Amy was climbing up the path to the dreaded Snowager’s cave, and she was doing so with barely contained excitement, not at all winded by the arduous journey. For months, she had been saving up neopoints and preparing for this trip. All throughout it, she’d dreamed of snowy gales, freezing temperatures and a fearsome creature’s incredible treasure hoard! Amy was sure she could earn back every neopoint she’d spent for this trip and more!

All she had to do was sneak into that beast’s lair and grab a piece (or more) of that incredible treasure. It was easy peasy. Really. Amy heard all about the stories of Neopets getting blasted out of the cave, of course, but she was confident she would not be one of those pets. Because, unlike every other Neopet before her who had travelled this same path, Amy had something different. She had a secret weapon, and it was…

So long as the shopkeeper had been correct, she supposed. Amy had procured the ornate egg from a Lost Desert curious vendor in the heart of Sakhmet; the Draik had advertised the artifact as "very central to the life of the developing Snowager."

The perfect mental weapon, thought the Acara. Should the Snowager stir, she had only to show him the egg and he would be forced not to shoot. She might even be able to trade him this element of his past for great reward.

With a wry smile on her face, she entered the cave.

Slowly, with carefully timed movements, she neared the hoard of treasure at the center. A step here... a tiptoe there...

Amy placed her paw on a Draik Egg, not unlike the object she held but far less fancy. As she removed it from its pile she felt it vibrate -- the whole mound of treasure was in motion.

The Acara gulped and quickly tossed the stolen egg in her sack before wielding the ornate one she had ready for a moment such as this.

She looked up to see the Snowager looking straight down at her.

Despite her mental preparation for this moment, she could only hold the ornate egg high above her head and barely squeak, "Don't shoot--"

"Why," the booming voice of the Snowager interrupted, "would I shoot on such a momentous occasion as this? Welcome back, my master..."

“Master?” She said softly, her breath making the word seen more than heard.

The Snowager slithered towards Amy. She was frozen in fear as he curled his tail around her body and lifted her up to his eyes. She stared into his icicle irises and realized his gaze was fixed entirely on the egg.

“How long has it been since you’ve been here?” The Snowager’s voice was breathy, and Amy thought to herself that he even sounded a little sad.

“I’ve missed you.” The Snowager added as a single snowflake fell from his ice blue eyes. As his crystallized tear fell his grasp on Amy tightened and her breathing grew more strained.

With her body weakening under the Snowager’s clutch, Amy couldn’t help it as her paws loosened and the egg fell out of her grasp.

As the egg fell the frantic Snowager dropped Amy. She landed on a mound of magical plushies, that she did not hesitate to stuff as many as she could into her sack before she got onto her legs and began to ran.

The Snowager let out a wild cry of rage, stopping Amy in her tracks. Her curiosity caused her to look back. Balanced on the tip of the Snowager’s tail, the shaking egg had a deep, glowing crack…

The Snowager was mesmerized by the shaking, glowing egg sitting atop of his tail.

While keeping on eye on the scene in front of her, Amy began stuffing negg after negg into her sack. The Snowager did not even seem to notice that Amy was still in the cave.

The shaking of the egg got more intense and a blinding light filled the cave. After a loud crack noise the light began to dim. Amy couldn't believe what she was witnessing. Sitting atop of the Snowagers tail was a baby Snowager.

Amy gasped at the site. The Snowager suddenly turned around and fixed his ice blue eyes on Amy...

"Thank you, Acara," the Snowager said. "One day, very long ago, my child was stolen away from me by someone very evil. They threatened to break my child's egg unless I swore to obey them. I never thought I would see my child again."

Tears filled Amy's eyes as she watched the Snowager lovingly gaze at his offspring, who was now happily squirming through a pile of treasure.

"I am so happy to have helped reunite you two," Amy said. "Who could do something as horrible as stealing a child from their parent? We need to stop them from doing something like this ever again."

The Snowager looked at Amy, appraising her. "Well, young Acara," he said. "You have done an immense service to me. I will let you choose any - yes, any - piece of treasure from my collection. But, first you must face this dark figure and stop them from ever stealing another child again. Be warned, the creature that stole my egg is none other than...

Amy had heard about the Snowbeasts - vicious creatures that lived atop Terror Mountain - mainly from news articles about the Petpet Protection League's efforts to stop locals from feeding petpets to them.

"Why would they steal your egg" the Acara asked, looking at the young Snowager who had emerged from the ornate egg. "And who is the Abominable Bori, anyway?"

"He's a Bori who went rogue, so to speak. He lives high atop Terror Mountain and has, until now, largely kept to himself," the Snowager explained. "The Bori approached me himself one day with some Snowbeasts behind him. I am not proud to admit that together they were able to overcome me - frost breath is... not as powerful against creatures used to the cold."

