A/N: Yes, I know I haven't updated in ages but I figured no one was leaving any reviews so there wasn't much point if no one was reading it. So if you like the story and want an update leave a review or else no updates for a long while. That being said, let's continue with the story
Blood and Tears
Part 3, The Snowager
They arrived at the fissure just before dusk. The large crack went up a long ways, they couldn't even make out any light stating the ice caves. The chasm was only about 5 feet across, although it went on for a long time in the opposite direction. It would be cramped and they'd have to go up one at a time. Jagged rocks cut out, rough edges looking particularily sharp. One false move up there could cripple someone, would the journey be over before it even started?
Dare stepped back, looking frightened. "We have to go up there!" he exclaimed.
"Yes," snapped Talon. "And we spent tons on of money getting you ready so there's no way we're leaving you behind, toughen up, we're going up there and that's final."
"Those rocks will tear us to shreds though, are we going to climb up there?" said Blaze, probably talking to himself rather than the others.
"Yeah I don't think we'll be able to fly it's way too cramped," replied Talon. "We'll just climb, it'll take us longer but we'll get there in one piece at least right."
Blaze simply nodded, "Dare you go after Talon so one of us can catch you is you fall alright."
Talon started to go up the fissure and was followed by Dare. The two older draiks brought up the rear. They stumbled rather then climbed in the darkness. The rocks weren't as sharp as the looked but the blunt edges still hurt when they were bumped into, not to mention there was still the occaisional sharp edge. About halfway up the abyss a faint light could be seen overhead and the crack had began to widen out. There was a particular ledge that was just big enough to fit the three draiks. They rested there and Talon perched on a nearby on a pointed rock jutting out of the side.
After they felt refreshed they started climbing again, Dare stumbled once or twice but he always righted himself and carried on at scaling the fissure. The pale light overhead was his goal and he planned to reach it. Finally after several long hours of climbing they reached that destination. They crawled out like insects crawling out from under a rock, blinking like newborns at the sudden brightness. Battered and bruised, not to mention cut up, yet still alive.
"We did it!" Dare exclaimed. He hopped around examining the cold snow beneath his feet. He'd never seen snow before, Terror Mountain was the only place in Neopia that it snowed and this was his first time here. He shoved his snout into it and returned with a mouthful of the stuff. It quickly melted as he swallowed. "What exactly is the ground made of?" He questioned looking around at his three companions.
"It's called snow," stated Talon. He'd lived in Tyrannia his entire life and he'd never seen it either but he'd heard of it and even see pictures. There was all kinds of interesting pictures of Neopians playing in it, building sculptures out of it and even throwing balls of it at each other. He knew it was cold and wet but he'd never touched it and he'd never imagined how true the words were. He shuddered slightly.
"And the ground isn't made of it just covered in layers of it," He corrected him with a smirk. He wasn't exactly a wise owl but he wasn't illiterate either. He was probably the most educated out of all of them, he doubted the others could read or write even. Back at his home in Tyrannia he had a shelf of books. Most of them were on other parts of the world. He'd wanted to travel around the entire world before he died and this war was the perfect opportunity to at least see some of it.
"Where to now?" Asked Scorch without much enthusiasm.
"Ooooh can we go to the Snowager?" yelled Dare enthusiastically.
"Dare," Started Blaze, "You know that's dangerous, we dont' need you getting hurt, there's a huge voyage ahead. We've got to cross the ocean you know."
"Please, I'll be good I promise." He said in a whiney voice.
Blaze raised an eyebrow at his younger sibling. "Fine, but if it's awake we're leaving, we can't risk anything. And we have to be careful alright."
Nodding energetically he ran off towards the northern area of the Ice Caves, where the Snowager dwelled in a cave said to be riddled with treasure but also danger. The ice worm living in the cave gaurded the treasure and was said to be extremely powerful but he occaisionally dozed off and a lucky neopet could snatch a negg or weapon from the slumbering beast.
Bounding through snow up to his chest he plowed through and carved a patch for the others who were less eager to visit a giant snake made entirely out of ice. Blaze and Scorch eyed each other wearily as they trudged along and for once Talon brought up the rear, kicking up piles of snow muttering vulgar phrases under his breath because of the detour.
They reached the cave which seemed much larger up close. It loomed in front of them, daring them to enter. Dare pranced inside as if he was going through the gates to a theme park. The cave's ceiling was a good twenty feet above them. Stacilites clinked together above their heads threatening to fall onto them and stalagmites jutted out of the floor around them. There was a long tunnel that they walked along until it opened out into the main chambre.
