Sitting on the far end of the Multi-Beast as she glided over the icy tundra, Vanessa Montero pondered deeply. Throughout the chaos in Frostly Village, a question lingered in her mind: What did Teela mean when she said Van was “the one?” An age old creature like her was most likely concerned with ancient prophecies, but prophecies and chosen ones were story book fare, right? Those were things that sheltered nobles read in order to liven up their boring lives. Van didn’t believe she was a chosen one of any kind, but the question darted around her head like an irritating insect until she decided to squash it.

“Teela, why did you say I might be ‘the one?’”

The beast gave a motherly laugh. “Has that question puzzled your mind since I said that, child?”

Van held her breath for a second, feeling that Teela had read her mind. The great Multi-Beast continued, “I have ears throughout the kingdom and they tell me of corrupted knights. Knights who care only about glory and fame, the sound of a sack of coins clattering to the table and the adoration of beautiful maidens spilling their mead over them. All causes that are inherently tainted by the influence of the Dark Realm.”

Van remained silent as Teela spoke. “I do not sense that from you, child. Maybe a bit of self righteousness; but underneath that haughty exterior, I sense a heart with the urge to do good for the world.”

“And so, what are you saying?” Van said.

“Deep within the Western Tri-Temple is a legendary sword frozen by magical red ice, --and this is going to sound cheesy--but it’s true: Only a noble knight with a warm heart can melt it.”

Cyrus and Oga turned around to gaze fondly at Van who in turn felt flustered. “That sounds like you, Van,” Cyrus said with a rosy dimpled smile. “Even if we started off hating each other, I can’t think of a time when you didn’t act for others.”

Oga smiled too. “Orc Knight is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. Maybe a little too nice to be a true orc, but I don’t mind.”

Only Antonio was silent and he spoke without looking at Van. “I think you’re overrating this chica’s kindness, lady beast. She can be really nasty and hateful when she wants to be. She’s an outright battle axe when it comes to me.”

For once, Van didn’t snap back at Antonio. She sat silently pondering his words. Antonio, for once, had a tone that was sharp and indicative, lacking his normally jovial sarcasm and lechery. He seemed legitimately scornful and it cut Van to the core.

Cyrus continued to smile and Van could tell he was trying to break up the awkwardness. “Antonio, you and Van have had a long, sometimes ugly history together. But we really need to put it aside.”

“My blood is fueled by passion, Cyrus,” Antonio spoke with a blunt honesty, “and whenever I think of Van it reaches a boil. I cannot cool it when every word she says spikes it with a bubbling poison.”

Van thought back on how Antonio had seduced her and lead her on. He gave her a false first kiss in order to lure her into a false sense of security. Antonio manufactured the first romance she ever had and it was to use for his own selfish purposes. It boiled her blood just as much as his, but she took a deep breath and chose to ignore him.

“Teela, I will try my best to melt this ice,” Van said with resolve. “I need a weapon in order to take on the Everbloods and avenge my master. He was the noblest and most honorable man I have ever known.”

“I have a feeling that when you act in the name of love,” Teela responded. “Our chances of gaining this sword are incredibly likely.”

Van looked down and saw a magnificent temple with towering spires carved out of ice. Every block of un-melting ice gave off a frosty gleam. The amount of detail carved into the circular front window alone showcased years of craft. Teela swooped down onto a checkerboard patio of ice and everyone disembarked. Van looked around and saw a bunch of cute frozen statues of penguins lining the patio in a scattershot way. “These statues are adorable,” Van said with a blush.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“They’re not statues,” Teela responded with a look of sadness. “They are the caretakers of my temple but the Frostulas have encased them in ice.”

“Are you kidding me?!” Cyrus exclaimed “These Frostulas are ruthless. Let’s do this for the penguins!”

“Yes lets,” Van said softly.

The front entrance was coated in a crystalline web; it was nearly sealed completely. “I just hope you’ve brought a way to break in,” Teela said. “I don’t appreciate what the Frostulas have done to with this new home decor.”

“Right ahead of you,” Cyrus shouted and he conjured up some red powder and breathed fire like a mighty dragon.

Van stood in awe as she felt the heat on her face, realizing what a wizard Cyrus was becoming. To her, he was truly transforming from an arrogant noble into a quick thinking trickmaster.

