Style Quest: Trouble in Lyra

Bridgette burst into the clothing shop, looking for Varick. Grease covered the wolf’s white fur and blue coveralls from being in a workshop all day. Varick’s parents pointed her to the back room where Clydesdale worked on a new dress with his fennec sister, Kaytlyn. As the small fox sewed up the dress, Varick watched her technique and gave pointers on how to get better. This cute moment made Bridgette forget why she was looking for him, but she snapped back after a second.

 

“Varick! Kaytlyn! I passed my test,” the wolf excitedly shouted as she held a certificate. Varick immediately jumped up to congratulate his friend. She had been studying extra hard to pass her final exams, and all the hard work paid off. “I’m officially a certified magitech technician! I can make and sell my own magitech devices!”

 

“That’s great! We should celebrate,” Varick congratulated his friend. “Tell me what you want to do, and we can do it.” The Clydesdale had assumed she would suggest a bar crawl or request a new set of clothes. Something that wouldn’t be too unusual for her, but no, she had a special request this time.

 

“I want to go to Lyra to see the Terra Borealis,” Bridgette answered sheepishly. “I heard it’s beautiful from the top of the mountain and thought maybe my best friend Adventurer would escort me through the portal.” This request was a bit odd from his friend, but it was one that Varick could fulfill.

 

“Yes, let’s go tomorrow,” Clydesdale said as he grabbed his friend’s magitech right hand. “Dress warm and meet me in Guild Hall at noon.” Bridgette let out a little noise in excitement before bounding out of the room. Varick had never seen her act like this before and was confused. He shrugged it off as Bridgette was excited to have passed her exams.

 

“Can I come too,” Kaytlyn asked as she looked up from the dress she was working on. “One of my friends at school said there were cute deer creatures called Volai. I want to see them.”

 

“Not this time, but maybe next time,” Varick told the fennec as he pulled his sketchbook out of his bag. There was a dress he thought might make a nice gift for Bridgette for this occasion. Varick knew his friend’s measurements as he had made most of her clothes at some point. With a smile, the Clydesdale began to peruse fabrics for the perfect one. 

 

The next day, Varick stood outside the Guild Hall wearing a red and black flannel over a black t-shirt and casual jeans. In his left hand, he held a gift bag with the dress he had spent all night sewing and enchanting. Bells sounded in the distance signaling the noon hour had struck. Bridgette would probably be late, which annoyed Varick a bit, as he had shown up early. Just as the Clydesdale was about to take a seat to wait, the white wolf walked around the corner. She wore her spiked leather jacket over the top, a blue shirt with Valkyrie Scream, her band emblazoned and ripped jeans.

 

“Oh good, I was worried I didn’t dress up enough,” Bridgette laughed as she caught sight of Varick in his flannel. “Haven’t you sold enough of those to stop self-advertising?”

 

“Lyra is a cold planet, and these are extra warm,” the brown horse snorted as he held up the gift bag. “Here I made you a congratulations gift. I know you don’t like wearing dresses, but this one is special.” Bridgette took the bag, pulled the dress from it, and held it up. Blue and green colors danced across the fabric like an aurora.

 

“Did you enchant this to look like the Terra Borealis on Lyra,” the wolf asked as she hugged the dress. “It’s so pretty. Thank you.”

 

“I talked to some adventurers to get the pattern correct,” Varick explained, “plus the pattern changes if you are near a strong source of water or air magic.” Bridgette hugged Varick and then ran off with the dress. The wolf wore the dress under her spiked leather jacket when she returned. 

 

“Thank you again,” Brigette said as she wiped a tear away. “I sometimes forget it’s ok to dress pretty.” With that said, the two entered the Guild Hall and set forth into the portal to Lyra. A strange dark heaviness struck Varick as he tumbled through the limbo between portals. There was something there that wasn’t supposed to be, and it didn’t like him. The feeling disappeared as the Clydesdale tailor stepped out of the portal and into the Lyra Guild Hall. He shook it off and checked in with the front desk to have a room saved for Bridgette and him.

Outside, snow covered the ground with rainbows of crystals jutting from the earth. Sunlight danced from the crystals, forming more colors in the snow. The wind blew through the quartz, creating beautiful melodies in the breeze. Varick and Bridgette tapped their clothes to activate the hidden spell threads. Once activated, the magic within kept the two comfortable despite the cold.

 

“There’s a cable car that’ll take us to the top of the mountain for the best view of the Borealis,” Varick informed Bridgette as he led her down the path. The colors on the wolf’s dress had become brighter and more vibrant in response to all the radiant water and magic in the air. “It’ll take a few hours to reach the top, but I packed snacks.” At the ticket booth, the mahogany Clydesdale slipped the ticket seller a few extra golds to get a private car for the two of them.

