"The Quest for the Yeti tooth" by Kelsey Donaldson

(Content such as "Blood" and Weapons")

Dalia dashed through the shadowy woods, a pack of ferocious SmogHags hot on her trail. These Goblin-like beasts, were not to be underestimated. She took a chance, darting down a narrow path, hoping it would be too tight for the SmogHags to navigate. Her gamble paid off when she saw the creatures wedged between the boulders, a triumphant grin spreading across her face. She would've tried to shoot them with her bow, but she knew it was useless; their hide was thick; she swiftly found another path and circled back to her original route.

Within minutes of running, Dalia found what she was looking for. An entrance to a cave, with a glow from a fire. As she entered, her weakened brother, Caspian, lay by the fire. Suddenly, a shriek brought her out of her thoughts, and she quickly rushed to Caspian. He tried to make out words, but instead, he groaned;

Dalia was slowly losing hope. Just over a week ago, they were attacked by a Wyvern, specifically a diamond poison tail, on the way to their grandfather's fortress. She tried making the cure, until she realized she was missing one ingredient, a Yeti tooth; of course, she thought. A Yeti tooth could only be found deep in the Mountains of Azul, which no man, especially not a woman, would dare venture to. Only if they wanted to be torn apart by the Yetis. She shuddered at the thought of coming face to face with a yeti. Dalia was confronted with an impossible decision. She couldn't abandon Caspian, but he would perish if she didn't venture to the treacherous mountains of Azul to obtain the yeti tooth. She refused to accept this grim fate. Her determination was unyielding, her mind steadfastly resisting the pull of despair. With the agony he was enduring, she couldn't bear to put him on horseback without him suffering greatly. A griffin was the only creature that could be tamed, albeit with great danger. A griffin could shred them to pieces with a single swipe of its claw. The danger was palpable, but Dalia was resolute. Although perilous, a griffin was the only way. She knew of one method to tame a griffin. It could have been better, but it might just work. She had to act swiftly; every second was precious.

As Dalia walked outside the cave, she noticed a small but gruesome-looking squirrel. As it turned to peer at her, its glowing red eyes intimidated her. She pulled out her bow and knocked an arrow, as the squirrel dashed up a tree for refuge. Dalia had a clear shot. She released the arrow, watching as it flew through the air, hitting its target; as the Squirrel fell, she smiled, knowing she had a chance to save her brother.

As Dalia entered the cave, an eerie silence echoed. The dim light from the fire cast long, dancing shadows on the cave walls, adding to the sense of foreboding. With no groaning from Caspian, she immediately rushed to his aid; as she flipped him on his back, she saw his chest slowly falling and rising; he must have gone unconscious, she thought, as she leaned against the hard stone wall. Relief flooded through her, she was grateful for this small moment of respite amid her mission.

The sound of colossal, heavy wings shattered her thoughts about her brother. She dashed outside to witness a majestic sight- a Griffin, its feathers a mix of fiery red and deep black, its eyes a piercing yellow. The Griffin was a magnificent creature with a wingspan that could cast a shadow over a small village. As she hurried back into the cave, she grabbed the squirrel she shot the day before and held it up, hoping to catch the griffin's attention. She waited as it soared, not even glancing at the squirrel. Her hope dwindled as the griffin vanished when she lowered the squirrel. But then, massive wings beat over the trees, and a griffin swooped down from the sky. The suspense was thick, the tension high, as she waited to see if her plan would work. It trotted up to the squirrel and sniffed. It devoured the squirrel, a sign that it might be willing to cooperate.

Dalia slowly reached out her hand to stroke the magnificent beast. Just as she was about to, the griffin pulled away. Determined, she tried again; although skeptical, the Griffin did not back up this time and let her touch him. She felt a brief moment of connection with the creature. "how about 'Nessus,'" Dalia said, still stroking the Griffin. Almost as a reply, Nessus screeched. Dalia quickly ran into the cave, kicking at the fire till it went out, then grabbed her bow that was leaned against the wall; she quickly yet carefully lifted Caspian from the ground as he groaned. It made her wince with sadness for her brother. She couldn't imagine the pain he was going through, but it was the only way. As if Nessus read her mind, he knelt down, allowing her to put Caspian on his back. Dalia was already thankful for having Nessus. She climbed on his back, and with a screech, Nessus flapped his wings, and they were in the air.

