CHAPTER 7: The Freljord

Hey guys. I know I've been gone again for a long time. And I feel guilty for not updating in a long time. Being caught up with the second semester, along with problems related to Typhoon Odette back in December, I have not come back to my works for a long time, and I am sorry if it is disappointing. But I'm back. I have come to continue where I left off. Time to remember what I used to do. For those that have been patient enough, I thank you.

To make up for the lost time, I am making this quite long to give you more time to read.

DEMACIA

En route to Fossbarrow...

The Avengers, along with Garen, Lux, Vayne, Shyvana and Quinn, decided to head to the town of Fossbarrow, which was named after Garen and Lux's grandfather: Fossbarrow Crownguard. They decided to use the horses again, as the Avengers knew of the fact that there may be no energy sources to recharge their suits if it ever came to it, nor would there be nanotech or nanomaterials for maintenance and repair available in Runeterra. They brought gold for payment in buying supplies within Fossbarrow for the journey.

Eric Stormguard had the excuse to bail on the last minute as he was absent from his work for a day, and felt that he had to make up for it, especially to the person that gave him and the Avengers the pass to enter the kingdom. He apologized for the sudden change of plans, and promised to make up for it once they return.

For Bruce, however, they had to bring a robust cart to carry his enormous weight. As a result, he had his own separate horses. A few Demacian soldiers would accompany them until Fossbarrow.

On the way they struck up a conversation to pass the time.

"So tell me, you said your armor can fly. Why is it that you're not utilizing its capabilities right now?" Shyvana asked

"Oh yeah, about that, we don't know what we can use to recharge its energy and if it gets damaged or needs maintenance, we don't know where to get the resources from." Tony answered

"Quite unfortunate, given its supposed reputation. You said that you created your armor during your imprisonment by terrorist forces, am I right?"

"Yeah. Those terrorists worked for a group called The Ten Rings. They actually wanted me to create missiles to use against my own people. In my imagination with the help of somebody I still hold dear to my memory, I created the Iron Man Mark I Armor to break out of that cave in Afghanistan. In my opinion, the Ten Rings actually is quite similar to HYDRA."

"You mean the same HYDRA that Mr. Steve talked about two days ago?" Lux chimed in

"Yes. HYDRA was a big pain in the ass to defeat. If I recall, HYDRA was thought to be dead by the time Cap here supposedly defeated their leader back in World War II."

"How? If I also remember, it was over 80 years ago back in your world, am I right?" Lux became curious

"Yep. When I still fought back in World War II, I defeated HYDRA's leader back then. His name is Johann Schmidt, or as he was called, the Red Skull. After that, I went into the ice for the rest of those years till I was recovered days before the Battle of New York. Years after that, I found out that an old friend of mine during the war, named Bucky, was actually alive as I thought he was dead after he fell off the HYDRA train that we targeted. He wasn't the same ever since." Steve took over

"This seemed too great for you to witness. How were you able to handle it?" Quinn asked

"Schmidt's assistant, a Swiss scientist named Dr. Arnim Zola, was one of those recruited after World War II as part of utilizing Germany's scientists for the advancements in scientific progress, and helped S.H.I.E.L.D, the organization that helped form the Avengers and found me from the ice. When I found out he was alive, I did my best to save him from his condition."

"So, your friend, did he undergo the same process you did? It sounds to me that he didn't age."

"You're correct. HYDRA found him and Dr. Zola helped work on his augmentations to replace his severed left arm. They brainwashed him with the mentality of an assassin that only takes orders from one master. He was called the Winter Soldier, if I recall, he earned that moniker as HYDRA would freeze him after every mission they used him for to prevent him from aging. He was the one that killed Tony's parents, sorry, no offense."

"None taken." Tony replied

"Your world seems to teem with a sizeable amount of danger, even within home. So, your friend, where is he now?" Garen was curious

"His brainwashing was actually fixed, and he was present when Thanos invaded Earth for the Mind Stone. Last time I saw him was five years ago, he was one of the victims included when Thanos snapped his fingers."

