[Tyrgard]

In the city of Stormwind you can find many things. Some were odd, some fascinating, some strange and some completely ordinary. One house among the sea of roofs was not the latter. In between two houses in Old Town stood an old tower like structure, which seemed to have been an experiment of an architecture that perhaps drank too much canal water. The walls were a mix of brick, mortar and wood, and where the wall of brick and mortar were round suddenly it would become straight with wood. The boards were old and dry, with a yellow peeling paint. The roof was tall and pointed; it indeed dwarfed the other houses around it. Outside the towers door stood a sign:

ARCANA AND MANA SHOP

Of course one of the oddest and strangest of shops would attract the strange customer. There among the shelves of books, old urns, and staves with odd ornaments was a worgen. He’d switch from eyeing and sniffing various objects. He found something that caught his eye, and poked at a funny colored urn. He was blinded by a sudden sharp pain to his nose, letting out a yelp he spun around to find his attacker but found instead a floating rolled Gnomeragan Times paper, it glowed a faint dim purple. He then found a little gnome a little ways off, hand in the air, purple glow about his palm. With a glare the gnome snorted at the worgen and dropped his hand walked away, a shaggy robe train following.

Tyrgard was confused, at one moment he saw the gnome, then he thought about how good apples always have glossy surfaces but apples without always tasted funny and wondered why he thought that was peculiar, and then suddenly the gnome was gone!

However a loud throat clearing caught his attention and he stepped up to the counter while lightly rubbing his nose. There stood the gnome, about three and half feet tall, with a red and black robe with golden trims that was perhaps a few gnome sizes too big for him even though the gnome was a bit on the thicker side. He had barely any hair left on his head but he had a glorious mustache.

“Greetings! My name is Tyrgarde, Tear—“ Tyrgard started but was suddenly caught off.

“Yes yes, Jitters Glitterspark, what is –“ The gnome said, cutting into Tyrgard introduction, but found he himself was also cut off.

“Glitterspark? Why are you called that?” Tyrgard said with a tilt of his head.

Jitters made a noise that could only be a gnome growling, “Cause I set fuzzy things that ask stupid questions on fire.”

“Oh. Well. Think I’ll just look around.” Tyrgard said, perhaps a bit put off. Jitters grumbled something as he stepped onto a tall stool, and then hopped down to another smaller stool to get to the floor. Tyrgard was starting to look around when he noticed from the corner of his eye Jitters entering a different room.

Now, if there was one thing certain about Tyrgard, it was that he was an extremely curious driven creature. He wanted to know what was in that room, no, he needed to know. He would be tormented by the rest of his existence unless he found out what glory laid in that room. He would roll tirelessly at night for the rest of his life unless he entered that room.

He looked around for anyone to see him and found nobody to be in the shop and dropped to all fours and slowly crept. He passed the door way and found a room, much like the previous only with many book shelves stacked high and higher, with a great many ladders of various heights. These shelves had many different items on them, books, urns, odd ornaments, staves, potions, and many other odd things. There were also many counters of various heights on the floor with just as various items. But one stood out.

On this one counter was an odd jewel. It looked to have been smooth, polished crystal, or a material similar. It was in the shape of a female winged figure floating, holding up an orb of the same material and was surrounded by other smaller orbs. As he stared longer at it, he found it started to glow, and beckoned him.

He ducked behind counters, and weaved between bookshelves, until he was right in front of the counter with his prize. Stealth was no longer a concern of his; in fact he didn't seem to have been in the state of mind to have concerns. He slowly reached out to touch the object.

A bright light blinded him, with a echoing “HEY!” and suddenly everything went black.

His eyelids slowly peeled back and he looked around. He was on the floor, book cases towering above him, and so was the gnome, his face did not have a concerned worry look, not at all. His hair was a bit out of place and his mustache had a little zig zag at the end.

“What have you done?!” Jitters shouted.

He had trouble remembering what just happened, he looked at the empty counter, he couldn't quite remember what it had. He knew it was very interesting whatever it was, but he didn't know where it went, or barely even what it looked like.

He started to sit up, his mind still reeling, looking around to get his bearings. He looked again to the empty counter and then to Jitters.

“What”, he hesitated a second, “happen…” he gestured to the counter meaning to ask a question, to express his confusion. However instead his hand suddenly burst into flames and spread to his shoulder. Tyrgard who mind was already quite confused swiftly kicked itself into panic overdrive. He yelped and leaped, knocking back a rather stunned looking gnome, and began waving his arm frantically and running in circles.

To make matters worse, it seemed whenever Tyrgard waved an arm, a chaotic chain reaction resulted from spells of some kind being shot off and destroying various, and valuable, objects. Jitters watched with horror while his valuables were being crushed, stepped on, or set ablaze, and a scowl was starting to etch itself onto his face right behind a giant headache. Clenching his hands he brought them high into the air. Tyrgard found himself suddenly encased in ice.

Of course since it was magic ice, he was still conscious, and he watched as Jitters walked out of the room, and then return with a few stools walking behind him. Stepping to the side the stools lined themselves up to Tyrgard, the tallest first. Jitters then stepped up one by one till he was the same height as the worgen. Jitters gave him a glare and waited a few seconds, his hands clenched. Suddenly the ice vanished and Jitters bonked Tyrgard on the nose with a shout, “BAD!”