The Snowager took a moment to scowl at the entrance to the cave, as though he expected the Bori to have returned. "He took my egg and forced me to obey. I believe he may be planning something - something he does not want me to interfere with."

Amy frowned. "This isn't adding up. I bought the egg from a vendor in the Lost Desert, a Draik. He's been selling in Sakhmet for a long time. I don't know he could possibly be connected."

"He may have sold the egg, or had it stolen from him," the Snowager replied harshly. "Regardless, he has another thing coming to him if he thinks he will get away with being so careless with my child."

The Snowager used his tail to rummage through the immense pile of treasure before lifting up a brilliant white sword, which he handed to Amy. "Here. This will help you in your quest. Also..." He leaned down and opened his mouth. A cold wind came out that seemed to encompass Amy. It wasn't a frost breath attack; it felt... different.

"That should help you stay warm on your journey up the Mountain. It is all I can do for now. I must stay to guard my young. Now, you must venture to the top of Terror Mountain and face that accursed Bori. Stop his plans. You were brave enough to return my egg to me, let that bravery guide you. Now go..."

Amy shook her head, trying to clear her dazed thoughts. She supposed she could just leave, now that she was safely out of the cave with treasure, but didn't she come to Terror Mountain for adventure? True, this was far more than she'd bargained for, but now that it was getting so exciting, how could she just leave?

Amy shifted the heavy bag to her shoulder. Maybe she should have left the bag in the cave, but she had been in such a state of shock when she left that it hadn't occurred to her. Perhaps she could find somewhere to drop it off on her way up to the peak. Taking a firmer grip on the sword, Amy strode purposefully along the path.

***

An hour later, there was still no sign of any buildings, and Amy was starting to get tired. The spell the Snowager had cast had warmed her up, yes, but the heat that built up due to the constant exercise had caused her to start sweating. The thrill of the adventure was starting to wear off, and Amy was thinking about giving up, when suddenly...

Amy ran towards the noises. It looked to be some kind of event. At first Amy thought it was a party, but no, there were screams. The screams were loud and ear piercing, they were definitely screams of terror and not of fun.

Amy set her bag down in a nearby bush and clutched her sword tighter. She crept quietly towards the commotion and gasped when she got close enough to see what was going on.

It was a Snowbeast sacrifice. Amy could see various Neopets standing in a lineup, clutching onto Petpets. At the front of the line was none other than the The Abominable Bori.

Before Amy could think of a plan the Bori locked his eyes on her and...

Amy wasn't sure what the big deal was, but she wasn't going to tell him that. Instead, she drew herself up and announced as confidently as she could, "It was given to me by the Snowager, to help stop your plans!"

Unsurprisingly, the Bori only grew angrier at this, but there was also a hint of... fear? Before Amy could think on that more, the Bori suddenly screamed, "Get that sword away from her!! Do it, or I will sacrifice you all to the Snowbeast!"

The neopets leapt into action, all headed towards her. Alarmed, Amy raised up the sword instinctively. As one Chia tried to grab it, however, a white light began to shine from it and...

How will the story end?

The Bori screamed in anger, and fell to the ground. "No! This can't be!" He yelled in agony, his body weak as he slowly transformed into an Elder Bori.

One by one, the Snowbeasts eyes turned from an evil shade of red to their original happy blue, and they shook their heads in confusion. Seeing all of the neopets lined up as sacrifices scared them, and they quickly scurried back off into the forest.

Amy watched as the sword lowered and returned to her arms, still shaking in her hands as she grabbed it as tight as she could and approached the now Elderly looking Bori.

"I give, I give! You've won. Please, don't hurt me!" The Bori shouted. "Go, run! You are all free. I cannot win. Just don't hurt me!" He pleaded, his elderly arms trembling as they lifted in fear towards Amy.

Amy didn't quite know how to take this all in, but the other Neopets gathered in joy, celebrating with their Petpets and cheering for Amy.

Before she could do anything else, she was suddenly lifted to the sky. To her surprise, the Snowager had come to celebrate, holding Amy up to the skies in happiness.

"Oh, Amy, you've done it! You've really done it. Not only have you saved me, and my little one, but all of the Neopets on Terror Mountain!" The Snowager's eyes cried of icy snowflakes: this time, with joy.

"Please, you may come and visit me any time. You will always be welcome here and you may take whatever piece of treasure you'd like home with you." The Snowager smiled.

Amy couldn't believe her eyes. Not only was this entire trip worth it... but she was also a hero. She felt proud, and the feeling of saving the Snowager was a much better treasure than anything he had to offer. She gleamed with joy, a large smile planted across her Desert face.

Who knew, the cold was where she belonged, all along.

The End.