"Come on in! Make yourselves warm," the creature welcomed as they entered the large cave.
A fire was going in the middle of the floor. As the owls landed and their riders leaped off the creature threw a huge log into the fire pit, sparks and embers flying everywhere. Now that they were out of the howling wind and blinding snow they could see the creature's true appearance. It was nearly seven feet tall and had shaggy white fur. The tips of his blue skinned fingers and toes had tiny claws.
As they all huddled around the fire there was one thing on their minds. "What are you?" Fawn finally asked, not to be rude, but out of curiosity.
"Oh, my kind is known as the yeti. A species that lives in wintery, mountainous climate regions such as this,".
"You like this freezing cold?" Iridessa blurted.
"Well it's not too cold with all this fur,".
"So if you live up here in the mountains, then how do you know Dewey?" Tink asked.
"I guess you could say he's sort of like my uncle,".
Everyone's faces lit up with amazement. "You actually mean that all those times he said 'Well I'll be a yeti's uncle' he really was a yeti's... uncle?" Vidia inquired.
"Indeed so,".
"Wow!" Fawn exclaimed.
"So what are a bunch of fairies doing way up here in the mountains anyway?".
There was a few short moments before anyone came forward. This both confused and concerned the yeti.
"Well, you see, my sister and our queen were captured by the Dark One," Tink finally began.
The yeti's confusion and concern almost vanished immediately and was replaced by a fiery anger. He let out a small growl as well.
"I take it you know him too?" Vidia assumed.
"Absolutely! Ever since him and his flock of crows came to these mountains he's been trouble. He's been creating these crazy, constant blizzards and has been forcing me to create huge avalanches!".
"So that's why there's so many blizzards," Fawn stated.
"Wait, you're the one who has been creating all these avalanches? We could have been buried alive!" Iridessa cried and then began to mumble to herself.
The yeti looked back at them confused.
"Don't worry about her she has a tendency to overreact," Vidia explained.
He nodded back to her slowly. "Anyway, his legion of crows are getting on my nerves too! Always squawking and pecking at me. Why can't they just stay in the confounded cavern of theirs?". The fiery anger returning to him as he spoke.
"You know where the Dark One is?" Tink beamed.
The yeti nodded in reply to her.
"Do you think you could show us?".
"Anything for a friend of Dewey's!".
Lord Milori's owl, who had seemed to be ignoring the conversation, suddenly seemed like he was about to protest, but remained still and said nothing.
"Do you think you could take us there now?" Tink asked.
"And go to that accursed place, no way!" the yeti paused a moment and began to speak in a calmer tone, "I can show you the way there but its too windy and it would be nearly impossible to see now. Tomorrow morning I could point out the way,".
Tink saddened a bit, but brightened when she reminded herself that the yeti was still willing to help.
"You guys should get some rest, you look pretty beaten,".
A sudden sadness came over everyone in that instant. This creature seemed so much like Lord Milori at that point. It reminded them all of his absence.
They were all about to fall asleep when Silvermist asked, "What's your name anyway?".
"Von Digniousesmongerdoolay, but you can call me Dignious,".
"That's a mouthful!" Rosetta stated, "Well, goodnight everyone,".
"Night," they all replied in unison.
As everyone slept there was one among them who did not. Lord Milori's owl speculated many thoughts as he stared out into the blinding snow, the glow of the moon barely shining through the thickness of the clouds and snowfall. The emerald eyes mentally etched into the white abyss ahead of him.
How could this be? She was gone, destroyed by darkness.
But he was sure of what he had seen. She was real and she lead them to this yeti.
What was the purpose of meeting this strange character? Why did they have to meet him?
His thoughts suddenly drifted away from those of the yeti. They now were memories of the last time he had seen her.
"Join me in darkness and we shall live on together, forever".
Oh how the words had tempted him so. It would no longer matter if anyone knew of their love.
"Phoebus!" a familiar masculin voice called out to him.
He turned to see an owl resembling himself but slightly larger and with majestic silver eyes, wearing a silver crown crested with a grand owl and encrusted with cobalt blue spinels.
"Don't listen to her, she is not who she seems!".
Phoebus returned his gaze to her and noticed the darkness in her eyes.
"She is not the one you love!". The owl's eyes showed true concern, but Phoebus didn't want to believe it.
A sudden laugh rang out through the corridor. "Indeed, she is not. She has become as dark as I have,". Nefarious appeared before them and with a snap of his fingers she became a crow with the same emerald eyes.
The rest was a sudden blur, but then she appeared before him once more. She lay on the floor in her true owl form, motionless.
Then the memories faded away from his thoughts, as if they never happened in the first.
Clarion cried herself to sleep that night, Nefarious' words crowded her thoughts. If you truly love him, you will join him. She was unable to get the words to stop mirroring through her head. When she was finally able to, another unhappy thought crowded her mind. What if joining Milori was the only way to save him? But was she willing to give everything up for her broken heart? Once she became dark would she still love Milori or would the darkness steal that away from her too?
What if she didn't join him? What if she let the evil rot inside Milori until it killed him? No, that would be the one thing she would regret the most.
After hours of dwelling and crying until she thought she couldn't cry anymore, Clarion had made her final decision, but she wasn't sure if she could live with herself if she went through with it.
Nefarious watched as she wallowed in sadness. To see her in pain brought great amusement to him. His hunger for sorrow to fill the room had been fulfilled.
Aldar suddenly appeared on his shoulder. "So how do plan on killing the fairy queen?".
"There's been a change in plans,".
The crow ruffled his feathers uneasily and cocked his head, still listening.
"My original plan has taken a slight turn," he paused a moment, "I didn't expect Milori to give into the darkness so easily. Although he has let it become him, his feelings towards her are still on the surface. The situation, one could say, has become quite interesting,".
A sneer came upon Nefarious' face and he began a low evil chuckle. Moments later his laugh was accompanied by another, Aldar's.
Periwinkle let out a gasp when the two disappeared in a cloud of smoke. She knew Nefarious was up to something, but what?
Dear Clarionromance22,
I'm sorry my writing is too depressing for you, but sadness and pain are my highest points in writing and it's what I do best. Just to let you know, even though my stories can be depressing they will always have a happy ending.
~13bookworm
Dear nightmoon1024,
I noticed you asked me to update as soon as possible, but you asked me that via chapter 1. So I was hoping you knew about the other nineteen chapter. Oh and welcome to the world of Quest for the Queen!
~13bookworm
Dear Laura P.,
Milori went over to the dark side because at the time, he was too weak to defy Nefarious and it was the only way to spare Clarion from the pain Nefarious was causing her.
~13bookworm