Dalia had never been this high off the ground. She looked around with wonder. In the distance, she saw the bustling town of Farwich. She knew it was best to avoid the town as merchants would overrun her with trades and offers, and as soon as people saw Nessus, he would be netted and sold. The next stop she had in mind, was her grandfather's fort, probably about half a day's ride with Nessus. She then planned to leave Caspian at the fort and travel to the Mountains of Azul. It seemed like Nessus knew where to go. She hadn't touched him, and he was going toward the fort. Then again, he probably had been flying these lands since birth. Every so often, she would turn to look at Caspian, "Hold on a little longer, brother," she would say under her breath. As if sensing her uneasiness, Nessus looked back. Before long, the sleepless nights caught up to her as Dalia felt herself closing her eyes. "Dalia was riding Nessus, out of nowhere, a volley of arrows shot past one, hitting Nessus in the wing. They plummeted towards the earth". Dalia jolts up with sweat sliding down her cheek; just a dream, she thought. Still weary from the dream, Dalia sat up, looking around. It was sunrise by now, and Nessus was still flying. Nessus turned his head, still full of energy. "Lucky you," she thought, still tired even after sleeping. As she continued checking Nessus for any signs of tiredness, she, of course, found none. Then, she turned to Caspian, who was not better than he had looked the day before. His eyes were puffy, and he was swollen on the side of the arm where the Wyvern stabbed him. As she turned back to the front, she gasped. She forgot how big her grandfather's fort was as she had not been there since she was little. As Nessus landed, all the villagers and troops stopped what they were doing and stared in awe.  

The guards standing at the gate were skeptical about letting her in. "Let my granddaughter in," a familiar voice boomed. The gates opened in front of Dalia, "Grandfather," she called out. "Caspian is hurt," she called, running over to Nessus to retrieve Caspian from his back. Nessus spread his wings out and screeched, making a few villagers jump. As she reached Her grandfather, he took Caspian from her arms and swiftly entered the fort, with Dalia following closely behind. As the heavy wooden doors to the fort started closing, Dalia saw the villagers disperse, returning to their daily tasks. The heavy doors closed with a bang; the fort was cold and dim, with torches every few feet; several villagers roamed the halls, some heading to the kitchen where they were preparing some sort of feast. Others went into the massive dining hall to set the table. Dalia's grandfather stopped before two doors, and the guard beside them opened the door where Caspian used to stay when they were younger. As her grandfather carefully put her brother on the bed, a nurse came in, tending to his wounds. As her Grandfather spoke, she turned to him. "Dalia, I know what happened. He needs a Yeti tooth," he said to her; the hesitation in his voice suggested he was asking her to go to the mountains of Azul. It was already the plan, but she was starting to shake. She couldn't do this on her own; she was going to die, and then her brother, she thought grimly. "You mustn't waste time tomorrow; you shall pack and leave on your griffin," he said sorrowfully. "Follow me," he said briskly as he left the room. Again, she followed her grandfather, stopping at another door. The guards opened it, and lined against the walls were daggers, bows, swords, spears, battle axes, and shields. She could tell that the look of awe on her face was noticeable, "Pick whatever you need," her grandfather said, and with that, he walked out of the room, leaving her with the choice of what weapons would accompany her on her quest.

She circled the room, feeling the hilts of each weapon, skipping the bow section.

She thought a dagger would be helpful in close range, laying one out on the table; Dalia then went over to the swords and picked up a sword. She was now equipped with a bow, dagger, and a sword. Dalia exited the room and headed up the dim hallway to her room. A nearby guard grabbed a torch and opened the door, heading in first to light the torches on the wall. As she lay in bed, scared of what would come from journeying to the mountains where no one returns. Her stomach churned with anticipation and "Fear," she wondered what was in those mountains. Stories had always scared her; Sleep took over as her eyes closed, the last bit of fear drifting for the night. "Dalia ran through mountains holding a tooth, a yeti tooth. She realized she would save her brother; the ice beneath her started to crack, and a hole formed; as Dalia fell in, she screamed a scream of terror. After all she had been through, she didn't want to die. Dalia woke with a start, a knot in her stomach from the unusually realistic dream. She realized it was morning. On the way out of her room, she glanced at the weapons she picked out and reluctantly grabbed them. It would probably be the last time she went in that room again; Dalia met her grandfather in the dining hall for a silent breakfast, although they knew she probably would not return. She was too stubborn to say goodbye, and her grandfather was too guilty to say anything. He slowly rose, pushing his chair back; her grandfather slowly walked over to her and pulled her in; at that moment, reality came to her: she was going to die and was never going to see her grandfather again. Dalia sobbed in her grandfather's embrace. Finally, she let go, wiping her eyes; her grandfather walked her out to the stables where Nessus was staying. She had her dagger in a sheath at her thigh, her bow and sword strapped to her back; she got on Nessus's back; as he trotted to the entrance, Nessus walked out of the fortress, and with a screech, they were in the air, the brisk wind greeting her, sending shivers up her spine. Soon, Dalia's thoughts drifted to Caspian; she was terrified of what would happen to her in the mountains where no one returned. Nessus Jostled her out of her thoughts as she realized it was getting dark; they descended into a dark forest, looking for shelter; glowing, green eyes stared at her from all directions. She and Nessus cautiously trekked on. After what felt like an eternity, they found a small but big enough cave for the both of them. As she and Nessus sat down, she reached into her bag, got out a piece of dry meat, and tossed it to Nessus, who ate it without hesitation. Sleep drifted over her as her eyes closed.

