Alex opened his eyes. Everyone was lying on the ground, trying to get up, while the shovel slowly dematerialized, surely returning to Ornna.
"That's why Bruma doesn't like that woman's way of transportation," Bruma grumbled.
"You're kidding!? That was awesome!!" Nouna exclaimed.
"You can't say that, Bruma! You literally sledded on your shield while being chased by an avalanche," Alex replied.
"Yes, but I was the one driving! And Little-White was in danger!" Bruma retorted.
The poro licked her cheek in support.
Willa growled, interrupting the banter, and pointed toward a massive door flanked by four-armed yeti statues.
"Willa, you don't look too much like a yeti. More like a mix between human and yeti," Alex remarked.
Willa looked confused and muttered an explanation.
"Wait… you've never seen other yetis until today!?" Alex asked in surprise.
Willa responded again, confirming his suspicions.
"I see… it must have been hard. Alone, protecting the crystal for centuries…"
Like the "great gentleman" (and pervert) he was, Alex gently stroked her smooth, toned thighs.
"The crystal! That's it!! Alex, you're a genius!!" Nouna suddenly exclaimed, her eyes shining.
"I know," Alex replied shamelessly, wearing a proud, almost cute smile that made women fall for him—the three in his group included.
"Thanks to you, I realize the crystal Willa gave me is part of Anivia! That day, it was she who accepted me and gave me a piece of herself…" he declared, dropping a massive spoiler.
Nouna's eyes gleamed with a pure icy blue light.
"Ho ho ho!" Bruma folded her arms, jealous. "I'm the only normal human here… that's not fair!!"
"So it's really here? But how did your mother end up in Anivia's mountain?" Alex asked.
"I don't know. But like I told you—thanks to my powers, my bond with her, and the clues in her song—she must be here!" Nouna replied firmly.
"Awesome! So do we smash the door!?" Bruma suggested, already hyped.
"No, sister. It's our turn," Nouna said.
"Alright!" Willa agreed.
Alex couldn't help but grin. Willa could speak when it mattered, proof she wasn't fully yeti.
"She speaks!!!" Bruma shouted, dumbfounded.
"Come on, you've seen so many incredible things already—you should be used to it," Alex teased, giving her firm butt a slap before following the others.
"Being small has its perks!" he added smugly.
Bruma touched her rear, blushing bright red.
Following their instincts, Nouna and Willa combined their powers before the gate.
Nouna played the notes of her mother's song on her Svellsongur, while Willa forged the missing pieces of the door with pure ice.
"What beautiful music…" Bruma whispered, a tear sliding down her cheek.
"Yes… still so moving," Alex nodded in agreement.
With a loud click, the massive circular door slid aside, revealing a long lagoon tunnel.
"We've made it… the last step of this adventure," Nouna sighed, melancholic.
"From the way you say it, we're all going to die… Listen to me, Nouna! Our stories won't end here!! They'll be sung across the Freljord, and the entire world!!!" Alex shouted, arms outstretched, flashing his signature grin.
"You're right… This isn't the time to give up! Besides, I can't wait to see mom again," Nouna said, clenching her fist.
"Little hero, Bruma approves of your words!" Bruma gave a thumbs-up.
Willa and Nouna entered the temple first, followed by Alex and Bruma.
Inside, circular structures lined with carvings told of the yeti civilization. Deeper within, they reached the central chamber, where an immense fresco stretched across the walls.
It depicted the ancient history of the Freljord: the union of the yetis, the demigods, and the Three Sisters, gathered around a lone hero wielding a magic sword against tentacled abominations.
A war that decided the fate of the Freljord—and the world itself.
"Alex! That sword looks like your Dragon-Sword!" Nouna said.
"It's not just similar… it might be the same one," Alex muttered, his weapon suddenly feeling heavier.
"I know the myths and legends of the Freljord well—and none of them mention him. Even the vanished yetis ignore it!" Bruma remarked.
Everyone gazed at the fresco in solemn silence, engraving it into their memories.
A surprised grunt from Willa made them rush to the next chamber.
"By Anivia!! It's… it's…" Nouna gasped.
"Yetis!!" Alex exclaimed.
Before them, an icy tomb held petrified yetis—different from the statues outside. These were wilder, lacking the second pair of arms.
And then, a beautiful voice echoed through the chamber:
"You've finally arrived.
Forgive them… These are the yetis who were sacrificed on that fateful day. Do not judge them by their appearance. I believe that one day… they will return to themselves."
...