"Thanos, HYDRA, Ten Rings, what else?" Lux asked

"Red Room. I was once part of that." Nat answered up

"Here we go..." Vayne expected another grand reveal

"You see, the Red Room was an organization very much like HYDRA and the Ten Rings. We worked in the shadows. I was recruited at a very young age. I had a sister, Yelena. We were inducted in the same program, which was the Black Widow Program. Hence my alias. We were trained to become assassins and spies, cold, calculating, and emotionally void. For the finishing touch, we were sterilized. Meaning I can't have children at all."

When Natasha said that, Bruce was reminded of the closure he had with her during the time of Ultron's rampage. He too was sterile, hence he felt her loss. The rest of the original team knew her condition. Rocket and Nebula were shocked at the revelation. The five Demacians could not bear the thought of having the ability to procreate be taken away without consent.

"It's okay, Nat. You got us." Steve consoled her, even if she appeared to be apathetic

She was reminded of that, and was grateful to have another family she can claim she can belong to. In the process, to break up the gloom, Thor decided to remind them with something.

"Hey guys, remember the time when we had shawarma after the Chitauri Invasion? Still miss that place, to be honest."

"Oh, yeah. I remember that. The good meal we had, despite all the broken glass and concrete. Shame we didn't visit it again after some time." Tony added

"Mhmm. 'Great job, guys. Uh, let's just not come in tomorrow. Let's just take a day. You ever try shawarma? There's a shawarma joint about two blocks from here. I don't know what it is, but I wanna try it.'" Steve recalled Tony's statement

Tony, Steve and Thor chuckled at the memory. The others recalled that day, when they went to the place.

"Shawarma Palace was its name, if I remember." Thor added

"Really? Shawarma Palace? After all that mess, the first thing you thought of was shawarma? You really are something, Tony." Rhodey was surprised

"Eating is for the living, right?" Tony grinned at him after the remark

Nebula slowly shaked her head in exasperation from that response. They then reached Fossbarrow after some time.

FOSSBARROW
Near the Freljord Border

"So, um, the place we're going to, Freljord, what else can you say about it?" Thor asked

"Besides the biting frost and harsh cold? Best hope you'll have a coat or a fire to keep you warm. The winter weather in that region can spell death." Shyvana answered

"So, this is the town where we take off into the Freljord, huh? Well, we better get some winter clothes, I guess." Tony said

Lux and Garen remembered when they faced an evil spirit terrorizing the area. They hoped that their journey to the frozen tundra of the north would be less perilous than they wanted, but they were aware of the dangers lurking. They then went to a store to purchase thick heavy coats for the Freljordian winters. Vayne remembered the times she trained within the frigid lands of the north to prepare herself for the journey she took to become a monster hunter. Steve and Tony were reminded of Siberia, where they fought over Bucky's custody and the Sokovia Accords. Thor was reminded of Jotunheim. Yet, they brushed those off as memories of a past that made impacts on who they are. But, they went back on track to focus on what was ahead of them.

"So, um where to?" Tony asked

"We will head for the town of Rakelstake. It's known as a pilgrimage site for the Avarosans. I suggest we encounter them early on. The Winter's Claw and the Frostguard are best to be avoided, as they are highly hostile. Best secure the Avarosans as allies, as with them we will have a better chance of finding your next stone. Now, in the past, Demacia and the Freljord didn't have good relations due to territorial concerns. Still, it doesn't hurt to try, better the Avarosans than the Winter's Claw or the Frostguard, that's for sure." Lux informed them

They procured a map to Rakelstake. After getting some thick winter coats, feeding the horses and long-lasting food supplies, they decided to head out. The Avengers knew that their Quantum Suits have a limited capacity to resist cold, but they took the chance with the coats just in case.

The escorting soldiers were told to return back to the kingdom with the horses, and they would instead ride elnüks. Elnüks are a wooly bovine-like creature native to the Freljord. They were fortunate to have these creatures as mounts, as they are better suited to the harsh conditions coming for them. They paid the gold for the supplies and their new mounts. Usually, there were no elnük within the town, as they were usually equated to belong to the Freljordian tribes, but people found their use and adapted.

