The Abode of the Yetis

"We might as well take a look; perilous places often lead to paths of survival!" Grayson strode ahead, with Katheren, her silver pistol drawn, following behind. They tiptoed along the straight cave corridor until Grayson suddenly reached back to grasp her shoulder.

Katheren, startled, instinctively stepped back but was held firm by Grayson, who whispered, "Shush, we're uninvited guests here, and trespassers tend to get a rough welcome!"

Pressing themselves against the cave wall, they peered out to see a cavernous den, the floors and walls adorned with glittering white crystals casting a subdued glow. Bizarre creatures, covered in long white fur, roamed or lay asleep in the cave, their growls echoing intermittently.

"What are those?" Katheren asked, gazing at the fierce-faced, hefty beings.

"I've never seen anything like them, but my guess is they're the legendary Yetis," Grayson observed.

"Yetis? Like the snowmen kids build by the roadside when it snows?" Katheren asked, turning to Grayson in confusion.

As Grayson was about to respond, he felt the little owl atop his head shake violently. Lifting his hat, he saw the owl giggling silently, her tiny claws up in the air as if to say she couldn't contain her amusement.

"You little rascal, cut it out! Or maybe I should let the Yetis have a peek at you," Grayson teased while prodding the owl's belly. The owl flipped back, feigning seriousness, and quipped, "Why bring such a foolish girl along? She's bringing down our collective IQ!"

Katheren shot the owl an embarrassed and annoyed glance.

Ignoring the banter, Grayson replaced his hat and explained to Katheren, "The Yetis I speak of are creatures of the snowfields, not the playful snow sculptures you're thinking of."

"Got it. What do we do now?" Katheren peered into the cave, where a dozen robust Yetis stirred. The idea of passing through undetected seemed a daunting task.

"We must press on. Andros is cunning, and I don't fancy backtracking only to be ambushed outside the cave," Grayson stated.

He crumbled magical provisions into fine pieces, placed them in a pouch, and tied it so only a small opening remained. Holding the pouch in one hand and the owl in the other, he said, "Hey, little witch, here's a task fit for you!"

"The good tasks out of your mouth are usually the bad ones that could get me killed," the owl retorted, eyeing Grayson skeptically.

"At least you haven't perished on a mission yet," he replied, offering the pouch. "Spread these provisions inside the cave—a distraction. There are two forks ahead; pick either, scatter the contents, then make a swift exit. Understood?"

"You mean if I don't hustle, I'll end up a Yeti's snack?" Elyra glanced at the pouch and eyed Grayson dubiously.

"It's a possibility, especially when you're a cute little thing. I hear Yetis are fond of abducting lovely maidens!" Grayson winked playfully at her.

With an indignant huff, Elyra grabbed the pouch and flew into the den, sprinkling the food across the cave floor toward the opposite entrance.

The rich scent of the magical provisions drew the Yetis. They rose, lured by the trail of crumbs, and lumbered into a narrow passage, disappearing into the darkness.

Seizing the moment, Grayson and Katheren dashed through the cave into the right-hand passage, pausing to await Elyra.

"Could Elyra be in trouble?" Katheren glanced back worriedly, thinking of the massive Yetis.

"The only trouble that little one might find is gobbling up the provisions and getting devoured by the Yetis," Grayson joked nonchalantly.

Before he could finish, Elyra glided in silently, landing on Grayson's hat. "I heard someone speaking ill of me!"

"Really? I heard nothing!" Grayson teased, making a face at Katheren and proceeding into the cave, with Katheren following, trying to stifle her laughter.

As they advanced, a deep snoring resonated from ahead.

"What in the world is that?"

Peering out from the cave's end, the three spied a massive creature. Roughly five meters tall, with white fur like regular Yetis but immensely more substantial, it lay like a small hillock in the cave's center, slumbering deeply.

"If I'm not mistaken, that's the Yeti King," Grayson mused, leaning against the wall. "How did we end up here? This is a detour!"

"You led the way..." Katheren replied innocently.

"It was Elyra who led the others left, so I chose this path!" Grayson defended, plucking the owl from his head.

"It was you who said to choose any path. You didn't warn me about this thing here!" Elyra protested.

After a silent stare-down, Grayson placed her back on his hat, casually saying, "Nevermind, let's focus on what's important—like how to get past it."

"It's asleep. We could sneak by it," Katheren suggested, pointing at the snoring Yeti King.

"Sounds good, but we need to scout first. Wouldn't want to get past this 'hill' only to find a dead end on the other side."

Grayson cradled Elyra down from his head again, "Scout ahead, little witch, that's your job."

"Ugh, why is it always my job?" Elyra grumbled, but a pat on her furry backside sent her fluttering into the cave.

She stabilized and glided over the Yeti King, discovering a vast passage seemingly used by the creature. Flying through, she sensed a strong draft indicating a nearby exit.

Indeed, around a bend, she spotted an obscured exit, concealed by snow-covered shrubs on a slope, hidden in the dark night.

"I'm an unparalleled guide!" Elyra boasted, eating some snow to soothe her throat before heading back.

Waiting in the tunnel, Grayson and Katheren were relieved to see Elyra return. But as she flew past the Yeti King toward them, the air suddenly churned, and a roar sounded: "The scent of food... What has entered my palace?"