The gate suddenly opened when Fierre touches it, and they were able to enter inside the castle. You can see diamonds, emeralds, and many other gems inside. But what's stunning of all is the walls, a see through that is made of crystal ice.
"Hello, hello?" Fierre shouted. "Is there a people here? Yuki-onna?"
"So beautiful!" Sierra's eyes glistened with amazement."Hey, let's find a room so that Tiara can rest,"
Shizuka grabbed Sierra, and Fierre followed. The castle is spacious, and they aren't sure if there is a bed even. Shizuka tried checking her magical comwatch, a thing that gave her the direction and what keeps tracks if it's a day or night. Strange, it was not moving. She did not pay that much attention and focused on carrying and finding a room and better if there's a bed for Tiara.
Then they reached a dining hall without finding any room. Magically, the tableware was all placed,and there was food like roasted Turkey in the middle. It's as if someone has been waiting for then to come.
"I have been waiting like forever! What took you so long?" the voice is small and high pitch, and it was from a small child with light blue hair and eyes glistened like a jewel.
Shizuka's mouth was left wide open, meanwhile Fierre and Sierra was amazed at how beautiful someone could be.
"Oh, come, come! I've prepared a food for you!" she declared.
Shizuka looked at the extravagant decoration in the table: and the tablewares is she's not mistaken are not silver nor gold, something sturdier. Fierre and Sierra was waiting for Shizuka's instructions if they will take a seat or not.
"Excuse me, who are you?" they suddenly looked at Loki who asked. "You are not Yuki-onna. What are you doing in her castle?!" the little fire dragon flap his wings and pointed it to the little girl.
"Puahahaha! You're funny, Little bird" that made Loki's forehead twitched. "Have a seat first and I'll explain." that made her more mysterious and not trust her. But it's been half a day since they are walking awya from the monster and they badly need help.
"Alright," Shizuka guided them to the chairs.
"So, how did you know we're coming?" Shizuka starts right away. The steak magically flew from the kitchen to their plates. And that made Fierre and Sierra left in awe, although it is creepy.
"Easy, the mountain is me, the moment you enter the mountain, I knew you'd be here," oh, that is strange. First, she does not know Loki. Second, Yuki-onna does not have a magic that makes the food flew. And third, Yuki-onna is just a monster, and does not have ability to foresee the mountains.
Loki was about to tap Shizuka when the little girl smiled at him and suddenly, he cannot move and not a voice is coming from his mouth.
Sierra cut her steak fine, and she was about to take the food in her mouth when suddenly, a loud bang hsppened outside.
"Loki! Loki!" Loki suddenly felt dizzy. An evil magic force is taking his life away. And slowly, his conciousness is dissappearing.
He remember the fight ages ago, when he led the other dragons in the war between the Demons. As the humankind's ally, they fight alongside with them. They eradicated evil and establish a peaceful era.
But why do he feel the evil aura again, in this age? He is a Dragon Guardian, even his power has not returned, he can only use 10% of it. Yet, if the evil force continue to be strong, humankind will be eradicated.
That loud noise stopped Sierra from eating.
"Loki!!!!!!!!" And they look outside. It's as if Fierro was fighting the an invisible wall, and continue attacking it.
"What a lousy guy," The little girl stated. That made Shizuka who was about to tell her that Fierro is their friend, stopped.
'If she knows that we are coming here, then she must know that he is with us,'
Then Shizuka remembered the myth about Yuki-onna her mother used to tell her.
"Never go to Northern Mountains, Shizuka," her mother told her white knitting a sweater. She was gentle and kind, a warm person you'd like to be all the time.
"Why, mother, is it dangerous?" Shizuka walked to her and kindly asked.
"Yes, it is. The Yuki-onna is a little girl just like you," and her mother tickled her. "But she freezes girls too, and take their life force. She will not stop until the girls were frozen to death. She lures them in her beautiful castle, let them eat a warm meal, then feast on them after," her mother sighed.
"My bestfriend, Allyne, has gone to the mountains to find her lover, Polier. Desoite warnings, and precautions, they could not get out alive. She trespasses the Winterialle Family so she did not receive help. On the order of the King, the Winterialle Family get their body, with just their bones and clothers left. So if you ever run into the Yuki-onna, run."
Darn, how could she forget that! She is stupid. Very stupid. And started blaming herself.
