This is my first stories, so no flames please.

Concave walls made the Snowager's howling roars a lot louder than they really were. From the leviathan's mouth shot man-sized icicles, but they once again only hit snow. The real target, a white Kyrii, was nearly behind the Snowager. He gripped an Attack Fork in one hand and leaped for the cave walls. The Snowager twisted and swung its giant tail towards the Kyrii. The said Kyrii hit the snow, but the tail's momentum buffeted him violently.

The Kyrii got to his feet. He knew that by Battledome standards he was no match for the Ice Worm. The Chia Clown? Without a doubt. Pant Devil? With some luck and well placed timing, maybe. Anything above that? No chance what so ever.

Still, there was more to fighting than stats, and besides, the Kyrii didn't actually want to beat the Snowager. Maybe someday but definitely not today.

The Kyrii picked up the pace. He acted predictably: dodging the Snowager's blasts. Then he got a little creative and began to use cracks and crevices in the walls to scale up the ceiling and the whole time he kept increasing his speed just ever so slightly.

Angrily, the Ice Worm made a sudden dive for the Kyrii. The Kyrii let go of the wall and fell to the ground, and the Attack Fork vanished without a trace. He twisted himself in the air until he was face downward. He stretched out both hands and caught himself without any harm to his physical being. Without hesitating, he thrust himself forward and ran on all fours to the opposite wall. At about that same moment, the Snowager's head plowed through a wall of snow and caused a mini avalanche. All of this happened in a time span of fifteen seconds.

The Snowager roared the whole time and continued to strike and miss. The Kyrii was like a mosquito to him: small and annoying. The way he kept jumping from one side of the wall to another made him resemble a flying creature as well.

The Kyrii smiled to himself when he heard the Snowager once again plow into a wall of snow where he had been moments before. He continued upwards, never stopping while gaining more speed and momentum with every jump and pull. Icicles shot passed him and struck icy stalactites above. The very pointy and deadly structures fell straight down and probably would have grazed the Kyrii if he hadn't jumped for the opposite wall at the last second.

The Kyrii perked his ears. A high whistle bounced about the cave. That was the signal. It was time to wrap this up.

The Kyrii stopped pacing himself. He poured on the speed. If he stopped or hesitated now he would lose all that momentum he had built up and would become worm chow.

He was right at the ceiling when he did a backwards flip. He fell downwards like a stone. His Attack Fork reappeared out of thin air, and he gripped it in both hands and held it over his head.

The Snowager looked up just in time to see the downward swing.

Terror Mountain lived up to its name. Or at least the side closest to Shenkuu did. Gale storms and blizzards howled through the mountain like a living thing. Monsters roamed about freely, and only the toughest creatures could even dream of surviving.

However, you probably wouldn't think that if you were on the opposite side of the mountain. It was the most civilized and populated. Little Christmas theme towns dotted the countryside, and it was those same little towns that Holly Snow personally preferred.

Her antennae twitched irritably at her traveling companion. "Will you please stop that, Thoth? You're making a scene."

The white kyrii at her side continued to stretch his arms. He highly doubted that last remark. As far as he was concerned any passing bystander would think he was just another tourist just trying to warm up. "You know, my arms wouldn't be feeling so numb right now if you had just waited for the Snowager to fall asleep. Then I wouldn't have gotten so sore and be causing a scene."

Holly shuddered, but not in anger. It was Thoth's voice. It always sounded cold and emotionless, and it scared her. She turned a creeped out eye at him and regretted it. Thoth's a ppearance alone 'swas creepy. For reasons unknown, he had long bangs that resembled an acara's hairstyle. His mane and fur were thick and spiky, and he was tall and thin, despite the fact that he was the one who usually ate thirds during dinner. His eyes were blood red and matched the multiple scars on his body, some of which were mercifully hidden under some winter clothes loaned from their owner.

Thoth yawned casually. "What did you get anyway?"

"A melted chocolate negg."

"A what?" said Thoth coldly. "I risked my life for a ruined piece of candy?"

The Christmas Ruki winced. "It was either that, or the key chain collection. At least we can eat this."

Thinking that Thoth was going to lose it for sure, Holly was surprised when the kyrii nodded. "Good point. The food at the Lodge is lousier than your cooking."

Two days ago, their owner had declared that she was going to be gone for a week, so, naturally, every family member had gotten ready for a quick vacation. Holly had been looking forward to a stay in Terror Mountain. That is…until she learned that Thoth was going as well and by then it was too late to reschedule. Since then she had been keeping her distance and avoiding the Kyrii as much as possible.

She couldn't right now though. She had needed his help getting an item from the Snowager, and once that manner of business was done, they had to head back to the inn. Holly had tried to lose him in the crowd earlier, but the Kyrii had always caught up and stuck to her like a living magnet.

