Friggin Frigid Cold [Bepu and Tent]

Several minutes passed with the Korok trapped in the snowdrift. Eventually there came the voice of a Deku Scrub, "Oi! Are you over here...?"

The face of one Tent Emberwood, clad in an iron barbute, leaned into the snowdrift just enough to see the squirming victim beneath. Why was he holding a sandwich? It was strange, to say the least, but Tent nonetheless felt the need to act quickly. Din guided him to this poor soul for a reason, so she must invariably want her to save him. She even equipped him with the perfect tools for doing so, after all. "I'll get you out, don't worry."

Channeling fire into his gauntlets, the Deku sage had a relatively easy time using the heat to rapidly melt the snow which had entombed this fellow. "Are you alright?" He lowered one of his leather-wrapped hands down into the hole, offering to help pull him own. After pulling him out, Tent smiled slightly, and introduced himself properly. "I am a sage devoted to Din. My name is Tent. May I ask your name...?" His head tilted slightly, "And why you're up here?"

Indeed, the Korok didn't seem well equipped for this climate, much less accustomed to it. Tent would like to believe Din kept him warm wherever we went, but... it was difficult to stay cold when you're wearing three layers and can create flames at will.

(Psych. I'm using Tent.)

"My work for the day turned out to be, well..." Tent recalled slightly how Din appeared to him a dream, asking him to destroy the horrible snow beasts that were laying waste to a local outpost. He hadn't really expected to do combat with immobile snowmen, today, but perhaps things would still turn up for the better. "...less time-consuming than I expected." His eyes averted, slightly, wanting to avoid thinking about that... incident.

He quickly changed the subject, "As for payment, well. While Her Grace always accepts donations, I feel it would be unwise for me to accept them outside of a temple. Instead, perhaps, you could merely take me back to wherever you deliver sandwiches from?" He glanced over his shoulder, noticing for the second time the streak of melted snow from which led to were Bepu had landed. His first guess was that a Subrosian--one of Din's finest creations--had wandered through here. (Screw Farore, only Din could create a race so glorious.) It was difficult to imagine... Bepu...

"Are those your tracks...?" An open hand guided Bepu's eyes to them. Tent began to walk away from them, and in the direction he assumed the delivery man was headed.

Tent smiled--as much as a Deku Scrub could, anyway--at Bepu's offer. He had grown rather hungry over the past few days. Though he fancied himself an independent sort, able to provide heat and fire, he was growing rather tired of poorly-cooked meat and scavenged berries. A well-made sandwich or two would be an excellent change of pace.

"Impressive," Tent admitted, looking upon the seed with wide eyes. Why was someone capable of such a feat wasting his talents as a mere delivery man? Then again, delivering to a remote and freezing place like this was no mere feat. "You must get amazing tips," Tent said cheerfully, "If you use Pegasus seeds--modified ones, no less--to make deliveries."

Tent began to stride in the direction opposite of Bepu's flaming footsteps, assuming that was the direction in which he was headed. "Perhaps it's best if we avoid using them, then? With these mountains and cliffs, I think a mere snowdrift is the least of our worries." He shrugged, "I definitely don't mind hoofing it the old fashioned way."

Tent's pace hastened a bit, mostly subconsciously, as he didn't want to keep the delivery man from being late. It was rather peculiar. This seemed like an extremely remote location to be delivering any meal. He wondered how long such a deliver was expected to take, but, thought better of asking. Instead he offered, "Where exactly is the delivery location, anyway?" He shrugged, keeping up a quick walking pace, "Maybe I've heard of it."

Glancing up along the path, it seemed to wind for ages, to and fro, twisting through snowy and no doubt dangerous hills. A blanket of snow covered everything, and a white sky was coated with mountain peaks in nearly every direction--there might have even been a castle or tower here and there, thought it was difficult to see under these conditions. This lad was probably accustomed to outrunning White Wolfos and Chilfos. He surely had to be, or at least Tent hoped so. This didn't exactly seem the place for someone not versed in overcoming peril...