[Tyrgard]

(Part 2)

The clinking of broken pottery and the sweeping of dust permitted a silence casted by one very angry gnome. Tyrgard, with broom in hand, glanced at Jitters in the doorway. The moment of inaction caused Jitters eyebrow to twitch, a permanent glare on his face. The twitch caused Tyrgard to yelp lightly and quickly went about sweeping quicker. Unknown to the worgen, gnome gears clinked and clanked inside Jitters head.

“You’re going to pay me all back! For everything you destroyed!” Jitters shouted.

Tyrgard quickly nodded in reply. He did feel terribly guilty, but also incredibly confused. He couldn't remember what happened, just the flash of light, after that however, he thought hard, as hard as he could. A memory popped in, a boy walking through a wheat field. No that was something else. He thought hard some more. A man walking in the wood, watching glowing bugs dance among the tree trunks. No that was something else as well.

“Then you’re going to get me back my artifact, you need to keep your magic under check!” Jitters commanded.

Tyrgard was mumbling low under his breath, “Light, light so bright, but with such a bite”, he looked up when Jitters spoke snapping him out of the rushing memories he didn't understand, “Huh? But I have no magic!”

The gears clanked further in Jitters head; he thought it extremely odd that a creature that obviously has magic capabilities had no knowledge of it, nor any apparent control. He tried to recall what he knew of the crystal artifact and realized he didn't know anything. He hadn't yet gotten to it for study. There was no telling what happened, although unknown to the gnome, clues were starting to reveal themselves.

Ring-ding-a-ling, the bells on the door rung. Oh no, more customers. Jitters thought. He turned and quickly strode into the main room, as quick as one could while wearing robes too big for him. What he found filled him with dread.

Before Jitters stood three goblins, one in front of the other two wore an especially nice suit of purple, a zhevra skinned wide brimmed hat, and this goblin also had a big golden tooth sticking out from his crooked grin. The other two wore simple suits, but both carried cudgels in their hands, and they tapped their hands eagerly with them.

“Finny-tooth!” Jitters proclaimed, referring to the leader with the gold tooth.

“Cartel wants its money, gnome.” Finny-tooth said.

“I, uh, I need more time! Then, uh, I can pay it all back in full! I swear!” Jitters proving his namesake, pleaded. In his head he prayed, prayed to whatever gods are out there that the worgen doesn't come stumbling into this.

“Cartel is tired of waiting for more time! My boys here gonna teach you a lesson. Oh don’t worry, we won’t be killin’ ya, how else would we get our money?” Finny-tooth said with a great big grin.

Meanwhile Tyrgard was busy retracing steps in a tale he once heard. He had braved the horrors of the dragon’s lair, stepping between objects of importance in the room, and faced the dragon with success, a broken broom now laying a top a pile of dirt, ash and pottery, and now to receive the applause of the crowd! Tyrgard, the hero of his own tale, strode into the main room.

“What the…What’s with this bloke?” One of the goblins said, pointing a cudgel at the worgen.

The gods were in fact quite cruel, or incredibly humorous, or both for much to the terror of Jitters the worgen had indeed appeared, seemingly from nowhere. The worgen slowly stepped to the group and suddenly bowed low. He waited, and waited but heard nothing. No clapping?! Tyrgard stood up to the odd looks from the goblins and gnome.

“What, is he some kind of doofus?” Finny-tooth asked, irritated by the interruption.

Well this wasn't going to do, not at all. If they weren't going to clap for his tale then he will provide for himself! He brought his arms back and slammed his hands together before the goblins. A thunderous blast echoed in the shop, knocking the goblins back quite a ways. The oddly constructed tower rattled and shook, causing staves to fall over, more pottery and potions to shatter. Outside, folks wondered if a storm was brewing, yet found it odd that not a cloud was in the sky.

When the goblins finally found the courage to look up, they saw the worgen and gnome were gone.

[Tyrgard]

(Part 3)

An eerie calm permitted the forest, green silent giants resting peacefully. The animals of the wood went about their daily business of eating and watching out for the careless adventurer. A squirrel was minding its own business eyeing a lovely walnut when suddenly a horrendous boom struck. Before the squirrel realized what happened a great giant wave of hair suddenly fell upon it. That squirrel ran for its hairy life and raced up a tree, where it spied angrily from above to the two sudden newcomers.

Tyrgard picked himself up again for the second time in the day and looked around. He instantly recognized the smell of the woods he often adventured through.

“Elwynn Forest?” Tyrgard asked to no one in particular. In fact the thought hadn't even popped into his chaotic mind about anyone being nearby, that was until he heard a ruffling noise from a bush and up stood Jitters.

“Uhhhg what…” Jitters stopped mid-sentence as he looked up into the sky. His eyes widen to impossible sizes, and started making this eerie high pitched noise.

Tyrgard just stared blankly and watched as the gnome started screeching and crawling on his hands and knees, the large robe following behind him.