And so began their journey to Rakelstake.

FRELJORD

Frostguard Citadel

Lissandra felt something within the flow of the planet's arcane ley lines, and this both intrigued and pestered her, as she wasn't able to pinpoint on what it is yet. For the past few days, her scouting parties have found nothing yet. The Howling Abyss started to roar more, and she knew the Watchers that were still down there felt it too. She then decided to do one of the things she hasn't done in a long time: walking into dreams, originally to keep the Watchers asleep.

Her astral form reappeared after such a long time. As she entered the dream realm, she saw discord within it. She saw flashes of colors: red, blue, yellow, green, orange, purple. She wondered why such a rainbow-esque vision appeared before her. She then traversed the Freljord in her astral form, to search for the answers. However, she then hears another voice that is fully unfamiliar. She decided to retreat and try to approach it with a plan the next time.

Trundle, under the orders of Lissandra, added his fellow trolls to the parties sent out by her days prior. He wondered what has gotten the Ice Witch so riled up in recent events.

Avarosan Camp
Temporary Settlement

Ashe and Tryndamere were contemplating on their next moves, as their reports of Frostguard and Winter's Claw were pinpointing to their increasing presence. If it were an attack, then it would surely result in both sides clashing, and might inadvertedly place them in the third spot of conflict.

"Ashe, what do you think has been happening recently? Truth be told, this is quite out of the ordinary." Tryndamere asked his wife

"I think all this has something to do with what I have felt days ago. One night, I was out to get some fresh air. All of a sudden, I felt a surge of energy, but that's not all. I saw part of the sky blaze in blue. Based on what I have been hearing from the local talk, they think it's some kind of fallen star." Ashe responded

"I see. If that star seems to be of value to the point of both our rivals potentially searching for it, then I say we shouldn't ignore this. This might give us a leverage over them. We have to face the truth that the Frostguard are only growing stronger and so is the Winter's Claw. I know you wish to fulfill your goal of peace, but as you have taught me, it comes at a price." her husband gave insight

"A price we are all too familiar with, Tryndamere. But the question is, will this endeavour be worth it? I understand that if it truly is an advantage, then we must have it before they do. I know I try to embody peace and unity, but to uphold it, it must be protected." Ashe replied with some heaviness

"Then what shall be the next order?"

"Rally the other Avarosans. We might have a war on our hands. Find them, even those journeying to Rakelstake. We will need all the forces we can muster."

"Yes, my queen."

Winter's Claw Camp
Temporary Settlement

Sejuani was restless. Her frustration grew with each passing day, and it showed.

"Well? Have you found anything?!" Sejuani asked a scout with palpable frustration

"No, warmatron. Our search parties haven't found the fallen star yet. We have reports of Frostguard being spotted in the other areas."

"Hmm.. so it seems Lissandra is in on this too, but I wonder if she truly knows what she's looking for. Nonetheless, we must take caution of not crossing their paths in the meantime. Very well, resume the search, and try to avoid the Avarosans too when possible. I don't need more hassles for the moment. Am I clear?"

"Yes, warmatron."

Avengers
Temporary Camp

The freezing temperatures of the Freljord tempted them to make use of their Quantum Suits. Yet, they reminded themselves to save it for necessary uses, as the suits only have a finite amount of energy. Tony decided to stow his armor for the meantime, and Rhodey stayed in the armor for better preparation in case of incoming threats. The Demacians made a fire from some wood they retrieved from the evergreens they passed by. Shyvana then used her fire spells to aid in lighting the frosted wood. They then rested, and some took turns for sentry post. Vayne offered to be the first to take shift.

With everything in place, Tony then fell asleep.

Strangely, when he opened his eyes to get one last view, he saw that nobody was around. This startled him. The land around was more windy and harsh than usual, but the sky was pitch black instead of a deep blue.

"Guys? Where are you?"

Tension formed from the unsettling silence and the emptyness. But suddenly, he heard eerie whispers of a voice. This made him wary, and he then moved his eyes around to search for anything that might have made that noise. A small rustle was heard, and he turned his head to its direction. A stranger then approached him, making hoarse and dry noises. This made Tony try to help the stranger, as he thought that person was starving or something. But then, the stranger stopped.