"Snowpeak Ruins..." Tent repeated the name, wistfully. It seemed somehow familiar, as if he had heard the name ages ago, but long since forgotten whatever feelings or memories he had attached to it. Yeti were imposing creatures, but all the ones he'd met seemed good-natured. They were reminiscent of Gorons, whom Tent liked--even if Yeti didn't seem to revere the glorious Lady of Flame quite as highly. "I dare say there aren't many Yeti who live in mansions." Tent shrugged a bit, his tone admitting Bepu was right, "So at least they shouldn't be difficult to find."

A short while later, they approached the mansion in question. According to Bepu's information, this was indeed the one and only Snowpeak mansion, or ruins, or whatever, in this area. Even so, the firm and loud knock rang out hollowly inside. Considering the size of the place it might have taken a while to reach the door, but... after a minute, Tent gave his new friend a pensive glance. Without saying anything, he reached up to the door, and--using the metal of his gauntlets--knocked even harder. He knocked so hard a bit of snow fell off, and, eerily, the door creaked open.

Swallowing his unease, Tent's glowing eyes poked in. "Hello...? We have a sandwich delivery?" The room seemed gargantuan, with doors and chairs made for creatures that must've been at least ten feet tall. Yet at the same time, a mixture of dust piles, holes in the floor and roof, and decaying giant furniture made it seem like no one had lived here for years. He proceeded to scoot inside, silently beckoning Bepu to do the same. Reluctantly, he asked, "What... do you make of this?"

Tent almost felt the need to catch Bepu as the lad hopped back. He might have had a point, but at the same time, Din must have led them here for a reason, right? There was always a reason. At least, Tent liked to believe so. He rubbed the back of his neck slightly, "Let's... at least look around for a bit. Maybe just this area foyer is run down?" In truth, even Tent himself didn't believe that.

He pushed towards one of the doors, beckoning Bepu to follow him. "Besides, I suddenly want to find out the story of this place. I mean, a huge mansion in the middle of the snowy hills? Who would just abandon something like that?" He grinned slightly, "I mean, it's not my cup of tea, but I imagine people would pay a fortune just to live in such an elaborate place, wouldn't they?"

Just as he reached one of the doors, however, a trio of Ice Keese abruptly dropped down from crevices in the ceiling, surrounding him. Almost on instinct, Tent's metal-bound fist abruptly burst into flames before pelting one of them clear across the room. With a quick spin, he threw a Din's Burst at another one, finishing it off with an explosion before it could even reach in. "Watch out," he called to Bepu--reaching for the last Keese, unless of course the Korok finished it off himself.

"I believe you're right." He nodded to Bepu, grimly. "Maybe someone died here? ...It is rather remote, after all. Perhaps no one discovered the body of a hermit, living alone way out here..." It was quite a place to have all to oneself, but he supposed it was possible, especially if the hermit was financially very well off.

"Regardless," he moved towards the door once again, "We should delve deeper." He had to reach up to twist the doorknob, but even after lightly pushing it, it didn't seem to give way. He had to brace his boots more tactfully against the floorboards, shoving hard. Tent was rather strong for a Deku Scrub, so much so the floorboards audibly creaked before the wedged door finally flung open. He rolled awkwardly, landing face-first into a mound of snow. He quickly hopped off, lighting his gauntlets to warm up his face. This entire area seemed to be some kind of interior courtyard, surrounded on all sides by stone walls. He could see ledges above, a fence running through the center, and... was that a cannon...? Tent's faced beamed, for he loved almost everything to do with gunpowder.

Tent excitedly romped towards the cannon, only to abruptly hear a loud, piercing howl to his left and right. His eyes whipped towards them, already knowing these monsters to be White Wolfos. He inflamed his fists, carefully waiting them to approach. He hoped to draw them in--not knowing if Bepu would be able to fell such beasts easily. Danger here was escalating quickly...

