Snow Inn

"Village Chief!!! Village Chief!!!"

"What? Why are you screaming?"

"Ther... There's trouble!!"

"Trouble? What could be so troublesome that you forget we are protected by King Heilder?"

"A... A dragon... There's a dragon at the front gate!!"

"A dragon? So, what? A mere dragon does not frighten me. We have our wonderful King..."

"Oh?" I ask from outside the village chief's house. "No fear at all. I'm surprised." I rip the roof from his house. "So, you are the village chief," I say, looking at the priest from earlier. "Where are my friends?"

"Your friends? Ah, you must be the visitor from earlier. Well, colour me surprised. I never expected you to be a dragon."

"Enough small talk. Answer my question."

"I am sorry, dragon whose name I know not. As I said earlier, your friends are not here."

"He's lying," screams the little boy.

"Tristan?" asks the village chief. "Where were you? We have been looking for you. Come here," he says spreading his arms and wearing a creepy smile, "I will keep you safe from the scary dragon."

Tristan creeps backwards. "Mister, that man is scary."

"Yeah, he sends chills down my spine." The worst type of person to fight is someone who worships another person like a god. They have unwavering faith in their 'god', so much so that whatever that person says is the law and breaking that law is taboo. Which they believe should be punished to the highest degree. This man is the exact person I hate fighting.

"Tristan, I am offering you my mercy. Your parents broke a serious taboo when they gave birth to you. So, Tristan, help me fix that taboo. Come to me, I will make sure this taboo is fixed."

What is he talking about? Tristan is taboo?

Tristan grips my scales, "No, I... I'm not..."

"Tristan," I say. He flinches. "No child born in this world is to be called a taboo. They are gifts. You are a gift, Tristan." I look down at the village chief, "But you... You are a rotten beast."

"Me? A rotten beast? Have you seen yourself, Dragon? If anyone is the monster here, it's you. Come to think of it, I heard a rumour saying a dragon was the cause of Trist's disappearance."

"How did you...?"

"Two million innocent people died, because of you, Dragon."

How does this priest know about my involvement with Trist? No, I can't think of that right now.

"Mister Dragon!!!" screams Tristan, as he is pulled off my back by a magician.

"Tristan!!" I turn around and grab Tristan. I flap my wings and create a tornado that blows the village chief's house and the magicians away. "Are you ok, Tristan?"

"Yes."

I turn to the village chief, but he is nowhere to be seen. "Did he run away? Hey Tristan, you saw where your family and my friends were taken, right?"

He nods his head and points to the centre of the village. "There is a building at the centre of this village. That is where they are."

I walk to the centre of the village. As I stomp through all the houses, I only hear the sound of buildings being crushed. The villagers stare at me with smiles. None of them is frightened at all. This was the moment I figured it out. This village is a cult.

We reach the town square. There I transform back into my humanoid form.

"Which building is it, Tristan?"

He looks around. And after scanning each house, he points to a building. I grab him and we run to the building. I look at the sign - which says Snow Inn. "An inn?" I ask, before opening the door and walking in. The door swings open and a bell rings.

"Welcome to Snow Inn," says a young lady. She walks to me, looks me in the eyes with her aqua pupils, tilts her head so her long icy-blue hair falls to the ground, and asks, "How long are you staying for?"

This girl... She has a different feel than the other villagers. "We're not staying for..."

"Ah!!" she screams. Ignoring me, she picks Tristan up. "Tristan!!" she roars happily. "I'm so glad you survived!! But why are you wearing such thin clothing? You will catch severe frostbite walking around like this."

"Tess... you're crushing me," he says, gasping for air.

"Oh, sorry. When I'm excited, I can't control my strength."

"So, are you from the giant race? Or maybe the Titans?"

She looks at me confused. Then her face changes to irritation after she thinks about my words. "Are you calling me a gorilla?" she asks, cracking her knuckles.

"Tess, did you see the Village Chief?" asks Tristan.

"The Village Chief? Yes, he came by and checked into the VIP room.

"VIP room?" I ask her.

"It's a room that only the Village Chief, or those owning a recommendation letter from the Village Chief, can book."

"Did you see three women being carried here?" I ask her.

"Now that you ask, I remember a group called the Snow Knights brought three heavily wounded women here. They were all beautiful women who caught the Village Chiefs' attention. He told me he plans on healing them and presenting them to King Heilder as potential wives. Do you know them?" Tess's look is filled with fear as she says, "Umm, Sir...? Y-your hair... it's glowing..."

My emotions spike. So high that I unintentionally enter Fólkvangr mode. "Where is this VIP room?" I ask her.

"Why should I tell you?" she asks me fearlessly. "Are you planning on harming the Village Chief?"

"Harm?" I ask her rhetorically. "I never planned on harming him, but now, I will erase his very existence from reality." I walk past Tess - who is standing speechless.

"Wait!!" she screams, as I start walking up the stairs.

"What?"

"The VIP room is not up there."

"What do you mean?"

She walks to the stairs and raises the floorboard on the first step. Under the floorboard lies a lever, which she pulls. A door appears behind her.

"Magic?" I ask.

"Yes. The VIP room is hidden by magic, and this is the only entrance."

"Why are you helping us?"

"The Village Chief is a bad person. If you are here to avenge your friends, I will not stand in your way. Plus," she says, walking to Tristan, "Tristan is like my little brother. When the Village Chief issued his execution, I already decided to protect him."

"Tess..." says Tristan, teary-eyed.

She hugs him and says, "Now, save your parents." She looks at me and says, "Protect Tristan for me."

I nod my head. We enter through the door, which closes after Tristan, and I enter. I look around. "A corridor? I thought it led to the room."

"The VIP room is a pocket dimension in itself. So, as far as we know, this dimension could be an entire hotel," says Tess's voice. I look behind me. Standing behind us is Tess; however, there is a slight difference. She has a red highlighted streak in her icy-blue hair. "What you looking at?" she asks me.

Her attitude is also different. "Are you... Tess?"

"She clicks her teeth, and says with a disgusted face, "Who else do I look like to you?"

No, it's not just your look. Your personality is completely different. "That matter aside, why are you here?"

"Huh!? You think I could leave cute lil Tristan in your unreliable hands? Of course, I had to..." The red streak on her hair disappears and is replaced by a grey streak. Her eyes become gentle and her posture elegant. "My apologies, Sir. I will try my best to keep Sun under control."

"Sun?" I ask, bewildered. "No, never mind that right now. We need to find Tristan's family and my friends."

"Yes. However, I need to issue a warning," says Tess.

"A warning?"

"Yes. Though not much is known about this realm, I do know that a guardian is protecting it."

"A guardian? Is it those Snow Knights?"

"No, this is a creature some would consider exists in fairy tales only. However, reality can be a cruel mistress."

"Who... No, what is this creature?"

"The Yeti. Or as he is often called - The Abominable Snowman."