Pocket Legends: Alterran Warfare
Episode 4: Earl
Chapter 1: Snowballs

Abraham: “Refreshing your memories, I see. You’ve got less than a week, so don’t waste it.”
Earl: “Freaking Angela, always a tryhard whenever she raced to the ice caverns faster than other Neo Mages.”
Abraham: “The crew of yours will day.. They still seem to willingly join with you.”
Earl: “It’s about strong leadership, lieutenant. Nick thought that Rose was gonna get wiped out back in 220. But nah, not today.”
Abraham: “The diamonds are counting on you. Go out there.”

Lil Yeti Valley, Western Snowpeak Mountains
Whirrrrrr… Broaaaaarrrr…. Rustle… rustle…
Earl: *sheepishly* “Okay… Owen? Pete? Stan? Zack?”
Earl’s Crew: “All here…!”
Earl: *checks watch*
Zack: *grins* “A day and a half already, huh?”
Stan: *chatters* “...The hell’s Nick taking so long?”
Owen: *shivers* “It’s the freakin weather. Always screwing with our missions.”
Zack: *sips* “Guess he and the parachuting humans might get shot down by crimsons. May never know-”
Pete: *hisses* “Wait, hold on! Someone’s coming!”
Shuff… shuff…
Pete: *holds binoculars* “...Uh...”
Earl: *coughs* “The hell is it… Gimme that.”
Zack: *hands binoculars* “Some lost crimson…? Heh, better for him to be a snowman.”
Pete: *grabs rifle* “Wait, he's coming forward.”
Chack-chack.
Pete: “Should I-”
Earl: “Stop.”
Pete: “...Oh.”
Owen: “Nick, you son of a gun. Brrr…”
Puff. Puff. Puff. Puff.
Zack: *sips* “Finally…”
Earl: “Took you so long?”
Nicholas: *wipes nose* “Supplies were scattered everywhere, luckily we got most of what we needed. Also they paved an easy path.”
Stan: *gazes* “What about those guys?”
Nicholas: “Might not be enough, but with them…”
Airborne Squad: *packaging explosives*
Nicholas: *points mountain* The best we can do is disrupt their supply lines.”
Airborne Squad: “Well, why the hell not... Well, we can’t go back now, eh?"
Shuff-clink.
Earl: “Let's use our ski equipment when we get deeper into the valley! For now, we’re gonna march. Let’s go!”
Puff, puff, puff, puff…
Earl’s Team: *pants heavily*
Nicholas: “Come on! The sooner we bog down, the worse the wind’s gonna get!”
Owen: “Yeah… or we’ll end up like the guys in the last operation.”
Stan: “Dude, shut up about that…”
Earl: *observes weather*
Zack: “Hah! We’ve got two now before a big storm comes!”
Stan: “Huh, wonder how the crimsons are holding up there.”
Pete: *laughs* “They don’t call kings for nothing!”
Owen: *shudders* “Must be yeti magic.”
Wroaaaaarrr~
Nicholas: “There’s gonna be ice caverns down these slopes the further we go. Maybe our energy can be replenished at our temporary destination. How much further?”
Earl: *observes slope* “...A few… miles…”
Zack: *wheezes* “Can’t… keep up…”
Nicholas: *snaps* “HEY! Keep moving! We’re almost there!”
Earl’s Crew: *groans*
Puff. Puff. Puff. Puff. Puff.
Earl: “...?”
Pete: “Look at that!”
Nicholas: *peeks down* “...Looks like they aren’t crimsons nor ours. Some group must’ve passed by earlier. You think-”
Earl: “No. Don’t follow them. Likely a trap.”
Puff. Puff Puff.
Earl: *tenses eyes*
Nicholas: “Something wrong?”
Zack: “Wait, hold on. You hear that?”
Earl: *mutters* “Crap.”
Nicholas: “Enemy aircraft! To the trees!”
Schluff-schluff-schluff-clack-schluff-clink-schluff-clink!
Nicholas: “On the ground!"
Clink-clunk-schluff-schluff-clack!
Earl’s Crew: “...”
Brooom…
Nicholas: *mouthes* “Sir…?”
Earl: *nods slowly*
Nicholas: *gestures* “Well, I’ll be. Crimson reconnaissance might be circling around the perimeter. If they’re buying time, then they’re gonna know our location sooner or later. Any suggestions?”
Earl: *smacks lips* “...In circles, you say. Tell you what, we’re heading through the forests.”
Nicholas: “The reason being?”
Earl: *points at horizon* No man lands the shortcut, but remember yesterday what I said we’re not gonna die tomorrow?”
Nicholas: *exhales lightly* “Right.”
Earl: “We elves got better hearing. The moment we start to hear the plane, we hide beneath the trees. That clear?”
Nicholas: “Are we taking a break by taking shelter in the caverns? The lieutenant said we have limited time.”
Earl: “Nick, I know you made it out of Snowpeak alone but look at the boys. They gotta refill themselves.”
Nicholas: “Sir?”
Earl: “Break time. The weather’s also not in the right shape if we blow up the railroads at the spot. Tell that to the crew, and the others as well, too.”
