The Frozen Fairy Forest

"So... WHY are we back in the Lusever Woodlands Fairylands in the middle of winter?" Gargec asked. He was in a more human form this time around and wearing a heavy blue coat.

"Because someone here has never seen snow before since she's lived in the desert her entire near-immortal life," the black-haired elf woman replied, wearing a brown shawl and long green scarf over her neck. She turned to Awdue, who was excitedly spinning around the white forest in her natural genie form wearing a brown fur coat over her emerald green dress.

"Yeah, but it's the Fairylands," Gargec replied. "There are easier ways to see snow without... you know...."

"The things we do for our friends," the elf replied in agreement. Awdue looked at the two disguised dragons.

"You two have GOT to stop being so panicky about the Fairylands, Isot!" she chastised. "Not everything here is trying to kill you." As if on cue, a small light blue pixie passed by her with a giggle, causing Gargec and Isot to jump.

"What's their problem?" the pixie asked, looking back at the two.

"Dragons," Awdue said.

"Ah," the pixie nodded his tiny head. He then waved his hand and summoned a tiny frozen knife. "So, are you going to eat them, or...?"

"Nope!" Gargec commented, backing up.

"Gargec, he's just messing with you," Awdue commented.

"That doesn't mean I can't do it!"

One calming of a pair of dragons later (because the Fairylands were still terrifying to them despite their multiple adventures), the trio continued exploring the forest. "There aren't a lot of animals out," Awdue said. "What's going on?"

"Right, you're a nasna," Gargec recalled. "You're more connected to nature than Isot or I. Well, you see, several animals hibernate during winters back on Odiosera, since food is rather scarce for them. You know how hard it is to keep a healthy garden up during the frost."

"Yeah, despite the desert, it still gets too cold to keep some of my produce alive," Awdue agreed, looking at the bare trees. She then turned forward and gasped. "Wow...!"

"Huh?" Isot asked, looking ahead as well. She breathed in excitement. "A frozen lake!"

"It's more of a pond to me," Gargec commented as he walked forward.

"Shush!" Isot told him off. Awdue headed for the pond and began sliding on it.

"I've always wanted to do something like this!" the genie laughed, sliding across the pond. "Come on! Come on!" Gargec and Isot looked at her, shrugged, and got on the ice, a little wobbly at first, but eventually, they got the hang of it, Isot laughing as she did so.

"How are you so good at this?" Isot asked her genie friend.

"I don't know!" Awdue giggled. "I've just been winging it!" Gargec watched the two women skating circles around him and sighed.

"At least they're happy," he said, although he started slipping again. He then ended up falling on his face, but got up anyway, and tried again.

After some skating, the three continued exploring the forest, listening to the giggles of the more humanoid (and less immediately murderous in the dragons' opinion) creatures of the realm. They found a clearing, and Awdue set up a pot and found some wood that was decently dry. Gargec used what little of his fire breath he could access in the Fairylands to light it up for a campfire, which Awdue cooked atop of to make a winter stew.

"This place, for a very strange realm," Isot complimented, "is beautiful. I see why the fair folk don't come out often. Why would they when the Fairylands make the rest of Skyeria look bleak in comparison?"

"Well, some leave to hunt dragons or, apparently, grant wishes to children in need," Gargec mused. "Other fair folk, meanwhile, may come out to mess with everyone. And some would like to study small folk up close."

"Guys," Awdue called, "lunch is ready!"

The two dragons and genie ate their stew in the cold field, enjoying its warmth despite the cold. As they did, the skies began snowing, making Awdue stare in wonder. Gargec and Isot, despite their dislike of the cold, couldn't help but smile at the excitement their colleague had at the phenomenon they'd used to see every winter on Odiosera.

As they walked back to the one place they knew was an exit to the Fairylands, they heard the clopping of hooves. Gargec's eyes widened. "Please be a friendly unicorn, please be a friendly unicorn, please be a friendly unicorn...."

"When have there been non-friendly unicorns?" Isot asked. Gargec gave her a look. "Okay, we can all argue Rizzan deserved it." Sure enough, a brown steed with a glowing white horn and a silver mane walked nearby them, carrying on his back the tall fairy queen of the Lusever Woodlands. She smiled at them before waving them farewell. Gargec, Awdue, and Isot watched her leave and looked at each other. The two girls then started laughing.

"What did she do?" Gargec asked. He then saw Awdue pointing to a nearby ice patch, and then looked at it... seeing his face dyed blue, his eyes turned green, and his tongue coated in red polka dots. "Oh... oh, that's cold, fairy."

"I can do worse~" the fairy queen warned.

"Okay, let's leave," Isot commented, walking through the exit of the Fairylands.

"Yeah, let's," Gargec agreed, following her. Awdue giggled at the two, following them.