Time had frozen around me!
Once, this place was sacred, untouchable… Today, it had turned into utter chaos.
In the temple's central hall, a massive hole split the ceiling. Sunlight poured down, illuminating a battle scene worthy of legends.
Bruma, cheerful as ever, smashed her fist into an ice troll's jaw, teeth flying, while shielding herself from arrows and magic bolts.
An army of trolls and frost guards was overwhelmed by blue yetis: some breaking free of their chains, others emerging from ice blocks. They no longer looked savage, but they hadn't yet regained their magic or their second pair of arms. Still, their strength was formidable.
Willa, along with a giant female yeti, rolled a massive snowball straight into their enemies.
In the sky, an ice dragon and a Cryo Phoenix clashed in a titanic aerial battle. Nouna seemed to be sharing her magic with Anivia, the phoenix.
On the dragon's back stood a beautiful, mature icy woman. Her once-blind blue eyes now shone with clarity—she stared at me in shock.
As for me, I had just finished my duel against the troll leader, cutting him down with a blade of freezing fire—an impossible new attack. I had given it everything I had!
But before time resumed its flow… and before I passed out, I was pulled back—
a few hours earlier.
BOOM!!!
"Of course… fucking Murphy's Law!!" I cursed.
"The one that says if you don't want a problem, it's sure to happen anyway?" asked Anivia.
"How do you even know that, Anivia!?" I asked.
"I have a lot of knowledge, Alex," the harpy replied calmly.
(Yeah right! Murphy in a fantasy world? No way…)
"Don't worry," she continued, "that noise comes from a friend… waking up from a long sleep."
Then she turned to the girls:
"Ladies, I'm going to borrow your charming companion for something urgent. To your right, there are guest rooms."
"You have guest rooms in a mystical temple!?" Nouna cried.
"Of course, Nouna! There's also a training room, a kitchen with a large dining hall, a huge pool and most importantly… a hot spring that I love! So enjoy yourselves. And if you're wondering: no, I don't melt in the heat. You'd burn long before I lost even one milligram of ice."
"That's true!" Nouna said. "Once, my flute fell into magma. Luckily, thanks to the pure ice on it, the lava cooled around it… They say only Ornna's fire can melt it."
"Yes, my sister is great—but so am I," Anivia declared confidently. "My ice is the only one that can rival her flames."
"And I'm not at risk by touching you? Your feathers are made of the strongest pure ice," I said.
"Alex, ice-bloods and fire-bloods survive extreme cold and heat thanks to their element and magically reinforced bodies. But you… your body is beyond even that. And besides…" she stroked me with her icy claw, "I can perfectly control my power."
Her touch didn't hurt—only a soothing, refreshing chill.
"Alright… I trust you. But before leaving…" I pulled out a bag full of food and handed it to Willa. She licked my cheek in thanks.
"There are poro-snax left in the kitchen, if you want," Anivia added.
"Awesome! Little-White's favorites—we'll need to stock up for the road," Bruma said.
"Po po piya po!!" squeaked the poro happily.
Besides being a great warrior, Bruma was also a poro shepherdess. She knew poro-snax were the poros' absolute favorite. Everyone loved them! Without hesitation, she rushed to the kitchen with Little-White.
"Alex, come back soon!" Nouna called.
"You know, we will always be in my mountain," Anivia said calmly. "You'll have all the time… to enjoy later."
"…!" Nouna was speechless.
"Of course we'll have time! Want to join us, Anivia?" I teased.
"It's tempting… but work comes first," she replied serenely.
She leaned close to me:
"Hold on to me."
"Alright… but if you feel something, it's not my fault," I said, wrapping my arms around her neck and my legs around her waist like a monkey. My head sank naturally into her large breasts.
"Oh, I see you like your travel seat," she teased.
I stayed silent, feigning nonchalance.
"…Very well," she murmured, placing her hands on my back and butt.
"Hey! What are you doing!?"
"Making sure you don't fall," she said, as her feathers slid across her back, wings spreading apart.
"You could've just held me normally instead of making me cling like an idiot!?"
"Where's the fun in that?" she smirked. "Now stop complaining. It's time. See you later, girls!"
She soared into the sky with a majestic flap of her wings.
Willa and Nouna watched us disappear.
"I guess you prefer the pool?" Nouna asked.
Willa confirmed with a happy grunt.
"Perfect. First one there gets the first turn with Alex when he's back!"
Meanwhile, Anivia and I flew down the mountain.
"So, enjoying the ride? How do you like my cushions?"
"Very nice—NO! I mean… where exactly are we going?"
"We're already there. Look, here's the entrance."
She dove into an opening leading to underground tunnels. We arrived in a vast cavern—
BOOM!!!
The ground shook. I turned toward the source… and froze.
A colossal blue woman, about eight meters tall, covered in white fur. She wore almost nothing: just a loincloth and a chest guard that barely hid anything.
The giantess struck the cavern walls with terrifying force, sending shockwaves and cracks through the stone.
"Tell me she's not going to destroy the whole mountain?" I asked.
"Probably," Anivia replied with her usual calm.
I wasn't even surprised anymore.
"But don't worry. She's an old friend. We fought together. I can calm her."
"Good news… but what magical species is she? Some kind of giant yeti woman?"
"Let's go ask her."
"Wait, wha—"
Before I could finish, Anivia stepped forward toward the raging woman.
"Yillda, it's me, Anivia. I'm so happy to see you again. I knew you'd awaken one day."