🔥 Chapter 9 — Clash with the Frost Warden
The ice beneath Kael's feet cracked and hissed as the Frost Warden's shadowed warriors advanced. Each one moved with unnatural precision, blades encased in frozen darkness, slicing the wind as they came. Kael could feel the Ember pulsing along his arm, alive and restless.
"Stay focused, Kael!" Rhyne shouted, deflecting a strike with his silver sigil blade. "They're fast, but predictable. Find the openings!"
Kael ignited the Ember, blue fire spiraling around his hands. He struck first, sending arcs of flame across the frozen warriors. The fire met ice, hissing violently, but the warriors pressed on, reforming like living statues. Each step they took froze patches of the ground, threatening to trap Kael and Rhyne.
The Frost Warden appeared at the top of the fortress stairs, its armor glinting with frost and shadow. Its eyes were icy voids, cold and calculating. "Bearer of the Ember… you will burn out before you even touch me," it intoned, voice resonating like cracking glaciers.
Kael's heart pounded, but he didn't hesitate. He let the Ember flow naturally, no longer forcing the fire but guiding it with his instincts. Flames arced around the Warden's warriors, carving paths through the ice, forcing them back toward the frozen gates.
Rhyne moved with Kael in perfect synchronization, silver light flashing as he cut through the remaining guardians. "Kael! Focus on the Warden's core! Ice may shield it, but the Ember can pierce through!"
Kael closed his eyes, feeling the fire respond to his will. He leapt forward, flames coiling around him like a storm. With a concentrated burst, he thrust his hands forward, sending a spear of pure Ember at the Warden's chest. Ice shattered, frost splintered, and the Warden staggered, revealing its pulsing dark core.
But the Warden's counterattack came instantly—a wave of ice and shadow surged toward Kael, threatening to encase him in frozen stone. He barely managed to twist midair, Ember flaring violently to shield himself.
Rhyne's voice cut through the roar: "You've pierced it once… now finish it!"
Kael gritted his teeth, summoning every ounce of control, power, and courage. The Ember surged, a concentrated storm of fire and light aimed directly at the Warden's core.
The Frozen Bastion trembled as the battle escalated—this duel would decide the fate of the northern highlands.