The first rays of sunlight bathed the treetops of Hillsbrad Foothills. Near a mountain in the ruins of Alterac, a metal sign covered with a fine layer of dust was beginning to light up. "Wigglyworm" could be read on the poster. Then a tiny hand appeared to gently wipe the dust with a tiny silk cloth from that poster.
"Today is the day, everything has to be perfect ”- thought the tiny being.
Gingerbread Mouse was the owner of that poster, as well as the house that belonged to him. A house that, like any gnome's, was circular and built with metal. It had 3 floors. On the ground floor was the living room. It featured a rough black leather sofa attached to a television, which was a revolutionary invention by Ratin. The television was supposed to bring the news of what was happening in Azeroth to all the houses that had one, but at the moment all that could be seen on that screen was the camera that Nutty Mouse had installed in the basement. That plant also had a kitchen and inside it was “Chef-E” who was the robot that used to cook for Ratín. The house had many of these robots that helped the gnome both in housework and in his engineering studies.
On the upper floor was the bedroom, it had a tiny bed covered by a very good quality runeweave blanket. There was also a small desk that was filled with papers, plans, fountain pens, and ink cans of all colors. The room was very well lit by a gyroscope-shaped lamp and several light cannons along the walls of the room.
But it was in the basement that the real treasure of Nutty Ratin was found. There one could find everything in the same way that one could even get lost among the jumble of irons, nuts, springs, metal plates, balls of wool, remnants of failed experiments, robot heads and other junk that Ratín enthusiastically stored. The basement was also 2 times bigger than the living room and 4 times bigger than the bedroom. It featured countless scribbled blackboards, work tables, mobile lamp holders, and assistive robots. There, in addition, was also the jewel in the crown of Ratín. He had been working for months and even years on this, and today was the day to test it.
"Where has that idiot gone?" - Ratin thought. - I should have arrived by now.
It was almost midmorning when the doorbell finally rang. "Ringggggggggg, ringgggggggg, ringggggggg."
- There it goes, it goes! - Ratin yelled as he walked towards the door. - You're late, demon animal!
When he opened the door, Nutty Ratin, he found the silhouette of a giant being if we compared it to him. His hands were huge and full of hair that also covered a good part of the rest of his body. On the head, two horns stood proud with a slight curve to the front. However, it was in the legs where one found the greatest peculiarity of that being, one of them had an immense hoof that matched the dark color of the Tauren but the other ... the other had a kind of iron leg that substituted to what had previously been meat, which is why the Tauren staggered a bit when walking.
-Sorry Ratin, lately this leg kills me every time I take a step. - said the Tauren. - How is that?
-Well, well, I have already programmed all the functions and coordinates, if nothing goes wrong we should be able to reach Molino Tarren in a matter of 0.0000587 seconds. The only thing that worries me is to re-materialize in the right place, if there were any mistakes ... - The gnome did not finish the sentence, but it was evident that if the experiment failed they would pay dearly. - Although there will be time for that later, let me see that leg.
Although the relationship between a gnome and a tauren was not very normal in the eyes of any inhabitant of Azeroth, Wigwind Mouse and Vagorrio Piernamuñón had shared a friendship for many years.
The gnome had rescued the tauren when it was just a cub at Camp Taurajo. Vagorrio had fled during the “Grim Totem” assault with the misfortune of falling into a trap that trapped his leg. Ratín, who was on an adventure, had no choice but to separate the leg from the body of the Tauren to be able to rescue him, he took him home and there he cured, raised and educated him. Due to the problems reported by not having a leg, Ratín worked for a time on a mechanical leg to help Vagorrio, who was finally able to walk again. Since then Ratin and Vagorrio had lived hundreds of adventures, they went to explore the Plaguelands or the Southshore, they launched rockets, they designed Halloween pumpkins to sell them in the markets of the big cities or the auction houses and they even once faced the Yeti wandering south of the Alterac ruins. For all this Ratín had become like a father to Vagorrio and the gnome loved the Tauren as much as a son.
-Well, that's it, now it should hurt much less Vagorrio. - Ratín said once he had finished repairing the mechanical leg. - Well, how about we pick a few flowers from the garden? We will need fuel if we want it to work ...
-Okay, but let me use the ZX-3000 TurboCollector this veeeeez! - Said the Tauren pleadingly.
-No way, the TurboCollector is mine, you know. - Ratin pointed out.
The gnome put on a kind of backpack that connected to a suction tube on his back and went out into the garden together with his friend.
-Pleaseooooorrrrr! - Vagorrio insisted with bright eyes like those of a kitten that asks its owner for pampering.
-Damn it's okay, but only once! - Ratin finally agreed.
Ratín handed the contraption to Vagorrio who, full of emotion and enthusiasm, put it on his back and ran to Flor de Paz's garden outside the house.