Holly sighed in relief. So far, Thoth hadn't gotten into any trouble, and if her luck held it would stay that way.

Which only proves how unlucky a person can be.

The Neolodge only had two other guests and four if you counted Thoth and Holly One was an elderly red Shoryu that was constantly sleeping near the fire. The other was his rebellious granddaughter, a faerie Kacheek who wore far too much black makeup.

The Lodge itself was grand, with red carpeting, antique, velvety chairs and sofas, and hardwood tables. On the far side of the room was a large fireplace surrounded by two chairs with a couch in between.

Thoth and Holly were just hanging their winter things on a convenient coat rack near the door when the faerie Kacheek walked in. "Like where you've been? It's like, zero degrees out there. Why on Neopia would you want to go out there?" She popped some bubble gum and placed her paws on her hips. She was wearing some sort of fish net material around her arms and legs, a black t-shirt, and a black skirt.

Thoth cocked an eye. "Dressed like that then no wonder. And I guess you didn't bring a coat along."

"Of course. Coats are sooooo uncool."

Thoth crouched down to talk to her at eye level. "Really? Well do you want to know what's really uncool? Frost bite."

The Kacheek glared. "Frost bite? Pfft! That's, like, a human disease."

"Doesn't mean it can't happen to us. Frostbite doesn't care who or what you are. As long as you're there it will try to kill you. Do you know what frost bite can do to you?"

The Kacheek girl shook her head. She had Thoth's full attention now. Thoth gave her a hollow smirk and continued. "You're toes and fingers begin to turn blue, then they grow hard as stone until you can't even feel or move them anymore. This continues until they drop off like leaves in Autumn. Also, it's not just your fingers or toes. Sometimes, when it gets really bad you can lose a whole limb. Do you understand?"

The Kacheek's eyes grew wide and her jaw slackened. Finally she shook her head vigorously. "It's all stupid Grampus's fault then! He wanted to come. So if I lose a toe, then, it's like, his fault."

"Oh yes. You are quite smart, dear. In fact, you should move out now and pay for your own house, make your own meals, and get your own job while you still have a brain."

The Kacheek's pout faded. She went to sit with her grandfather near the fireplace. Thoth smirked coldly. "That actually felt good. I love messing with little idiots like that."

"Amazing you can love anything," thought Holly. "Simply amazing."

The two sat at opposite ends of the couch while the Kacheek sat in a nearby chair. The old shoryu looked up at them through his squinty eyes and smiled. "Ah, to be your ages again. Mountains are no places for wrinkly old folks like me."

The Kacheek girl rolled her eyes. "Gramps, if you, like, shouldn't have come then why did you not come?"

The Shoryu looked up at his daughter. "What? What was that, dear?"

"Why did you not come?" the girl repeated.

"What?"

"I said WHY DID YOU NOT COME?!"

"Not come?"

"YEAH!"

"That's right! You shouldn't have come. Don't you know, dear? These mountains are cursed," wheezed the Shoryu.

Holly became interested. She loved listening to old myths. Thoth was interested too, but not in a potential story. He had become more fascinated with enlarging a tear in the couch's armrest.

"Can you please tell us the story, sir?" asked Holly.

The old Shoryu laughed. "Gladly, Miss." The Shoryu stopped and looked at the fire in the hearth. The light seemed to dance in his squinted eyes, and the room grew quiet with the exception of the fire crackling and Thoth ripping the couch.

"A long time ago, when Neopets were still settling into the world, the Snowbeasts ruled the Mountains. They lived in a single tribe for to live in such conditions, there was no room for rivalries."

Rip. Rip.

"Then the Neopets came. Many of those pets feared the Snowbeasts for their fierce looks. Others recognized the intelligence in the creatures and lived amongst them as tribe members. Thanks to this union, the tribe began to flourish and expanded into an empire."

Rip. Crackle.

"However, it is a common fact that power can fade. Many of the Snowbeasts and Neopets became jealous of each other. Before long, the single tribe became two. Battles raged and many perished. They began to distance themselves and the mountain itself was divided."

Rip. Tear. Rip.

"Then one day , one of the tribes got involved with black magic. They placed a curse on their enemies' armada. This curse robbed the creatures of their intelligence and reduced them to mere animals, and those poor souls' offspring are the savages we know today."

Crackle. Rip.

"With their numbers horribly decreased, the desecrated tribe was forced to hide. The evil tribe was also forced to go into hiding as well, for the pets that had long feared them from the start were growing in number. They say that the two tribes still live in hiding to this day."

The room fell into silence. Holly wondered over the story. "If it the story is true then where could the tribes be hiding and could the curse over the Snowbeasts be lifted?" she thought.

RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIP.

All heads turned towards Thoth. He was holding a large strip of arm rest in one hand while large amounts of cotton spilled out of the couch's side.

"…Oops."

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