And what a site there was to behold.
A small creature, a Feepit, although none of our characters knew this was flattened out against one of the side walls of the cavern. Looming over it was an enourmous snake made entirely out of ice, the Snowager. It's mouth was agape, showing a toothless grin. The small creature cowering beneath it was a fairy type. Although now it's elegant snowflake wings were broken and hanging at awkward angles. It had a soft lilac fur speckled with white but now it was mattered and had several cuts turning the white color red with blood. It was obvious it had decided to play with it's food a little before devouring it.
An eerie hiss escacaped the snow worms mouth as it reared back preparing to deliver the final blow to the helpless creature.
"No!" a cry came from his right. Blaze whipped around just in time to see a silver blur dart past him as Dare charged at the creature. So much for running away! He thought angrily to himself.
Dare recoiled his body and bunched his muscels before leaping onto the creatures back. It was sheer ice and it was almost impossible to get a firm hold. He finally succeeded in digging the metal over his claws into the beasts 'skin' if you would call it that. He beared his fangs and bit into the solid ice the creature was made of but drew back from the chill and pain. (Have you ever bitten into an ice cream cone and it made your teeth hurt because it was so cold? Imagine something around five times worse and the sesation of your teeth breaking. Not too pleasant it it?)
The Snowagers head whipped around to glare at him with it's cold, pupil-less eyes. It swung it's head so the area that would be considered it's neck connected with Dare who was digging into his back with his claws like a mere parisite. He was sent flying into the back wall of the cave and his head connected to the ice coating the solid rock with a dull thwack. His body fell to the ground and he lay there motionless.
His brothers were the next to act, they darted around, flanking the beast on either side before jumping onto its back like Dare, they had a better plan though. They figured it would do the same to them as it had their brother before them. At the last possible moment they would jump off and the beast would slam into itself, at least it would buy them somethimes. That wasn't what happened though.
Instead it shook itself like a dog and sent them flying off in opposite directions as if they were no bigger that particles of dust. They slammed into the ground with an immense impact. They were momentarilay winded but they got to their feet and tried slashing at the beasts solid body. He swung at them with his body and sent them flying through the air. They didn't even bother getting up, they were doomed and they knew it.
Then Talon noticed a torch sitting in a holder on the wall. He remembered something about ice being melted under intense heat. It was his last chance to get out of the cave alive without leaving his friends behind. It was up to him. He grabbed the torch in his claws and flew at the Snowager. The fire connected with it's eye and the creature let out an unearthly wail, the note rising until it was a screech. Steam floated up from the eye as the Snowager turned around and retreated into a hole in the back of the cave.
Talon stared at the hole for a few minutes then when he was convinced that it wasn't coming back he hopped over to Dare and lowered his head to in front of his mouth.
"Is he going to be okay?"
Talon jumped as he turned around to face Scorch who had righted himself and was laying on the snow looking at him. He seemed different, maybe older, probably because of the worried look on his face. "Please, tell be he'll be alright." His voice came out weak and he looked like he had tears in the corner of his eyes.
"He's breathing but he'll wake up with a hell of a headache. I think he's fine but we have to get off all this armor and make sure he doesn't have anything broken or any internal injuries. Just because he looks okay doesn't always mean he is." He sighed softly as he glanced down at the seemingly lifeless form lying at his feet.
"We never should have came to this God forsaken place," he growled under his breath.
Just then the little feepit crawled up to his silent body and dug his face into his shaggy mane. It was a sweet sight and just at that moment Dare awoke. "Argh, my head," he moaned, closing his eyes again.
"Dare stay awake," called Scorch softly as he began to crawl towards his brother as it was still to painful to walk.
He began to lift his head when he realized the furry creature clinging to him. He looked at it a bit startled then he smiled when he realized it was the petpet he had saved.
"Looks like you got yourself a friend there Dare," remarked Scorch with a soft smile. "But are you okay, is anything broken, can you walk?"
"I think so," he said standing up shakily but when he tried to take a step he stumbled and fell. "I'm fine really, it could be worse. This armor was worth every point we paid for it."
"If you say so, still just lean on someone if you have any trouble," he glanced at Talon who was the only one of them who hadn't been injured and recieved an irritated look back.
Blaze had been awake the entire time and limped over to them at that moment. "Come on we should get out of here, he might come back."
They left, Dare leaning on both his brothers for support as he limped towards the exit, stopping on the way to grab a few treasures from the pile in the middle of the room before leaving. It was obvious they deserved it.
