those within the outskirts say that if you challenge the beast upon it you can have a reward beyond your imagination. Are you the beast they speak of?”

The beast stares at Ekko seemingly contemplating what to say with the information given before dropping Ing-eo onto the ground, and transforming within a swirl of snow until a normal buckleo stands before them. The markings of the buckleo matched those of the dragon-like beast at first glance and they smiled at each of the members of the group satisfied with the answer given.

“You have assumed correctly little burrower, I am the Beast of the Mountian, Fraurin. All of you are here to partake in the challenge correct?” 

Ing-eo runs behind Ekko hiding at the sight of Fraurin shaking like a leaf after his impromptu flight to the top of the mountain. 

“Wh-what happens if we're not here for the challenge,” Ing-eo says with a shaky voice. To that, Fraurin just smiles, turns around, and begins to walk toward the shelter in the middle of the clearing, his lack of an answer unsettling the group that follows in tow.

Fraurin holds the door open for the group as they enter the shelter finding it not as dilapidated as the outside appearance made it seem. The inside was fully fitted with a large table in the middle of the room that bled into a small kitchen-like area with a stove simmering a pot of some type of spiced drink. The smell filled the lit room and mixed with the smell of smoke from the lit fire in the fireplace providing warmth for the group as they sat down at the table. There was minimal decor on the walls besides pictures of the northern lights and strangely drawn symbols. A small chair sat near the fire with a basket of blankets near it, and a small table in front of the fire with a singular deck of cards. As the group looks around and sits down at the table Faurin closes the door and grabs 4 mugs from a cupboard for the guests at their dinner table.

As Faurin’s back is turned getting the drinks for his guests Ekko comforts Ing-eo as he leans against him in his seat retelling his terrifying encounter and how he thought he would die. 

“They came out of nowhere and scooped me up before I could even scream. I couldn’t even call out to any of you” Ing-eo sniffles into Ekkos shoulder. 

“I’m sure he wasn’t going to kill you, it seems to me that we somehow missed a step in taking on the challenge. So if anything we may have surprised him” Ekko says.

“Still doesn't justify taking someone from our team right under our noses,” Sylvie says with distaste and arms crossed looking around the room. Amor places a gentle hand on Sylvie's arm to calm her down as she looks at Faurin while they ladle the drink into the mugs. 

“Ekko do you know anything about this challenge at all? It wasn’t mentioned in the intel we received before taking this job.” Amor says quietly while still watching Faurin as he collects the now-filled mugs. 

“...No. I remember hearing something from a passerby on our way here, but it was them wishing us a quick death when we reached the summit. So I didn't think anything of it when I overheard it..”

“Hmm well then I guess we’ll have to keep our wits about us,” Amor says as she leans back into her chair while Faurin turns around with the drinks steaming in hand and placing them in the middle of the table.

“I can imagine you are all quite cold from the journey, yes?” 

They pause looking at their guests before walking to the lone table near the fire picking up the set of cards, and walking back to the front of the table with them in hand. 

“It's safe to drink, I swear upon the tree spirits of the season.”

As no one touches their cup Faurin goes and grabs a mug of their own, and takes a sip while they sit down at the head of the table and smile to the others as they follow suit. As the group settles into their seats and gets comfortable, Faurin takes out the cards from the deck and begins to shuffle them in their hands. 

As Amor looks down into her cup of what she deems cider she circles the lip of the mug with her finger in thought.

“So what challenge do we have to pass to get out of here alive?”

Faurin finishes shuffling the cards and begins to pass them around to the other guests on the table, with him having his hand as well. He smiles at Amors’ comment as he places the deck in the middle of the table.

“Do you think I will kill you if you do not pass my test? Quite a crude assumption for someone who just offered you their home and a warm drink.”

Amor shrinks into herself while Sylvie glares at Faurin and their smug smile with their cards facing themselves. 

“I am not that cruel you shall live even if you fail the challenge. The challenge itself is not difficult it is simply a game of cards. Nothing more and nothing less. Are any of you familiar with the game of poker?”

The rest of the group looked at each other before picking up their cards and putting their poker faces on, ready to make the best of the odd situation they found themselves in.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Time Skip ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The group slowly wakes up to the cold biting at their skin, and the bright light of the sun hitting their face causing a collective groan to cascade across the group.

“W-what happened?” Ekko grumbled slowly sitting up and finding a paper in his lap. Confused Ekko opens up the paper to find a note from Faurin with a recipe attached at the bottom.

‘Dear Friends,

Last night was quite an excitement! That was some of the most fun I’ve had in ages especially when your one yellow-horned friend lost the table flipped! My enjoyment won out during our game and for that, I determined that all of you had passed the challenge of the mountain. 

Now for your reward! 

My famous Wassail recipe is attached to this letter, so please keep it a secret for as long as you can. As well as in helped clear the weather for you all so that you may have a safe journey down the mountain! I do look forward to another round of cards for next year!

Sincerely,

Faurin’