Nicholas: *pauses* “Either way… is there an alternate route to get to the railroads?”
Earl: “Loot gave me further instructions… Alright, land’s pretty good. Let’s get our skis.”
Nicholas: *signals*
Earl’s Crew: *rummages equipment*
Airborne Squad: *fastens belts*
Earl: “How are they?”
Nicholas: “Two weeks of training should give them a go.”
Earl: *turns away*
Clack-slink. Click-clack. Clink.
Earl: “Right, all done?”
Nicholas: “Watch where you ski! The route's gonna get bumpier farther ahead.”
Earl: “On my command, we ski as fast as we can. Don't pause. Okay?”
Nicholas: *nods* “Sir.”
Vrooom…
Earl: “Wait for it, wait for it…”
Biplane: *drifts away*
Earl: “Go…! GO!”
Shff-shff-shff… Pff-fssh. Pff-fssh. Pff-fssh.
Nicholas: “Hurry!”
Earl’s Crew: *skis faster*
Earl: “Huff, huff, huff…”
Broaaarrrr-
Earl: *slows down*
Shff-schlrk.
Earl: *exhales* “Right, we’re taking a rest in the ice caves. If you see any yetis, don’t hesitate to shoot your silencers. I’ll catch up on you.”
Airborne Squad: *nods* “Sir!”
Earl: *looks back*
Nicholas: “Stan… Pete… Owen… Wait, where’s Zack?”
Shuff, shuff, shuff…
Zack: *appears from bushes*
Nicholas: “The hell’s he doing?”
Zack: *slides downwards*
Schlock…
Zack: “Had to relieve myself.”
Nicholas: *scolds* “What did I say earlier?”
Zack: *shakes head* “Had no choice. Freezing back there.”
Nicholas: “Then cut it into a quarter.”
Zack: *puckers lips* “Sirrr…”
Pff-fssh, Pff-fssh, Pff-fssh.
Earl: *counts squad* “Alright, all of them? Not a single item lost? Good.”
Nicholas: *checks watch* “Two hours since we departed. These dense forests ought to keep us hidden from crimson reconnaissance.”
Owen: *pants* “Wonder how many crimsons are gonna keep guard…”
Pete: *slides downwards* “Who knows? Sooner or later, there’s gonna be a massive swarm once we blow their tracks.”
Zack: “Like angry bees, huh?”
Stan: “Bzzzz, stinging for vengeance!”
Earl’s Crew: *laughs*
Airborne Squad: *points cavern*
Pff. Pff. Pff. Pff.
Earl: *crawls down* “Let’s check.”
Nicholas: “One of the ice caverns… looks pretty shallow.”
Shick-chick.
Pete: “Someone must have made himself a home. Snowballs?”
Nicholas: “Alright, the whole area’s clear. Don't bring the lights outside. Okay?”
Zack: *mutters* “Sir... sir..."
Schick.
Nicholas: *signals to crew*
Earl: *looks down*
Nicholas: “The last expedition team used to be here. We gotta be really careful every step and move we make. Okay, crew?”
Earl’s Crew: *blurts* “Yes, sir!”
Whirrrr…
Earl’s Crew: *chatters*
Pete: “...Woah. Didn’t know you fought against the Silknight army. How’d you go?”
Stan: *sips* “Anyone that ain’t born a Ursan can’t be in the army… Heh, good thing. Well, see here. We had to join with other partisans, and I was merely a scout in what crimsons call Nurigrad now. Basically we had to get anything from scrap if things got worse. Often got into a lot of trouble with their cursed agents.”
Owen: “The SUA…?”
Stan: *frowns* “Not only that, but sometimes other partisan units would even shoot right at us. Dunno if they worked for Silknight, or if it’s friendly fire. Did occur at night, so probably an accident I guess… Oh, I forgot. There was this Fiemme Fierra witch, what was her name… the Ribcage?”
Zack: “Who?”
Stan: “A companion I knew in school, Varvara, nearly got wiped out by the Ribcage’s enchantment spells. Boom, boom, boom! Much faster than artillery bombardments, and more horrifying than mana missiles!”
Owen: “Did you get her?”
Stan: “Vanished! Out of thin air! Folks say she’s haunting the plains of Nuri Country to this day!”
Pete: “Probably a ghost girl of your dreams.”
Earl’s Crew: "BWA-HA-HA-HA-HA!"
Airborne Squad: *enters cavern*
Pete: “Nick, Earl was your buddy when you were with the Neo Mages, right? What’d you do at Snowpeak?”
Nicholas: “...Can’t say the exact details, but I can say for sure it was way colder than it is here now.”
Earl: *exhales deeply* “Wonder where I’d be now hadn’t Mister Macmillan helped me escape from Medved. Either shot to death with the Neo Mages, or rotting in Camp D.A… or in the streets of Balefort. What's the difference, anyways."
Nicholas: “We got until half an hour for breaktime. Get some rest, guys.”
Earl’s Crew: *rests sheepishly*
Earl: *whistles quietly* Ice, ice baby...”

To Be Continued…