It had began to snow while they were in the cave. They kept walking south anyways until they reached a sharp cliff. Under normal circumstances they could have just flown down but with Dare's injury he could barely walk so that wasn't even going to be and option. The cliff seemed to go a long ways in either direction.
"I'm so cold, and tired and hungry," groaned Dare. The snow was coming down faster and they'd probably be caught in a blizzard. The snow wasn't so fun anymore, he was wet from it and small icicles were begining to form on his tail and face. His reptilian body wasn't used to such extreme cold and he was shivering.
The cold was also making him tired and he curled up in the snow and closed his eyes. He was only like that for a couple seconds before he was brutily shaken by Blaze.
"Wake up! You can't sleep out here you'll freeze to death," he snapped at him.
"I'll fly that way and see if there's anywhere where the cliff isn't so steep, maybe we can climb down," suggested Talon.
"Yes, and be quick!" said Blaze.
He took to the air and was almost knocked out of it by the buffeting winds. Once he got control over his own body he started heading to the west and dissapeared into the twirling snow. He returned about five minutes later with good news.
"I found a slope a little ways that way, we won't even have to climb down." He said happily.
Nodding eagerly they headed off in that direction and came across a gental slope although it had barely and room to walk on and they'd have to go down single file. Talon circled over the three draiks head waiting patiently for them to reach the bottom. Several times one of their feet slipped or and rock would give way but they made it to the bottom in one piece.
Once they reached the bottom Scorch pointed towards a giant castle made of ice, it's looming silhouette rising through the blizzard. "I dunno who lives there but it looks a lot cozier in there than it does out here."
They started for it and reached the door. Grasping the knockers which were made out of solid ice Blaze pounded into the door which was answered by a young black kyrii.
"Please can we come in, we're tired and we need someplace to spend the night," Said Blaze to the kyrii.
"Of course, come on in," she said warmly, opening the door wider so they could make their way inside.
They stepped into an area that appeared to be a hall of sorts and stared in awe at the interior of the palace. Nearly everything was made of ice, the floor the ceiling the walls, even most of the furniture was carved from ice.
There was a rug trailing through the main hall and seemed to end at two large icen doors at the far end. The sides were lined with more doors and expensive paintings. A couple end tables carved from ice held red roses glass vases. On each side of them there was large staircases leading up to a second floor.
"Oh my," exclaimed the kyrii, "Your hurt."
They simply grunted and nodded as she led them the the double doors at the end of the hall.
The kyrii was actually quite beautiful. She wore an expensive looking scarlet dress around her slim frame. Her fur was black and soft looking, and her hair hung to her mid-back, a mass of dark ringettes. The most entriging feature was probably her eyes, that were deep crimson.
The doors were opened and they found themselves in a large living room. In the middle of the room was an assortment of carved furniture, it was like walking through a gallery of snow sculptures. A large fireplace burning with live coals took up a portion of the wall to the right. There was a large rug, which is where they laid Dare down.
"Alright Dare, this might hurt a bit but we have to get you out of this armor to see if anythings serious," said Blaze. Dare bit his lip slightly but nodded, knowing it had to be done. As his brother began to pry the helm from his head her swore loudly from the pain.
"Dare, watch your mouth," scolded Blaze, finally succeeding in removing his headgear. 'I'll bet he get's it from that Talon,' he thought scornfully.
Dare rubbed his now exposed head, not only from the pain but to check for any welts or cuts, "Argh, that hurt like hell," he muttered.
"Well stop complaining about it," scoffed Talon, "After all, it's your own pigheadedness that got you into this you know."
"Actually, for once I think I agree with my feathered friend here," agreed Scorch, "what you did was downright reckless. We said we were leaving if he was up and you disobeyed us, you put us all in danger for something that's so hurt already it'll probably just die anyway." He was of course talking of the bloodied feepit, still clinging to Dare's mane.
"Pardon me," said the Kyrii, "But are you talking about the snowager? I remember hearing something coming from the direction of the ice caves earlier, now that I think about it, it could've been the beast itself."
"Damn, those locals back in Tyrannia must've heard that thing," cracked Scorch, "Still, I guess I'd better be paying Talon a bit more respect after he saved all our tails back in the caves. Not that we didn't try or anything," he added.
"You know, maybe we could tell the news people about you," she said, "I'm sure they're looking for a good story, not enough exciting stuff happens around here, last interesting thing happened ages ago."
"Sorry lady, we're held up enough as it is, we don't need any reporters on top of all this crap to slow us down," said Talon.
The kyrii simply nodded understandingly, "Well, I can show you to your rooms if you'd like, I'm sure your exhausted after that, just follow me upstairs."