AN: There. Next Chapter and continuation of Story.
Enjoy.
"Hold on now. You went in a freezy mission with the unhealed wound?" Panthro asked.
"Our thoughts exactly." Orthurs agreed.
"What? You expected me to stay while huge snow storm would cover entire village?" Leona asked.
"Well, many in my village were worried about her health, including my grandmother, but she decided to do it anyhow."
"Then what happened?" Wilykat asked excitedly.
"Well, next morning I went there, but not alone..." Leona continued the story.
On the next day, Leona was heading to the palace of Yuma mount. This time having the warm clothes to wear, like one Greta's grandmother picked for her. One of the warriors named Noah, a snow ferret, went to guide her there, while Qui helped with her wound just in case or giving more information about the place.
"This is far I can go," Noah said once arriving at outer gates of the palace.
"Who sealed it?" Leona asked.
"The king" Qui told. "He knew something was up, so he sent everyone to safety and sealed the gates."
"But if it's sealed, how can someone or something come out?"
"That's your job to find out."
Leona looked annoyedly at Qui before went look the gates closely. The good thing is, the gate can be open by both sides. From their side, it requires a missing piece to open it. Leona tried to look any possible solution, until she finds a dead body, more like a skeleton of a dead body. Leona went look closely finding some details.
"That's the symbol of neighborhood kingdom," Noah explained. "They say that, when the palace was sealed, some neighborhood kingdom came either try to help or conquer."
"Well, whoever this was and why, didn't seem to matter. The snowstorm killed him before he managed to get inside." Leona said noticing frost in the clothes and armor.
"But he left us the missing piece," Qui said and lifts an emblem.
"That's emblem of Yuma mount," Noah told.
Suddenly Leona feels a presence and signs Qui to take Noah safety before she prepared her arrow to aim. She looked closely to spot something until she spots huge creature with ice blue eyes. But before she could even lift her bow and arrow, that creature was gone. Feeling both relieved and uneasy, she returns to Qui and Noah, just when Qui placed the emblem to the gates, which activated and opened it.
"Noah, stay here and wait. As soon as I find any of the children I send Qui to guide them to you." Leona told.
"I understand," Noah said. "My son Kaine was one of the missing children. Please, find him and bring him back."
"I'll do my best," Leona assured before stepped through the gates.
Once stepping through the gates Leona finds the entrance to the palace. There were two statues on the entrance. On the right side, there was strong yet kind looking bear statue with a royal outfit and grown, while on the left there was a beautiful looking bear in a warm and elegant dress with grown too.
"Qui, are these..?"
"The king Coldor and his daughter Polara." Qui answered. "the crown Princess Polara was about to heir the throne when something terrible happened."
"Something that made everyone to run away and King seal the palace kind of terrible?" Leona asked. Qui simply nodded. Hearing this Leona entered quietly to the palace front.
The palace looked well to be an abandoned place. It's like time hasn't passed here, or it could be the snow. Leona had shivers, but not because of cold. She had a feeling that she is been watched, more ways than one.
Leona decided to look from the garden area. Who knows if there's a secret door to the palace. But there wasn't much. Only royal graveyard, nothing mo…
"Please, someone help us!" heard an innocent cry. Leona followed the voice and found two snow bunnies locked into the shed.
"It's okay. I'm here to get out of here." Leona calmed the kids.
"Miss defender? Please, help us. We tried to escape, but the monster with blue eyes captured us and locked us here." one of the snow bunnies said.
"Don't worry. I'll get you out there" Leona assured. "I just need..." she was saying before there was green glow in her wrist. She checks it and it turned out to be a replica of tech stone.
"The Tech stone can allow you any access to different doors whenever you need it" Qui explained. "Just place your hand on the lever and tech stone will handle the lock mechanism."
Leona did like it told her. As soon she had her hand on lever there were some mechanic sounds and the door of the shed opened.
"Wow… handy" Leona said.
Then two snow bunnies run to her.
"Thank you, miss defender." the first snow bunny said to her.
"It's okay. Do you know where others are?" Leona asked.
"Yes, inside the palace." other snow bunny said.
"Alrighty then," Leona said. "Go with Qui. It will lead you to Noah, who is waiting outside the gates. I'll go save others."
"Be careful. Because your wound, you're weak." Qui reminded.
Leona didn't answer on that, while Qui leaded two snow bunnies away from the palace. Leona headed to the main doors now to get inside, but before she got even closer to the door she heard someone up on the balcony.
"Defender, I have been waiting for you." heard beastly voice before that landed on the ground just between her and the door. It was huge and hideous. It was hard to say what kind of animal it resembles, but only that came to mind was a bear with a deformed head. "The mirror foretold one of you would come sooner or later here and we can't allow you to interfere in our affairs."
"Taking those kids gives me a very good reason to interfere," Leona said and prepared her arrow.
"Then have it your way." the beast said and throw a piece of rock and from it came out another beast. Well, unlike him, this one looked obviously something between wolf and lion. After that, the beast entered the palace while locked the door.
Leona prepared to aim the arrow, but the creature looks strong enough to handle one arrow and would still attack her. And it did.
