I trudged through the soft, crunching snow, the wind whipping flakes across my hood as the blizzard blurred everything in sight. I kept my head down, hood up—just enough protection to last a few more hours in this deadly cold.
My wings looked normal again. Maybe those strange ice crystals finally melted off.
The wind howled around me, cold seeping into my bones.
"Geez, it's freezing," I muttered, shivering hard.
Visibility was trash. I couldn't spot my friends anywhere through the swirling whiteout.
I climbed a small hill of snow and looked out. Still nothing. Just stone and ice. "Was the temple really that small?" I mumbled. "Or... am I still in it?"
I scanned the horizon again and spotted it—a long, narrow frozen lake stretching between the snowbanks. My eyes widened.
I knew exactly where I was.
We'd been heading south through Eclitsic. That meant this was the Frozen Lakes. A place the Leviathan rarely visits… but not never. Fantastic. Half the group could be monster chow by now.
And that's when I realized—I wasn't alone.
A deep hooting echoed across the icy expanse.
I spun around. Nothing but snow and stone. My breath steamed in the frigid air.
"Who the heck was that?" I asked aloud.
The hooting came again—louder this time. Loud enough to rattle the ground and ring in my ears.
Then I saw it.
A massive owl-griffin hybrid, white as the snowstorm around it, stared me down from above. Mysterious Loose.
I drew my daggers fast—faster than your dad in the delivery room. I smirked up at the beast.
"I thought you were a myth. Figured Queen Frost was dead. But no… some stories are real after all."
It snarled, furious, and launched at me with a roar. An ice beam shot from its mouth. I rolled sideways, the blast shattering into jagged icicles across the snow.
Now I understood how this thing earned its legend.
It skidded forward, snow spraying from its talons, then lunged again. I ducked under its sweep and charged, slashing at its wing. Blood sprayed, staining the snow.
It shrieked and fired another beam. I slid beneath it, coming up swinging. It flew at me, claws extended, but I caught one talon with my dagger and spun, slicing it clean off.
It shrieked again, swiping wildly. I rolled beneath its wing, sidestepped, then leapt—twirling midair like a celestial vortex. Energy cracked around me. I slashed its neck as I passed.
Landing in a skid, I dashed forward, faster than a spam-clicker in a boss fight. My daggers flashed in every direction, confusing the beast. I jumped straight at its face and transformed—spinning into a celestial AERIAL KICK right between the eyes.
It spiraled backward, crashing through a mountain.
I landed, celestial light blazing from my eyes, blood-drenched daggers at my sides. It screeched, wings flaring wide, and launched at me, mouth glowing with the biggest ice beam I'd ever seen.
"Alright then," I said, grinning. "Do your worst."
I sprinted at light speed, dodging the beam in slow motion. I ran along a mountainside, flipped off the edge, and landed in a snowy slide.
It dove for me, trying to knock away my blades. I leaned back, dodging the strike, and we clashed—darting around each other in a blur of motion.
I parried every talon swipe, my dagger flowing like water. Then it charged another blast. Perfect.
I grabbed an ice board and flipped forward, sliding fast, snow flying. I veered right, climbing up the side of an ice wall. It fired—the beam slicing the space where I'd just been.
I leapt off the wall, grabbed the board midair, and landed back in motion. As it fired again, I hurled the board into the beam. The ice blast froze it solid.
That's when I made my move.
I ran, daggers glowing with celestial energy. Its eyes widened. Too late. I twirled, leapt, spun like a vortex—and sliced clean through its neck.
Its head flew free. I landed in a skid, blood spraying like a fountain.
Done. One beast down. Plenty more to go. And I was definitely stronger now.
I looked up. The blizzard hadn't let up—snow falling harder than ever. Typical for Eclitsic.
Couldn't tell if it was day or night. The clouds were too thick.
"Ouch!" I winced, grabbing my arm. A sharp pain stung deep. "Seriously? A blister?"
Time to find shelter.
I wandered through hills, over lakes, past frozen rivers. Finally, I found it—an arch-shaped cave dusted with fresh snow, tucked into a forest of icy trees. Some bare, some still clinging to leaves.
The forest clung to the side of a snow-covered mountain. Creatures roamed—Hrics, Uragas, Ice Bears, even Frozen Dragons.
I stepped into the cave. Warmth hit me like a blanket. I didn't even need my wings to stay warm.
Squeak!
I froze. Ears twitching. Nothing.
Squeak.
Curious now. I stepped back—then felt something tug my tail.
I turned.
A Hric.
Small, bunny-sized, with fluffy ears like clouds and bright red eyes. It had sharp, almost elegant teeth and a pointed tail twitching like a rabbit's.
"Hey there," I said softly, waving.
It tilted its head and squeaked again. Odd. Aren't Hrics usually aggressive?
This one just walked up. Harmless.
I glanced around the cave. "This your place? Sorry, didn't mean to intrude. Just needed shelter from the storm."
It chirped and turned back inside. Then it paused, looked back, and chirped again.
"...You're inviting me in?" I asked.
I crawled in after it, leaning against the wall. The Hric bounced around the cave.
That's when I noticed the egg—white, striped with green dots—tucked near the edge.
Definitely not a Hric egg.
"Is that a lizard egg?" I asked. "Why haven't you eaten it?"
The Hric chirped again—almost like a laugh—and shook its head.
I stared. A peaceful Hric. Protective. Strange.
"Then why do you have it?"
It hugged the egg close, chirping softly.
Time for a trick I rarely use. Celestianite mind-read.
Burns energy, sure. But I needed answers.
Its thoughts were clear: it had found the egg, lost and alone. It just wanted to protect it.
I smiled. "You should return it. Just in case the mother's out there."
The Hric nodded and started to roll the egg out. Then it saw my daggers and froze—terrified. It curled into a trembling snowball.
"Hey, don't be scared," I said, reaching out. "I'm not gonna hurt you."
It peeked out, still wary.
"I'm one of the good guys. A chosen one. I help people. I slay monsters. You protected that egg. That's heroic."
It slowly uncurled. I reached forward and touched its nose.
A surge of warmth shot through me.
I petted it gently. "Name's Don. Don the Celestianite. What about you? Don't have a name, huh?"
It purred.
"How about... Kai?"
It bounced in joy.
I chuckled. "Kai it is."
Outside, the storm had passed. The snow lay still, piled high. Trees stood silent. Stars shimmered in a clear night sky. The moon cast silver light over the peaceful forest.
Finally, calm returned to Eclitsic.
I curled up in my wings. Kai snuggled against my tail.
"Goodnight, Kai," I whispered.