The Frostula’s web was reduced to a puddle of dripping water, and Cyrus boldly led the charge clutching Archibald’s briefcase. Oga drew her bow and Antonio clutched his elven staff. Claws retracted from Teela’s spinx-like paws. Only Van had nothing to defend herself with- a feeling that an accomplished knight greatly loathed.

The temple corridors were a lot tighter than Van expected. The dark blue ceilings and walls were close together and aside from little alcoves where blue flames burned, there was not much to see. Van used her knight training to remain wary for any surprise attacks, but much to her surprise, no spiders appeared. “Where are the Frostulas?” Van asked.

“I have a good feeling they’ve taken over my personal pad,” Teela growled, and shook her head, shuffling her dark hair. “That’s where all the good stuff is, including the legendary Tri-blade. We’re nearing it now.”

They reached a shining door made of solid ice and when Cyrus and Antonio shoved it aside, Van marveled at the palace room. The ceilings were raised much higher and the walls were engraved with ancient markings of the gods, including the blond haired Creator herself wielding mighty thunderbolts to bring swift justice upon the wicked.

On a large ledge with a frozen table, a strange, blocky two story cabinet and a bed, the mighty Tri-Blade lay encased in red ice. The sword’s blade twisted in a swirling pattern similar to the masked Everblood’s dark blade but it glowed an angelic white instead. Van gasped as she saw an army of spiders crawling everywhere and giant frozen cocoons hanging from the walls. Looking closer, Van could see the actual villagers frozen inside.

“The villagers,” she cried as the spiders charged. “We need to save them.”

“I’m on it,” Cyrus cried and he leaped forward and smacked a tiny spider with his briefcase. Then he pulled out a pouch of magic water from Dragoon Lagoon and drank it. His belly ballooned to a large size and he blasted jet streams of water plowing through a row of wicked spiders.

Van’s other allies remained on their toes too. Oga deftly shot numerous arrows into the bodies of the spiders who hit the ground and spewed green blood all over the ice. Antonio bashed spiders left and right with his elven staff. He started getting much better at it wielding after losing his twin rapiers.Teela snarled and clawed at the spider’s numerous eyes.

She yelled to Van. “Quickly, get up there to the sword!”

Van dashed across the room, lightly clinking in her economically light armor. She jumped over spiders and dodged their many ice blasts, but suddenly, she felt something on her leg weigh her down. She tripped and looked backwards and saw a spider had latched onto her leg, trying to teethe its way through her armor. She yelled and kicked it with her other foot but it continued to bite. Slowly Van clawed her way up the steps until she reached the large icy cabinet.

Van quickly pushed at the cabinet, causing it to wobble back and forth and with all her might she pulled it forward, bringing it right down on the spider, squashing it. “My fridge!” Teela cried. “Oh well…”

Van jumped to her feet and ran over to the red ice. Noticing there was a bundle of papers bound together into a magazine laying on top of it, Van gazed at it. On the cover was a muscular Multi-Beast man with a handsome male head and a toned abdomen standing on his hindlegs. Van read the title of it out loud, “Man-Beast Monthly…”

Teela immediately stopped fighting and her face grew bright red. “Uh…uh just ignore that! Just melt the ice Vanessa and save us all!”

Vanessa quickly put her hands on the ice. “Please melt. Please melt…” she panted. She thought of her mentor, the first person to ever truly show kindness to her. She fought for him and her best friend, Princess Trinity and it helped her remain steadfast to her knightly code where other knight’s faltered. Unfortunately for her, the ice remained firmly in place.

An elderly raspy female voice cut through the air. “Ah Teela, you were so dependent on your little prophecy that you didn’t realize the cold hard fact that it might not work…”

Suddenly, a blast of ice flew past Vanessa’s head, hitting Teela square in the chest. Ice quickly clustered around her body freezing her whole body with the exception for her head. Cyrus and Oga stood agast as more blasts shot towards them, sending them flying into the wall. Ice clustered in similar formations around their bodies.

Antonio stopped fighting to look up and screamed, “Vanessa, behind you.”

Van turned her head to realize a swirling black portal had opened up behind her. Inside, an enormous Queen Mother Frostula gazed out onto her prey. Its thousands of eyes all focused on Van with a look of absolute bloodlust and victory. “Once I take care of you child. My spiderlings and I will savor a feast of your flesh. The temple will finally belong to us!”