Note: Just a simple little story that I wrote for and shared with WrA's Story Circle(Every Sunday night in Bloodhoof Village 6:30 server, don't be afraid to stop by!).
Life
There was a young Tauren hunter named Gus Firemane that was interested in engineering. First drawn to it to gain independence to repair and build his own firearms he soon became enamored with the small mechanical creatures they could create.
Squirrels, rabbits, frogs, cubs, and more. He wanted to find out how to create them all, what made them so life like. He quickly found a goblin willing to teach him though it cost him a considerable amount of the gold he made from his hunts. It was worth it though, the complexity of these little machines amazed him, but after some considerable time with them he came to realize they only mimic their flesh and blood brethren. They were not truly alive and it was a thought that plagued him.
Gus started to experiment; adding cogs, changing sparks, rearranging wiring. His work was slow and painstakingly exact. At times he cursed his large fumbling hands and the occasional fragile pieces. The Tauren was determined though and worked on them daily. He was driven to make them more than just machines, to have a companion that could be repaired instead of buried when injured.
His frustration grew with each failed attempt. They would act more and more like the real creatures they resembled and yet they remained lifeless. No independent thought or personality could be created within them it seemed.
Gus became obsessed and before long his family and friends started to worry. Surely spending so much time hunched over a bench covered in gears, wiring, and other small parts was unhealthy. He shrugged off most of their attempts to distract him, giving in only to satisfy them for awhile. Some started to help him, hoping he would finally succeed and rest.
The metal creatures learned various actions that they'd start without prompting. Squirrels would randomly scurry to a tree in search of nuts, rabbits would stand upright at odd noises with their ears twitching, chickens would peck at anything edible looking. Still though, it wasn't enough. It wasn't life. He began to lose hope, to think it just wasn't possible.
Head in his hands, he looked across his messy bench with dull eyes and a drooping frown. A little robot rabbit stared back at him with equally dull eyes. Gus could not breathe life into them, but he was loathe to give up. So he searched, searched for that spark of life they needed. Markets, the auction house, vendors along the streets, even suspicious characters slinking along the shadows. Eventually he heard of an item that may be the very thing he needed. Something called a Pulsing Life Crystal. The very name seemed perfect. Unfortunately it was very rare and found only at the Emerald Dragonshrine in Dragonblight.
Nearly in a frenzy by now, that night he packed supplies and some seedlings as gifts to the shrine. Knowing they couldn't stop him, his brothers decided to join him on his journey and bought zeppelin tickets for all three of them. The snow and chilling wind were harsh on them, having only experienced the warmer weather of Azeroth. Their fur and heavy leather armor helped, but was not quite enough. Still, they trudged through it. Gus gritted his teeth in agitation every time a pack of hyenas attacked them and when the swirling snow sent them in circles.
Finally though, they found the Dragonshrine. The three brothers looked on in awe of the verdant wealth in the middle of such a desolate cold land. The youngest of them felt his chest swell with hope and began the much easier trek into the shrine while the other two followed nearly in a daze. Their heads turned this way and that trying to take all of it in while Gus searched for either a caretaker or the crystal he believed would solve his problem. Shortly after they neared the middle of the rich land a Sister trotted up to them. With a wary, but welcoming smile she greeted them and asked the reason for their presence. The hunter humbly bowed to her with the seedlings held out in offering. She took them gently with an appreciative nod and listened as he spoke passionately of his desires.
She smiled sadly at him and the hope that bubbled up in his chest slowly drained away. The crystal would not give life, only strengthen and draw out what was all ready there. Though disheartened, he thanked her and turned to fully admire the beauty around him. The Sister rested a hand on his shoulder briefly to comfort him before bounding away to another area of the shrine she watched over. He sat down on a rock with a heavy sigh and his brothers sat by his side. They watched the Sister plant his gifts and encourage them to grow. They watched the emerald birds glide around the trees and pond. They took in the rainbow of colors from the trees, the brush, the flowers.
As he took in the beautiful surroundings the Tauren realized how much of his own life he wasted on those little pieces of metal and sparks. He saw one of the emerald birds breathe it's last breath and be reborn near instantly into a rabbit that raced into a lush bush. Gus smiled to himself, knowing now why his experiments would not work. Life was not something one could create and toy with and death was a natural part of life. Filled with peace he and his brothers eventually returned home, returning to the life he was meant to live.