-Get ready! 3, 2, 1… - Vagorrio started the countdown and pressed the red button. The machine on his back emitted a great rumble that echoed across the mountain and began to vibrate. Vagorrio gripped the tube tightly with both hands and pointed toward the flower garden. Immediately a small tornado came out of the tube of the apparatus and was sucking each one of the flowers as if it knew where it should move to catch them.
-Okay, now we just have to wait for the TurboCollector to turn the flowers into fuel. - Ratín said to Vagorrio. - You know the importance of what we will do today, right?
-You haven't stopped repeating it for a year, Ratin. What if we will appear in the newspapers, what if they will put your name on a star, what if a goblin could not even dream of something like that ... - Vagorrio replied.
"Of course a goblin couldn't even dream of something like that!" - Ratín said angrily. - Those green idiots only think about gold. Listen Vagorrio, this is much more than an invention, it will change people's lifestyles, it is a full-fledged matter transporter. - The gnome pointed out.
His invention consisted of a platform that held an apparently normal gyroscope, the gyroscope was connected to a battery that worked with refined oil from Flor de Paz, which was extremely cheap. If it worked, the machine would be able to transport them from their mountain home to Vagorrio's house at the Tarren Mill in less than the blink of an eye. With this Ratin hoped to be able to transport matter to any part of Azeroth and Outland instantly.
-Come on, go up. - Ratín said to Vagorrio.- The time has come.
The tauren climbed onto the artifact, and there they were both, as on so many other occasions, together and ready to face a new adventure. They put on the hood with aviator glasses and the leather jacket.
-Ratín, I'm very excited! I hope everything goes well and we'll see you on the other side! - Vagorrio finally told Ratín.
-Okay, let's go! Calculating route ... preparing coordinates ... filling fuel tank ... preparing reactors ... And finally ... the Red button! - said Ratín at the time he started his invention.
Suddenly inside that basement everything suddenly lit up, the gyroscope began to shine and immediately afterwards it absorbed itself, leaving the room totally deserted.
At the Tarren Mill immediately a spark appeared and next to it the gyroscope appeared with both crew members on board.
-It has been a success! - The two shouted in unison. - Success, success, éééééxito!
Ratin and Vagorrio got off the ship and were embracing each other when the gyroscope began to shake. It trembled and lit up, began to crack, and finally exploded.
The bodies of the two friends shot out before they could do anything. Between smoke and fire, Vagorrio's body was near a tree but the gnome had completely disappeared.
The Tauren's arm began to move after most of the smoke had cleared. Suddenly Ratin's head popped out from his friend's arms.
-Vagorrio! Vagorrio are you okay ?! Vagorrio talk to me please! - Tears began to appear in the eyes of the gnome who was beginning to understand the seriousness of the situation in which he found himself. - He has saved me, Vagorrio has saved me, he protected me from the explosion and from the collision with this damn tree. - He thought as he looked at the inert body that had been his faithful companion for so many years.
Ratin gasped, because of him that had happened. Vagorrio had alerted him many times to the probability that it would not work out well. Now because of him the Tauren had died, he could never forgive him.
While crying heartbrokenly hugging Vagorrio, the tauren began to move slightly.
-Coff, coff- Vagorrio coughed.
-VAGORRIO !, YOU ARE ALIVE! - Ratin's eyes widened and he gave his friend a hug that almost took his breath away.
-What did you think huh ... that you could get rid of me so easily? - Judging by the tone of his voice, the tauren had been injured although it seemed that he would come out of it. - You will need more than an explosion of nothing ... Although ... - the Tauren lowered his gaze to the place where his mechanical leg should be. - Looks like I'm going to need a fix huh ... - The leg had disappeared as a result of the explosion.
-We will solve that Vagorrio, don't worry, the important thing is that you are here.- Ratín said.
Two weeks had passed since the accident and Ratín had created a new leg for Vagorrio, fully functional and better articulated than the previous one. The tauren had thanked him on multiple occasions for the invention thanks to which he would walk normally again.
They were at the table in the living room having dinner while they watched on the television the images of the construction of the gyroscope that Ratín had recorded. The emotions ran through the gnome's head causing him sadness as well as joy, he had not fulfilled his dream but his friend was with him.
-Vagorrio, I'd like to give you something. - The gnome handed the tauren a box.
The tauren opened the box and inside he found a photograph of both of them next to the remains of the gyroscope that lay in the basement. Vagorrio looked Ratin in the eye with a tear appearing in his eyes.
-Thank you very much for all my friend, I love you. - With those words the tauren had not only thanked Ratín for his gift, but all their time together.
Dedicated to my friend Nova for helping me find a name for the gnome
Brilliant!