The sudden halt in motion was enough to throw him off in his goal of helping. A long pause accompanied by the silence only served to make things feel worse. The stranger's head then turned up to face him in a creaky, unhuman way.

Then...

"RRRRAAAAGGHHH!"

Tony woke up screaming with his eyes wide open. This made everyone wake up from the loud and sudden sound.

"Tony! What happened?" Steve was concerned

"Man, u aight?" Rhodey followed

"Whoa, buddy... what's gotten into ya?" Rocket wondered

Tony was breathing hard, looking everywhere to make sure he was out of danger. He was relieved when he saw everybody. Then he recomposed himself. "Just had a bad dream, guys. Don't worry, I'm safe and sound."

"Well, that sounded like a really bad dream. You were loud enough to wake everyone." Lux commented

"I'll offer to watch him. Come on, Tony, you need some sleep. I'll be right here, so relax, okay?" Bruce went to him

"Thanks, Banner."

Everything then went quiet once again. But from a distance, Vayne watched it happen. She knew something was off, but chose to keep it to herself for the meantime.

2 days later...

For around two days, all three parties have not gained any considerable progress. Nor have they crossed paths with each other currently. Meanwhile, the Avengers have arrived at Rakelstake. They saw a sizeable number of Avarosans within the pilgrimage site.

RAKELSTAKE
South Freljord

When the Avengers arrived, they then had a little meeting with their accompanying Demacian comrades. Garen, Lux, Shyvana, Quinn and Vayne tried to discuss on what to do, as they knew of the bad blood years prior that happened with the Demacians and the Avarosans.

"Now, to clarify further, there is a reason why the Avarosans may not welcome our presence. You see, years ago, we were at war with a Freljordian sea-wolf fleet in Dawnhold, which lies on the tip of Demacia's peninsula that faces the Freljord's waters. One of the members of the Dauntless Vanguard, which Garen leads, named Rodion, was present in the conflict. His twin sister, Varya, fell in battle against the Freljordians. As a result, he sailed far north to Frostheld, which was the capital of the Avarosans. He burned the place down to avenge his sister." Lux explained

"Damn, that's somewhat refreshing. Burn down your enemy's home cuz they killed your sister." Tony quipped

"So, lady, what you're basically implying is that we're taking our chances with a bunch of people you got bad blood with?! You could've told us! Territorial concerns, my ass!" Rocket was frustrated from the situation

"Well, better the Avarosans than the other two tribes. At least we have a chance to reason with them, as I have heard that their leader, Ashe, is quite diplomatic. If this goes well, we may have a better chance of finding your other stone." Lux tried to reassure him

"Well, it better! The sooner we get the other Infinity Stones, the sooner we can get the hell outta here!" the raccoon remarked

"So, what do you suggest we do?" Steve asked

"I say we approach them with no intent of harm, and that we can talk it out." Garen suggested

"Oh yeah, sure. Just waltz in looking all fresh and royal, why don't you? Why? Your armor's a big glaring sign that says 'I belong to a kingdom with white and shiny things!', let's see how that works out, especially when one of your peons burned down a capital." Rocket grew more frustrated

"Well, our furry little friend has a clear point. But, what else can we do? If we lie and get found out later, that may land us into more problems." Quinn said

"Guys, I hate to say this, but we may have to pull of an impromptu bargain. We can only hope that they'll see our point. If we don't, then we might have to find help elsewhere." Scott suggested

"Well, how's this gonna go?"

"We offer them our help in exchange for them helping us find the stone. That means whatever problems they have we'll try to help." Scott replied

"Seeing that we may not have a better choice. Sure, we can fight them, but I don't know how long that's gonna last. Especially since we're gonna have to deal with magic. Lots and lots of magic. I bet Strange would've loved this place. So, let's get prepped, people." Tony agreed

From the distance...

