The return to Silverwood City was a spectacle of joyous ignorance.
The blizzard had ceased. The sun, a stranger to the region for weeks, bathed the snow-covered streets in blinding light. The magical frost that had encased the buildings was melting, dripping from the eaves like tears of relief.
Governor Thorne had arranged a triumph. The gates were thrown open, and the survivors of the city lined the streets, cheering as Squad Alpha-9 rode in on their Frost-Runners. Flowers—hothouse blooms preserved by magic—were thrown in their path.
"Heroes! The Heroes of Silverwood!"
"They killed the Winter!"