"Prince Fierro?" Fierre started asking and was about to catch him when the little girl attacked her.
"Ughhh!" Fierre slamped on the floor. The little girl stand.
"Fierre!"
"Too bad, you were not even able to take your last meal," then Sierra throw the knife away at her, when suddenly, all the tableware, even the table was gone.
Shizuka grabbed Loki and he came back in his senses.
"You are the Yuki-onna?!" Fierre shouted. "Give us your core!"
'So, that was the reason why they came here! To get the Yuki-onna's core!' Shizuka was shocked at the statement of Fierre and Sierra draw something from her sleeve and get a dagger.
The little girl laughed, "Interesting and very entertaining," she smiled. "But this is where you all die!" Then they all float in the air. Fierro in the outside keep banging outside.
The time is frozen inside the castle, that is for sure. Shizuka noticed this because Fierro was able to catch in them in that short time frame. But he could not see the castle.
"No! No! No!" Sierra tried stabbing into the air but nothing is happening. She felt like this too.
"Yuki-onna shouldn't have the ability to make things float, listen, Lady Shizuka, this must be the invisible ice monsters," Shizuka turned to the fiery little bird that is flapping his wings.
"So some monsters is holding us up??? What do we need to do?" she asked.
"Just look at Sierra," then suddenly Sierra fell on the floor.
"What?!" The little girl asked. "How did you...?"
"Good grief!" And then Loki tried blowing fire in Shizuka's invincible ice monster. Sierra smirked at the little girl.
"This is a holy dagger from my father," she smirked, "I am the youngest in the Fordenn Marquessate, and I receive most of the gifts." She declared.
"Fordenn Marquessate, huh? That guardian of the bitch Rosana's tomb?" she asked and summon more ice monsters to attack them. This time, they are visible.
"If you are her guardians descendants, they the more reason to eradicate you!" she controlled more ice monster.
"There's too many!" Shizuka said and fell on the floor. "Run!" She told Fierre and Sierra, although Fierre is slowing down because of her injury. Loki tried going to Fierro. But he cannot go outside.
"We need to get out of here! Run to the entrance!" she exclaimed while the ice monster is chasing them.
"Waaaah!" suddenly the ice castle had a slide and they slide while the ice monster, who is smaller than the ones they've encountered yesterday continue running after them. The hallways they were looking an hour ago was not there.
"Wait, we are forgetting something," And they all stopped.
"Sister Tiara!" They shouted in harmony.
"Oh mygosh!"
"You continue running outside and I'll look for her." Shizuka instructed them too.
"No way, we'll come with you!" Fierre even with her leg that is slowing her down, is determined to find her Sister Tiara.
"This isn't time for that! Do you know how dangerous the situation is?! We might all die now!" she shouted while running, but Fierre's face remained determined.
"I know! But I cannot leave her alone!" she started crying. "She might be rude sometimes but I still love her!"
"I know, I know, Fierre! But we will not left her, I'll find her!"
"No, I still wanted to come!" that made Shizuka groaned.
"Fine! Sierra and Loki, you two go to Fierro and let ask for help outside! If we were not able to go outside within an hour, evacuate yourself! Do you understand?!" Sierra, who was crying right now, nodded, handed her holy dagger to Fierre, and they run in they parted ways.
"Tiara! Tiara!" they kept looking at her. Their mind is slowly going hazy, and could not remember much. And started remembering their worse fears.
Fierre see the portrait of her mother. She was not able to see her in person, or does not remember, becausw she is just 13 year old kid and her mother passed away when she was only three years old. She misses her so much.
"Hold yourself, Fierre! This is an illusion!" Shizuka hold her hand, and she has gone back to reality.
"According to Loki, the Yuki-onna is not that powerful but something is working and helping her. So she uses ice monsters as her puppet, and this tricky illusion," Shizuka explained. Fierre is now more angry.
"She dares to mock my memory with my mother! I'll make her pay!" she shouted.
They continue running and they lose the ice monster and was able to reach a spacious room where there is a big magical ball that is glowing, and they see Tiara inside.
"What the..."
"Tiara!!!!" They run into Tiara who is sleeping intently inside the ball.
"I knew you'd end up here, teehee~" The yuki-onna stated.
"What did you do to her?!" Fierre asked and is furiously mad.