Dalai woke with a start. Nessus stood outside of the cave, looking up into the sky. She quickly grabbed her stuff and waited for Nessus to let her mount him. Nessus finally turned and let Dalia mount him; as Nessus leapt into the air, Dalia saw clouds looming in the distance. " Great," she thought, a thunderstorm heading right toward the mountains she was going to. Before long, the rain pattered down her back as they reached the hills before the mountains. Soon, they landed, but Nessus refused to go on deeper into the vast hills; Dalia tried to get him to go on, but it was almost like he couldn't. She had heard stories of people riding Griffins trying to enter, but only their griffins had returned. She wondered what prevented magical creatures from entering. The ominous mountains were more extensive than she expected. As she got off of Nessus, he looked at her with a sad look, knowing her fate. She felt tears coming to her eyes as she stroked Nessus, then she turned and entered the mountains. Turning around one last time to look at Nessus.

As Dalia ventured further into the mountains, she felt something watching her. It was dark and eerie; at every corner she turned, she felt something would jump out and attack her. After walking for hours, she finally found a point where she couldn't venture any higher in the mountain; in front of her was a snowy trail; the wind whipped at her face, making her shiver from the already frozen mountain; every few feet, she would slip on ice. She was desperate for a cave, for a fire to keep her warm, but Dalia had little time; she had to find what she was looking for. As she trekked on, she came to a cave; as she entered, she shrieked; on the wall, like they were strewn across, were several people with bruised and battered skin with frozen blood covering parts of their bodies, faces frozen with fear. As she was looking at the bodies, still shaking from the sight, the ground underneath her shook just as a hand reached out and grabbed her ankle; the hand was hairy and blue. "A Yeti," she thought with panic. Dalia quickly grabbed the dagger from its sheath on her thigh and stabbed it into the yeti's hand; as its grasp loosened, she swiftly backed up, taking her dagger with her. The yeti's head reached out as it pulled itself out of the snow. Her face was filled with fear as a giant yeti emerged from the snow, holding its arm where she had stabbed it; the yeti's icy cold glare was intimidating, but Dalia refused to back down for her brother's sake. She slid her dagger back into its sheath and then grabbed the sword strewn across her back; each step the yeti took, the ground shook; she held her ground and swung the blade as the yeti was about to grab her. The yeti roared in pain as the blade cut his leg; she didn't hesitate and ran toward the yeti, still in agony. As the yeti redirected, it swung its massive fist, knocking the sword out of Dalia's hands. The sword clattered to the floor. Just as she lunged for the sword, a pain erupted in her stomach. The yeti had smashed its fist into her stomach. She stumbled backward, quickly grabbed her bow, and knocked an arrow aiming at the beast's head. She released the arrow just as the beast screamed and charged toward her. The arrow flew in the air, and She held her breath to see the arrow land in the beast's mouth. The yeti stopped moving and fell backward, landing on the snow with a thud. Dalia saw its chest stop rising. She breathed a sigh of relief, picking up her sword and walking over to the beast. She put the dagger up to a tooth and slashed it till it fell into her hand. She sprinted down the mountain before arriving at the small clearing where Nessus still waited, her eyes filled with tears. He waited for her the whole time. She quickly mounted Nessus and urged him to move fast, as they had little time. Nessus flew for a straight day without a break; she knew he could sense how urgent this was; Dalia saw her grandfather's fort as they flew, coming closer to it. He descended so fast she thought she would plummet to the ground. The villagers all looked at her in disbelief; for a second, she slowed down. "She did it. She survived when no one thought she could." she thought. Her grandfather rushed out of the gate, embracing her. "Grandfather, we must hurry; she said there is no time," she said. Dalia and her grandfather ran into the fort, straight into the kitchen; her grandfather ordered the villagers to get the ingredients needed for the cure ."SmogHag blood, Unicorn horn, and Roots from Emper Forest, Dalia quickly dropped the yeti tooth in as the pot turned a dark purple. Her grandfather carried the pot to Caspian's room, lifting it into his mouth. They waited, and with a gasp, Caspian opened his eyes. He looked up at Dalia, quickly sitting up and embracing her. She did it. She saved her brother. A smile crossed her face as she embraced him back.