Tent had to do a double-take as Bepu apparently didn't just have flaming speeding footsteps this time, but apparently was running up a wall. This lad was full of surprises it seemed. Still, Tent could've sworn he met another little creature who walked on walls... No time to think on that now, though.

As one of the White Wolfos launched towards him, Tent hopped to one side, before leaping into it with a flaming superman punch, knocking it down into the snow so hard it seemed to turn into snow. It whimpered and scurried off, letting Tent take aim at the second one--who was feebly trying to chase a particular Korok up a wall, to no avail. The beast's distraction gave Tent plenty of time to carefully aim, and let lose an explosive Din's Burst right underneath it, sending it soaring up into the air, bursting into flames. The Wolfos yelped in pain, before quickly scurrying down under the snow--quenching the flames.

Tent waited carefully, eyeing the snow with suspicion. Both of the Wolfos seem to have fled, or were at least in hiding. Even though he wasn't exactly fond of the vile things, he still feel somewhat relieved in that he didn't have to kill them. He preferred to believe that all life was sacred under Din.

With a sigh, Tent relaxed out of his fighting stance. He glanced up at the gray sky, then towards the wall Bepu seemed to have scurried towards. Over the cool breeze, his voice called out, "Find anything?"

Tent flinched slightly at the sudden whirl of ancient machinery. What exactly had Bepu done? He couldn't quite see over the ledge, and didn't think he'd be able to climb up that high so easily... If only he could walk on walls, or something.

The noise seemed to grow louder and louder, until the very ground beneath Tent was quaking. Before he could even realize it, the very ground itself seemed to give way beneath him, a colossal trap door ten feet across opened up, flinging him into its depths. He couldn't help but let out a ylep as he flailed through the open air, flying what seemed like over thirty feet, before landing in something cold and fluffy with a tremendous THUD. Had the snow fallen before him? No, that was impossible...

...As he felt around, he suddenly realized he was touching fur. Scrambling upwards, he suddenly realized he had landed on a gigantic 12-foot-tall Yeti, who was now out cold. As if that wasn't enough, the giant body laid in what seemed like a storage room for numerous cannons and cannonballs, shelves lining the room. The entire floor seemed to be either solid ice or crumbling wood. He could spy what looked to be a few Mini Freezards sliding around in a corner. Even though they were the size of Bepu, Tent couldn't help but feel like those things were like rodents or some other pests to... whoever he landed on.

"Bepu...!" He called out through the trap door, staring into the sky. "I think... I found your customer!"

"...Oh jeez," Tent hesitantly snickered. He gathered the impression that his fall had knocked out the Yeti, but... Bepu was lighter and softer he supposed, especially considering the iron. In any case, the Yeti didn't seem to mind for now. Tent's hand rubbed awkwardly at his neck, not sure what to make of the situation.

After squirming a bit, Tent pushed off the giant ball of white fur and landed on the icy floor below--sliding on its surface, but managing to keep his balance, if only just. He felt his limbs flail slightly, his face twisting in discomfort. Needless to say, he was not a fan of ice, or anything slippery. Things need to be firm, solid... and ideally hot and on fire, though he could settle for room temperature. After sliding over to a solid spot, Tent released a slight sigh of relief.

He turned towards Bepu, placing his fists on his hips. "What do you think we should do? You're the professional here," he offered. "I assume it is bad form to merely leave the sandwich on his body and run." Tent sighed, rubbing his neck again. How exactly were they supposed to awaken the fellow? Even if they had water, it might freeze him--or at least give him a cold. Tent could summon flames at will, but he knew from experience no sane person--well except maybe a Subrosian--appreciated being incinerated.

He watched the Mini Freezards out of the corner of his eye. It felt as though they were considering whether or not to approach... Tent silently hoped they would make the wiser decision. Nonetheless, his body tensed, ready to launch a burst of flame their way if need be.