“This is nicer than I was expecting,” Bridgette remarked as she looked around at the plush seating and bolted-down solid wood tables. A slight jerk signaled the start of the cable car’s ascent up the mountain. Varick played with a few nobs on a side panel until some light rock started playing over built-in speakers. With that going, Varick unpacked a picnic basket from his messenger bag and set food on the table. There were sandwiches, chips, cookies, cans of soft drinks, and a bottle of wine on the table. “You trying to feed or romance me?”

“You were the one that wanted me to take you to a romantic destination,” the horse tailor retorted as he picked up a sandwich. “How do I know that you aren’t the one trying to romance me?” There was a brief pause before they laughed at the notion of anything romantic happening between them. The two had both secretly considered it but decided they liked being platonic friends better. An hour and a half later, most of the food was gone, and the pair were slightly drunk on wine from the now-empty bottle. There was a loud explosion that rocked the car. Varick and Bridgette looked at each other, but before they could say anything, the car broke free of its cable and crashed into the mountain. Metal, glass, and snow painfully collided before darkness filled Varick’s eyes.

 

The Clydesdale woke up in intense pain in the dirt and snow. He tried to stand, but gut-wrenching pain shot through his left leg. Quickly Varick dug his sewing kit out of his bag, which luckily landed nearby. Using the shears from the talisman, the horse cut the leg off his pants to reveal a severely bruised leg. Carefully he felt down the leg till he found that his bone was indeed not where it should be. It would need a splint, but that would have to wait a moment. With great care, Varick pulled himself to the ground where Bridgette lay. 

 

The wolf’s magitech right hand appeared smashed to pieces making it useless. A deep wound on the unconscious Bridgette’s stomach bisected her navel horizontally. Blood spilled out on the ruined dress and white fur of the wolf. Remembering something his mentor, the soot-colored Dragonborn Kriv, taught him, Varick smelled the wound. The horse’s nose detected no foul smell of an intestine or stomach puncture. After momentarily rummaging in his bag, the Clydesdale brought out a silver flask. He unscrewed the top and poured the potion inside onto Bridgette’s cut. Wound disinfected, Varick started using some nylon thread and a clean needle to stitch the wound shut.

 

“OWW! What the fuck are you doing to me,” Bridgette groggily shouted as the pain of being stitched up with a sewing needle brought her around. 

 

“Pretending you’re a large blanket. Now shut up and stay still,” the brown horse ordered as Varick kept working. After putting in the last stitch, he pulled off his belt. “This next part will hurt a lot, so you might want to bite this.” Bridgette looked confused for a moment but did as instructed. Varick ran a finger along the stitches that responded by emitting red hot heat to cauterize the wound shut. Bridgette screamed in agony through teeth tightly clenched around the belt in her mouth.

 

“If we make it out of this, I am going to strangle you,” Bridgette declared as she spat the belt out of her mouth. The wolf looked down at the stitches and then back to her friend. “Did you just blanket-stitch me?”

 

“Admire the craftsmanship later. Right now, I need you to find something strong to splint my leg with,” Varick sighed as he lay on his back in the dirt. “My left leg is broken, and I can’t walk on it.” Bridgette nodded as she carefully stood up and searched for something sturdy to make the splint. Varick shredded his cut-off pant leg into strips and sewed a spell thread through each strip. As he finished, Bridgette returned with broken wooden boards that were probably from the table in the cable car. Together the two straightened out the horse’s leg as much as possible and strapped the boards to with side. “What I seek is tightness,” Varick weakly gasped before the straps tightened down supernaturally tight. Pain shot through his body, but the splint was in place.

 

Bridgette helped Varick to his feet and helped him started to walk up the mountain. There was another cable car ahead of them, and they might be able to help or need help. After pushing through some trees, the two found themselves in a snow field with colored crystals dotting the landscape intermittently. A massive herd of white and ice-blue deer-like creatures filled the snow plain. Triangular horns made of crystals refracted light from the creature’s heads in brilliant rainbows. Some were small and frail, while others were much larger and tougher. On the far side of the majestic herd, the crashed remnants of another cable car. Varick and Bridgette started towards it when a loud bang sounded overhead behind them.

 

“Youse both can hold it right there and turn around slowly, you guild scum,” a rough voice ordered the horse and wolf. The two did as bidden to find a black fox in white snow gear standing there. His right ear was notched, and a giant claw mark scarred the vulpine’s muzzle. In his right hand, he held a large machete that crackled with a mix of fire and air energy. “I was hoping the explosion would’ve taken care of you guildies so I wouldn’t have to get my hands dirty.”

“I’m not here to arrest you, nor do I know who you are,” Varick stated as he tried to hold his nerves together at the sight of this new threat. He looked to Bridgette, who shrugged and shook her head as well.

 

“You are telling me you aren’t here to arrest me, Syph? The most wanted volai poacher on the planet,” the black fox looked confused as his white-tipped tail flicked behind him. Varick and Bridgette shook their heads, still unsure who this fox was. “Well, none less; you are now witnesses and must be disposed of.”