"Oh, I sensed something magical about her, and I think it will be a waste to just eat her, so she'll stay alive and feed me her life force, slowly," behind Yuki-onna is the ice monster. "And you two!"
"No way!" Fierre said and smirked. "I wont let you!"
"And what is a mere child like you can do?" Yuki-onna asked. "You do not even have any magic, so is the Lady with you," she smiled. "Stop resisting and be my food," her creepy grin sent shivers down in their spine and fesr started clouding them.
"Don't let it get into you, she is intimidating us," Shizuka whispered.
Then the ice monster attacks them and they don't stand a chance. Fierre tried slicing the ice monster but they are too many.
"I'm exhausted," Shizuka said. "I can't believe it. There are so many!"
"It's as if they are not ending! What do we do?!" Fierre asked.
"I think we need to capture their summoner." And they look at each other.
"And that is the Yuki-onna!"
"I'll cover you, you run straight to her!" Then they start running towards to the Yuki-onna. They realized the trick. It was the first time in a while since the holy war, as many people who encountered her die before realizing it.
"Awesome!" she said, the dagger almost hit her heart when Fierre stopped, she was stabbed by an ice stick from the Yuki-onna.
"Fierre!" And Shizuka cries seeing blood flow from her.
"What?" then she touch her she was hit and see blood.
"You little monster!!!!!" Shizuks shouted and run, amidst the chaos, she successfully stabbed Yuki-onna with Holy Dagger. Dark light shone upon Yuki-Onna and her blood was black. She looked furiously upon Shizuka.
"You think you can defeat me? Dream on!" She said. "Attack them and devour their flesh!" she shouted while bleeding too much too. She then take so much power from Tiara and it causes her to vomit blood while still do not have conciousness.
"Fierre! Fierre, wake up!" Shizuka continuously tapping her cheeks to wake her up. She does not care about the monster. She wanted to save Fierre because she is like her sister.
"Fierre!!!!!" The monster run into them. Shizuka continue crying and wake her up and her vision is becoming blurry.
'No, I can't die like this...'
'I must save Tiara...'
'I will...'
A light shone from the heaven, and powerful aura enveloped Fierre. Shizuka was taken a back. Then Fierre's wound started healing and she is glowing.
"I...will...save...Tiara..." and with all her might destroyed the prison circle Tiara is. Shizuka run into Tiara and tend to her wounds.
"No! No! This cannot be!!!!!" she shouted. "A Fordenn and a Winterialle blood together! Haaaaaa!" The Yuki-onna summoned all her remaining mana. She felt overpowered.
"I will kill you!!!!!!!!" she shouted. Shizuka see the glimmering light from the necklace but pay no mind.
Fierre and Yuki-onna jumped into the air to face head on, and this causes a huge explosion. Trembling can be felt all over the Northern Mountains.
Ashton and Laria felt that. And Fierro was able to see the legendary Ice castle in front of him, and Sierra who lost her conciousness upon seeing him. Loki is lost. The Yuki-onna is acting weird.
Laria who gain her conciousness run towards the direction, and see Fierro and Sierra. The Ice Castle has broken it's barrier.
An aquamarine colored stone was in front of Fierre, Shizuka, and Sierra. Fierre lost her consciousness upon exhausting all her internal energy. Shizuka goes towards the gem, who she knew the core of the Yuki-onna. It is very pure, but a black aura is covering it. She tried to touch it but it grounded her. So she wanted to just put it in her bag to examine it in the research center. She was taken a back when it suddenly entered her hand.
"What? No! get out!" But she could not do a thing.
"Shizuka!!!!!" it was Laria who run into her and hug her. "What happened? Fierre! Tiara!" then she runs in the two.
Endless questions were asked by Laria and endless nagging. They get out of the northern mountains and there are no monster that they encounter. Also, it is not snowing that much, and the sky is much more clearer.
"You're magic power has gone stronger," Loki told Fierro. He was silent.
"I need to train some more, Loki," He seriously said, "I am far too weak. I could not even protect the ladies," he gritted his teeth and clenched his fist.
Loki nodded and think about it. Laria on the other side keep nagging at them and Ashton was silent on the side.
Thus, their journey to the Northern Mountains has ended and they came back to their own mansions. But sooner, they need to face another problem, a decision that will change Fordenn Marquessate's fate.