"Hey, Willump. Where do you think we're going this time? I know that we're a little bit tired, but I still want to find my mom.." Nunu asked his yeti companion

Willump knew Nunu still longed for his mother, following her songs through the icy lands of the north. All he could do is to be with him as long as possible, through the adventures and through the sorrows. He gave soothing noises to console his friend. But then, he picked up the scent of something totally unfamiliar. He was a bit agitated. It showed.

"What is it? Is something wrong?"

Willump made noises indicative of uncertainty. He had never felt anything as strange as the one he just sensed.

"Why don't we find out? We've faced a lot of monsters, and don't worry, I'm here for you. If it is a monster, then we shall face it together. But who knows? Adventure is what we live for, right?" Nunu said

His yeti companion knew of his love for adventure, and that the truth is that they can't keep avoiding danger, as it is for the sake of Nunu when he grows up. He does note that sometimes, Nunu can be quite insightful for his age. Plus, since he knows they are close to Rakelstake, an important site of the Avarosans, they have a better chance if trouble becomes too great. Willump then headed to the direction of the scent and ran towards it.

Several minutes went by, and then they saw a small group of people nearing Rakelstake. Nunu and Willump decided to catch up and approach them.

AVENGERS & COMPANY POV

The group heard footsteps and rustlings behind them, and this alerted them, as they had felt no one followed or trailed behind them for the two day journey. The Demacians were alerted, and went to a defensive stance. The Avengers weren't phased, as they had faced foes larger and more intimidating. It made noises reminiscent of wild beasts.

"What... is that?" Vayne asked

Quinn and Vayne then prepared to arm their crossbows in case something happened. Garen readied his sword, and Shyvana prepared her defensive stance. Lux decided to not do anything yet, as she didn't want to give up her secret of being a magic user, as it would tarnish the Crownguard family tree. The tension only grew from the inaction, but all of a sudden...

"Wait, wait, wait! Don't hurt Willump! He won't hurt you!" Nunu jumped out from behind his yeti friend

Everyone in the group was dumbfounded by the sudden turn of events. Never have they expected a small child to be that close to a seemingly-dangerous beast. Nonetheless, they let it slide, and decided to see what happens next.

"I-Im sorry, we forgot to introduce ourselves.. Hello, my name is Nunu and here is my friend, Willump!" the little boy introduced the both of them

"Wait a minute...*gasp* is that a yeti? This is incredible! I have only heard of these creatures in legends! To see one in the flesh is a moment I will forever remember. But, how come you haven't been harmed?" Lux cut through the tension

"Willump never hurts me, he's my best friend! Um, we found you because he caught your scent from afar. We decided to check it out."

"Um, kiddo, let me ask you, is your mom around? You look too young to be going off all alone with your friend." Tony spoke up

Nunu then froze in place suddenly, and was reminded of the fact that his mom has been gone for quite a long time. "U-um, my mom's gone... I've been looking for her for a long time... it's been five years.."

Tony felt regret asking that question, but tried to reassure him. "I'm sorry, kiddo, didn't mean anything bad. But, since you're alone with your big friend, why don't you join us? Won't hurt having new people come along. So, are you familiar with the land? You seem like it."

"Yes, I am. So, will you help me find my mom? If yes, then count me in! Willump too." Nunu was somewhat excited, recovering quickly from the somber moment

"Tony, didn't expect you to be that inviting..." Steve commented

"Well, now we have a tour guide and a new companion. So, Nunu, am I correct? Wanna join us on our adventure? You won't be alone anymore." Tony closed off

"Yes! Woo-hoo! time for another adventure!"

The Avengers were both confused but pleased at the change of Tony's usually crass and sarcastic personality. The Demacians also saw it as a positive thing, as it would be better to have an ally that's a native of the Freljord.

"Damn, you changed big time, man. What's the secret?" Rhodey questioned

"Comes with having a family. Kids are a precious thing, Rhodey. Better make sure you try to give them a good childhood, it'll show when they grow up. You should meet Morgan sometime."

Nunu then wanted to ask, "Um, mister, what's your name? Sorry if I forgot to ask."

"Tony. Tony Stark."

So guys, did you enjoy it? That's right, people. I'm back! Never left. See you next chapter!