“Eeeeeeyy!! NATURE! GIANT BIRDS! THE SKKKYYYY!” Jitters is now in full freak out mode. He continues roaming around on his hands and knees, trying to find shelter until he comes face to face with a tiny little red bug, “BUGS!!” Jitters screeches in disgust,falling backwards and backpedaling away.

The gnome suddenly bumps into something, and latches onto it. Tyrgard just stares blankly at the maddened creature now attached to his leg.

Jitters looks up and sees it’s the worgens leg, and mutters very quietly, as if to not wake some predatory beast, “We need to find shelter, I know someone that can help, we’ll just have to get there!”

It didn't look like the gnome was going to let go.

[Tyrgard]

(Part 4)

“The darkest of nights cannot hide the aura of the moon, so the boy found! He meekly trudged forward among the bowing trees, the trunks crooked and bent. A foul screeching was in the night air, from some scrawny hungry bird…” Tyrgard said, as he himself trudged onward. The gnome was still latched to his leg, shaking with his eyes closed. Tyrgard figured this wasn't because of his story, it wasn't even dark out, and in fact it felt quite good to feel the warm rays. He was making his way up a dusty old path, making their way up into the mountains that hugged the forest. So far they hadn't met another traveling soul.

Finally they came to a simple two level house; it had a great view of the forest below, the mountains above, and of the path leading up to it. Tyrgard approached and tapped lightly on the door. An older man opened the door. A head full of white hair, a little mustache turned upwards at the ends, and a short trimmed beard. A few wrinkles on his cheeks and forehead. The man was in the middle of a greeting when he suddenly stopped as he stared at the image before him.
Suddenly Jitters detached and rushed inside the house in an odd penguin like waddle, the older man quickly side stepped with a surprised look. He recognized the blurry flying blob.

“Jitters, what are you doing here?” The man asked his shaggy white eyebrows high in surprise. The gnome was breathing deeply, and slowly, feeling the safety of all four walls and a roof.

“Jitters.” The man said with a stern tone, it made Tyrgard wince silently, “What is going on?”

“I’m in trouble! Make sure that worgen doesn't touch anything! He’s a monster!” Jitters proclaimed, he stumbled over the words quickly as he rode on the edge of an adrenaline high.

The spoken words hurt Tyrgard’s feelings a little, as he stepped inside and looked around nervously.

“Oh? So the Cartel finally came looking for you, huh?” The old man asked, a sly smile growing.

“Wha-how did you know?” Jitters asked, taken aback from the old man’s quick deduction.

“Oh, I hear things.” The old man said, with his sly smile in full form.

“And I assume this must be your savior,” the old man gestured to the worgen, “Why else would he be here?” He ignored the affront look he received from the gnome from the word savior.

Tyrgard always the gentleman bowed, “Tyrgard, tears upon tiers of tears, at your service.”

The old man chuckled, “Hah, Jitters, rather civil for a ‘monster’, don’t you agree?” Jitters made another look,

“Greetings Tyrgard, my name is Ian, Ian Krovius.” Ian said, with a small bow of his own, although not as low due to old age.

“Now, I imagine there is much to hear, have a seat and I’ll start the tea.” Ian said.

With tea cup in hand, which was perfect size for a gnome, Jitters retold the tale. Of the ignorance and arrogance of the worgen for attempted to poke, and he said the word poke with great frustration, one of his priceless objects for sale. He then told how when Jitters returned to the back room, the worgen snuck after him. Then of how the worgen disturbed the artifact, causing a great flash of light. Then the furball was out cold on the floor.

“Artifact, you say?” Ian had listened quite intently the whole time, but this got his attention, “Glossy, possibly made of glass or crystal? Winged feminine figure?” Ian asked with his mustache becoming slanted with a knowing grin.

Jitters stared at him for a few seconds. A blush crawled over his face as he became frustrated as he couldn't figure out how he knew these things, “How did you know?!” He blurted out.

“Well, because it was I who gave it to you for study, remember?” Ian said.

The gnome stopped all function, staring at Ian with bulging eyes, until he face palmed rather forcefully. The recognition came upon him like a flood; in fact this artifact wasn't the first he had studied for the old man. A thought occurred to him, the artifact was gone, possibly destroyed thanks to the worgen. He probably owed Ian money because of that, and coming to the man you owe money for help may have not been the best of ideas.

Jitters reluctantly returned to his tale, when Tyrgard woke up and suddenly started to light things on fire, crushing precious objects and various other destructive methods. Jitters then explained how Tyrgard tried to brush off responsibility by saying he doesn't have any magic, the nerve!

One of Ian’s fuzzy eyebrows lifted, his interest incredibly piqued by this, inside his own mind gears were turning, and they were probably better oiled than the gnome. Jitters had arrived to the climax of the story; when the goblins arrived, demanding money that he had borrowed and then how the worgen stumbled upon them and then suddenly they appeared in the forest!

Tyrgard throughout all this listened quietly, and riveted, he loved to hear a goody story. When it was over he almost blurted out, what happened next? But then he realized it was about him.

Ian locked his gaze onto the worgen, a look that suddenly made Tyrgard feel like he had no fur. “Interesting.” Ian said with an odd tone to his voice.