 

“Close your eyes and count to ten,” Varick whispered to Bridgette as he touched the third button on the shredded remnants of his flannel. Syph started towards them with his machete ready to kill. “What I seek is flash,” the horse yelled with his eyes closed. A bright light emitted from the button briefly blinded Syph. Bridgette turned and started to run the best she could, but the Clydesdale stood firm. He could not run on his broken leg, so the best he could do was buy his friend time. 

 

“One day, you might be forced to fight for your life or someone else’s,” Kriv’s words echoed through Varick’s mind as the horse grabbed the scissors. He gripped the shears like a dagger in a reverse grip as blue and purple flames engulfed the blades. “Cross every moral line to save yourself and those you care about. Worry about whether you can live with your decisions when it’s over. You overthink during a fight; you will die!” Varick had always hoped it would never come to this, but even if he couldn’t save himself right now, he could save Bridgette. 

 

Syph charged forward, still partially blinded, with his machete held high. Varick parried the crackling blade with his flaming scissors. The horse wasn’t strong enough to overpower this opponent, so he played defense best. Luckily the fox’s machete wasn’t appropriately weighted, which slowed down his attack speed. A shallow cut managed to get through Varick’s guard and sent a wave of electricity down his left arm and across his body. Syph took the opening to kick the horse’s broken leg, bringing Varick down onto his right knee in agonizing pain. A left hook from the fox sent the brown Clydesdale down onto the ground with a bloodied nose.

 

“Most importantly, kid, the best way to win a fair fight is to fight unfairly,” Kriv’s words once again echoed through Varick’s ringing ears. The vial of needles from his sewing kit shattered on impact scattering needles in the snow. Without a second thought, the horse grabbed a handful of needles and snow as Syph towered over him. Varick threw his makeshift projectile at his attacker’s face. The needles ignited in blue and purple flames as they struck the fox’s face. He stumbled backward in pain, giving Varick the opening he needed. Amongst the scattered needles, he found a high gauge leather needle which Varick drove through the fox’s foot. The horse tailor painfully pulled himself to his feet, took two steps, and resumed his fighting stance. He wasn’t going to be a victim, not again.

 

“You should’ve stayed down, kid,” Syph threatened as the needles in his face still burned hot. “I was going to kill you easily, but now you suffer, and that girlfriend of yours will make a nice-” His sentence is cut off as Varick punches him in the throat.

 

“I didn’t hear a bell,” the horse spat as he wiped the blood from his nose. Syph raised his free hand and sent an explosive spell. Varick dodged left on his broken leg causing the splint to crack. He brought his right hoof down on the needle in the fox’s foot with a spin step. As the needle painfully tore through Syph’s foot, Varick used both hands to bury the flaming scissors into the fox’s right shoulder. Pain filled the horse’s eyes as he collapsed onto his injured opponent. The Clydesdale’s weight was enough to topple the wounded fox, who landed hard and had the air driven out of him by Varick landing on top of him. As he passed out, white lights of pain lit up all of the brown horse’s senses.

 

“Wake up, you idiot,” a familiar voice broke through the blackness of unconsciousness. “You’ve had enough healing juices pumped into you to bring back the dead.” Varick slowly opened his eyes to see Bridgette wearing a sweatshirt and pants. She explained that the Guild member Syph had been looking for was in the next cable car. The Guild member had rushed over to Varick when Bridgette had found them and yelled for help. Once Syph was secured, she carried you to this aid station. “She will give you credit for the capture, so congrats, hero.”

 

“I hope I get a medal,” Varick sarcastically laughed as he sat in bed. “Who is this mysterious hero anyways?” 

 

“Some wolf in blue armor and a hood that didn’t give me her name,” the white-furred wolf answered as she helped Varick stand. “Careful that bone just heal. It might still be sore.” A local nurse checked them and declared they were well enough to travel. With the cable car system temporarily offline, they didn’t have an easy way off the mountain. They weren’t that far from the top of the mountain, so Varick and Bridgette, dressed in spare clothes from the horse’s bag, borrowed some hiking gear and set off on the trail.

 

It took an extra day, but they reached the mountain peak. Blues and greens danced across the landscape as the Terra Borealis lit the night. There was a hotel nearby where someone had a prepaid reservation in Varick’s name for one of the suites. From the balcony with a bottle of sparkling wine, he and Bridgette had the perfect view of the light show. At that moment, as the lights cascaded across the night, Varick forgot himself briefly. He leaned in and kissed Bridgette as the moment just felt right. The wolf was shocked initially but didn’t pull away as she reciprocated the kiss. 

 

“You tell anyone that just happened I will make good on my threat to strangle you,” Bridgette promised after she pulled away. Varick said nothing in response but took a moment to drain his glass. “Also, you’re sleeping on the couch tonight.”