The Spoilt Beauty And Her Beasts-Chapter 506: Quiet, oversized poultry

The Mountain Dew Spirit stared at the hairpin in its tiny hands as if it had just inherited the heavens. It twirled once in the air, mist swirling around it dramatically. Then it twirled again, just because.

"I have seen the hearts of many," it began, puffing out its little chest as it floated in front of them like a proud soap opera narrator. "But none quite like yours. Bold, defiant, stubborn. Reckless. Very reckless. And strange. Very strange. The energy around you is like a storm that hasn’t picked a direction—loud, flailing, chaotic. Your companion is worse."

Osiris blinked. "What did I do?"

"Silence, peacock," the Mountain Dew Spirit snapped, circling in the air like a tiny judgmental tornado.

Osiris blinked. "I’m not a pea—"

"Did I ask?" the spirit cut him off, waving its tiny hand. "Quiet, oversized poultry."

Isabella choked. Glimora covered her mouth with her paws.

Osiris stared at the creature, deeply offended. "P–poultry?? I am a phoenix."

"Ah yes," the spirit said dryly. "A glorified chicken. With flames. Congratulations."

Isabella doubled over slightly, coughing to hide her laugh.

Osiris’s jaw dropped. "I am not—!"

"Silence!" the spirit shrieked, spinning dramatically. "You’re shedding arrogance all over my mountain, and it’s very hard to clean!"

Osiris stood there like someone had slapped him with a frying pan.

Isabella wiped a tear from her eye. "He does shed arrogance, though."

Glimora nodded seriously. "Pip."

Osiris sulked quietly in the background.

The spirit went on. "You’re not the kind of human I like, girl. You speak too quickly, you glare too much, and you smell like trouble."

"I bathed this morning," Isabella muttered.

"I said what I said," the spirit retorted. Then it sighed long and loud. "Still. You came all this way. With that look on your face. Like you’d fight heaven if it stood in your way. It’s annoying, really. So annoying. But... not boring."

Isabella blinked slowly.

"...is that a yes?"

The Mountain Spirit raised its tiny hand. "Don’t interrupt."

"Oh my gods," she muttered under her breath.

"I have watched over this mountain for many years," the spirit continued. "I have seen empires rise, and fall, and rise again, only to fall because of stupid decisions—like trusting a prince named Grumblewort. Horrible name. Terrible fashion sense. Always wore yellow. Who wears yellow on a battlefield?"

The wind spirit clapped its hands. "Oh my god, please stop."

"Right?" Isabella said. "What’s the answer?"

"Are we done with the lecture?" the wind spirit pressed.

Even Glimora let out a soft "pip" of protest, eyes blinking with polite exhaustion.

The Mountain Spirit sighed dramatically. "Fine, fine. You all have no respect for history."

"It’s not history," Isabella said. "It’s a rant."

"YOU’RE a rant."

Isabella blinked.

"What does that even mean?"

"Give me the nuts," the Mountain Dew Spirit snapped, arms out.

Isabella raised a brow. "You didn’t say you’d give me the dew yet."

"I just did—"

"No, you monologued. You twirled. You brought up some guy in yellow. But you never said, ’Yes, Isabella, I will give you dew.’"

The spirit huffed. "Isabella, I will give you the dew."

She nodded. "Cool. Now give me the dew first."

The spirit fluttered its wings angrily and spun midair. Then, with a single snap of its fingers, a swirl of mist twisted in the air. Light gathered. Glimmering drops shimmered out of the fog and fused into a bowl made of translucent crystal.

It wasn’t too big.

Not too small.

But deep enough for both of Isabella’s hands.

Inside—

Glowing, swirling Mountain Dew.

The color was somewhere between moonlight and starlight, a pale shimmer that danced across the liquid surface. It sparkled like silver rain and sent cool air floating up.

Isabella’s eyes widened in awe. "WOW."

The spirit didn’t wait. It lunged forward, arms open for the bag of nuts.

But Isabella yanked it back.

The Mountain Dew Spirit froze mid-air, blinking.

"Dew first," she said calmly. "Nuts later."

"She’s lying," the wind spirit added after a beat. "She said the same thing to me."

"Shut up," Isabella said automatically.

The Mountain Dew Spirit narrowed its eyes, clearly judging if she was bluffing. Then it rolled its tiny shoulders and floated the bowl toward her.

She accepted it gently, hands trembling a bit. The bowl was surprisingly warm, humming faintly with energy. She could feel it—real dew. Magical dew. Her only chance.

The spirit didn’t wait another second. It dove down and snatched the nut pouch from her hand with both arms, hugging it like it had just won the lottery.

"FINALLY. Free lunch!" it shouted with joy as it zoomed off into the fog. Its laughter echoed around them like a gremlin in a candy shop.

Then it vanished.

Isabella blinked after it.

"...well."

She looked down at the bowl in her hands.

A real smile slowly tugged at the edge of her lips. Genuine relief flooded through her chest, sweeping away the cold and the anxiety that had been building since she first stepped onto this cursed peak.

She had it.

She really had it.

She looked into the dew—clear, glowing, perfectly magical. She could soak her hands. She could extract the root. She could save Shelia.

Just the thought made her chest tighten.

She’s going to be okay, Isabella thought. I’m really going to save her.

A tiny tear built behind her eyes, but she blinked it away before anyone could see.

Too late.

Osiris watched her quietly, arms folded, standing a few feet behind her. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t move. He didn’t even blink.

But he noticed.

Then, because he was a jerk, he said, "We done yet?"

Isabella turned her head slowly. "Shut up."

Glimora padded over sweetly and patted her cheek with one tiny paw. "Pip."

Isabella smiled, just a little, and tilted her head to nuzzle her.

Suddenly, her system’s voice rang in her mind like a sarcastic notification bell.

[SYSTEM: Congratulations, host. You only almost died three times.]

"Thanks," Isabella muttered under her breath.

[+30 points awarded]

In her mind, the system popped up with a smiling emoji face.

The kind of smile that looked forced.

Like the "I’m totally not judging you" smile.

Isabella side-eyed it.

Her system blinked innocently.

She rolled her eyes and turned back to the dew in her hands.

"Time to soak."