The air still hadn't moved since the battle.
Frost covered every weapon, every broken body. The sound of the world was gone — no wind, no breath, not even the distant groan of metal.
Brenn wiped ice from his gauntlet. "That beast," he said quietly, staring toward the white horizon, "it's the reason the ground's still frozen."
Mira stood beside him, bow at her side. "You mean the serpent?"
He nodded. "Yeah. The Dominion used it as a weapon. Now it's gone wild."
Across the plains, the snow rippled. A low vibration rolled through the ground, deep and steady.
"Everyone stay down," Brenn ordered.
The hum grew louder until the ground shook. Snow lifted as if the field itself exhaled. Out of the storm, the Cryo Serpent rose — changed.
Its body looked like glass lit from the inside, veins glowing bright blue. Broken rods still stuck in its hide, pulsing black where the metal had died. Every move bent the air like heat.
A Dominion handler shouted something, but the sound cut off halfway. The serpent turned its head — the man froze solid before he could scream.
"Fall back!" Brenn yelled.
The serpent inhaled. The air snapped colder, the frost racing outward. In seconds, the field was covered in a sheet of ice that swallowed soldiers from both sides.
Mira pressed her hand against the ground. "How do we stop that?"
Brenn didn't answer. He couldn't feel his fingers anymore.
Then lightning broke through the clouds.
A thunderclap tore the sky open, and Zor dove down — wings blazing, light flashing across his feathers. Every wingbeat turned snow to steam.
The serpent screamed. Ice and thunder slammed together, and for a moment no one could tell which was louder.
The flash blinded both armies. Dominion soldiers dropped their rods. Bloomring fighters ducked behind shields.
Zor hit first, claws tearing through layers of ice. Lightning followed, cracking across the serpent's back. But the serpent's breath froze the light itself — and Zor's wings locked up. He crashed through frozen trees, breaking them apart as he fell.
"He's down!" Mira shouted.
Zor forced himself up again, sparks dripping from his wings. The serpent moved closer, breath sweeping over the field, freezing soldiers where they stood. Brenn shoved Mira behind a fallen shield.
"Stay behind cover!" he shouted.
The serpent turned its head again, and the air went white. Then the ground started glowing red.
From the western ridge, lines of fire raced toward the battlefield, cutting through the ice.
Varyn stepped through them.
The Direwolf King walked like a moving flame. His mane burned deep orange; every breath melted the frost in front of him. The snow hissed under his paws.
The serpent turned, frost building again in its throat.
Zor rose from the ice, wings sparking. He and Varyn locked eyes. No words — just understanding.
The serpent lunged first. Zor dove, lightning flashing across its neck. Frost healed the wound instantly. Varyn's claws slammed into the serpent's side, blasting molten shards into the air.
Storm and fire moved together — one followed the other, strike after strike. The serpent fought back wildly, its body twisting through its own frozen mist. Each blow broke more of the ground apart.
From behind a wall of ice, Mira whispered, "They're not doing this for us."
Brenn shook his head. "No. They're trying to fix what we started."
Everyone else could only watch. Even Kaelith, standing far off, stared in silence, his armor covered in frost cracks.
The serpent screamed and slammed into the earth again. The air changed color — blue and red twisting into violet light.
Then Zor rose higher than before, lightning building in his wings.
Varyn lifted his head, jaws opening wide.
Thunder rolled once — long and deep.
Zor dove. Lightning poured from his wings straight into Varyn's open mouth.
Varyn roared, the sound shaking the sky.
The blast hit the serpent's chest, cutting through frozen scales.
The world went still.
Cracks split across the serpent's body, glowing bright, then turning black. The whole creature shattered — ice and crystal bursting into the air like glass shards.
When it was over, the field was smooth again — frozen, melted, then frozen once more, a plain of glass that shimmered in the pale light.
Zor landed heavily, folding his wings. One side smoked; lightning still flickered across his feathers.
Varyn stood in the center of the plain, silent. He looked once toward Bloomring's lines — toward Draven — then turned away, walking into the fog. Every step left trails of glowing glass.
The snow stopped falling.
Brenn lowered his sword. "They fought each other," he said quietly, "and somehow, we're still alive."
No one answered.
A few Bloomscript pages lifted from the melted ground, glowing gold before fading into the cold air.
Draven stood behind the front line, watching in silence. The faint light of the lotus mark on his chest flickered once beneath his armor. His sword still hummed softly.
He thought he heard a whisper — the Codex's voice, calm and close:
"Freedom lives. Control dies."
Then the wind began to move again.
And the world, finally, breathed.
Notes:
Resonance Failure (Easy Explanation)
* The Dominion tried to repair the Cryo Serpent with broken Soulsteel.
* The metal's control field failed and flipped.
* The serpent absorbed energy instead of following orders — it went wild, stronger than before.
Dialogue Meanings
"That beast is the reason the ground's still frozen." = The serpent's power caused the endless frost.
"How do we stop that?" = Mira realizing they can't fight it with normal weapons.
"Stay behind cover!" = Brenn acting as protector, focused on survival.
"They're trying to fix what we started." = Brenn admits humanity caused the imbalance that freed the serpent.
"They fought each other and we're still alive." = The Kings' fight ended the threat, not human strength.
"Freedom lives. Control dies." = The Codex repeats the story's main idea: control destroys itself; life continues through freedom.
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