Leona placed her hands up the front of her to prepare for force, but then suddenly a torch with fire flew behind her and hit the creature and it vanished into little pieces of snow, leaving nothing but that blue rock, which beast used to summon the creature.
Leona turned around to see where that torch came from and to her surprise saw Greta behind her.
"Greta, what are you doing here?" Leona asked.
"I came to help you."
"It's too dangerous. Your grandmother..."
"...Knows that I'm here. And I even brought a salve to your wounds" Greta said and showed the jar to her.
Leona pinched between her eyes. As much she wants to send her back, she can't do that. Plus, Qui should have noticed her, but then why he didn't tell? That little flying kitsune… She sighs and gave up.
"Fine. But stay close to me then."
"Sure" Greta smiled.
Once that was clear, Leona uses the tech stone to unlock the door and get in. Inside everything looked so elegant and clean. To ancient old palace, it's in good shape. Then they heard soft sound far ahead. Leona hurried there, while Greta followed her bit far.
Leona soon arrived at main hall which leads to the throne room. There she spots someone with kids. It looks like… Crown Princess Polara.
Leona hurried to the throne room, but suddenly ice block was created to the entrance blocking her way to the throne room.
"Whiskers!" Leona shout and hit the ice on frustration.
"Leona, shouldn't hurry with your wound. It could reopen." Greta reminded.
Leona tried to calm down. before she sat down and allowed Greta to check her wound. Luckily, it wasn't reopened, so Greta only added more salve to calm the pain.
"Thanks," Leona said after that. "But I need to find a way to get to the throne room."
"You saw others there?" Greta asked.
"Yeah. but I don't hurry, who knows what will happen to them."
Right then Greta walked to other door and went through it.
"Greta?" Leona wondered and followed her. There were stairs which took to the upper floor. There Greta stood in front of another door.
"Greta, what's wrong?"
"I...I felt like there was something magical behind this door." Greta said.
"Magical? How would you…?"
"I'm not sure. I just...did. This happened seven days ago. I just started to feel where there was something special or something like that."
"So, you then knew "in a way" who I was."
"Oh, I know how your defenders look like. That you always have your guide animal or white cape, but you had more than that. You felt a lot stronger and powerful."
"Could it be because of these?" Leona asked and showed the replicas of the spirit stone and tech stone.
Greta looked amazed on the handmade bracelet. It was the same kind when you learn that someone you know and admire shows something new about themselves.
But then suddenly something dark came out from the wall and grabbed Greta by her feet and started to drag her into the room.
"Greta!"
"Leona, help!" she managed to say before she was dragged through the small hole.
"No!"
Leona knew she couldn't get through by the hole, so she used tech stone replica to unlock the door and get in. Once getting inside, she tried to find Greta, but she wasn't there. there was another door, but it was locked, there's no chance she in there. What then got her attention, was a portrait of an innocent looking child. On the frames read "Blessed one".
Blessed one? Who could she be? Why would Crown Princess of Yuma palace be interested in her? Maybe Qui could tell when he gets back. What still worried her was where Greta was? But what about other kids? Ugh! Where's Qui when he's needed? Should she wait for Qui to come or do something? But what? She is weak with her wound, so she can't take the risk to do something stupid.
Then suddenly she heard some noises. Leona comes out from the room to another where she lost Greta. Right then, she noticed that there was a balcony to overlook the throne room.
Leona moved slowly and quietly so, they won't notice her. This time she could hear clearly what was going on down there.
"You must hungry, little one," Crown Princess Polara said to one Leona recognized as Kaine, Greta's friend. "Have something warm to drink," she said and offers a chalice with something warm. Leona could notice it wasn't any warm milk or anything else you like to take in cold weather. It looks more like poison. Is she planning to kill them?
The young ferret reached for the chalice, but then suddenly out of nowhere Greta appears and pushes Kaine far from Crown Princess. How she got there?
"No, stay away from him and everyone else!" Greta yelled and pushed the chalice aside that liquid splashed everywhere on her and on the floor.
Leona tried to shout for her, but then there was an enormous pain on her side right where her wound is. This...this can't be normal. She could hardly stand and watch what was happening next.
the splashes of the poison that touched Greta started to illuminate as in something rejected them from doing any harm to her. Before anyone could realize Greta was glowing in the pure white glow.
"The blessed one... For centuries I have searched for you..." Crown princess Polara said. Right then, she sensed someone watching and looked up and noticed Leona. Leona could hardly notice her elegant winter-dress and crown when she took a note the eyes of the polar bear. her eyes looked so classy, As in something or someone has blocked her inner self deep down in her and was controlled by something else.
"Father!"
Right then, Polara and the children vanish from the throne by snow. Before Leona could react she felt someone behind her and found the same Beast who stopped her in front of the Palace entrance.
It hard to say did he managed to strike her or did she passed out first, because either way, she fell down and lost consciousness of what happened next.
End of Flashback
REVIEWS, PLSS ^^
AN: There. What happens next? What is this Blessed one? You learn in next Chapter.