Arthur pulled his tattered cloak tighter around his shoulders, his breath curling into the frigid air like wisps of smoke. He glanced over at Adora, who had her arms wrapped around herself, visibly shivering.
"Remind me again why we didn't just stay by the fire?" Arthur muttered, kicking at a patch of ice as they trudged forward.
Adora shot him a glare. "Because, genius, we need to find a way out of this frozen wasteland. Or do you want to sit there until we turn into icicles?"
Arthur sighed. "I mean… an icicle might be warmer than this."
Adora scoffed. "If you're cold, suck some more blood. You seem to enjoy it, 'Gourmet.'"
Arthur smirked. "Funny. But yeah, that does sound like a good idea."
Their conversation was cut short as they spotted movement in the distance. A group of Frost Elves, their pale blue skin blending with the icy landscape, marched forward accompanied by a small pack of lesser ice wolves. The elves' breath came out in cold mist, their sharp weapons gleaming in the weak daylight.
Arthur cracked his neck. "Warm-up round?"
Adora nodded. "Let's make this quick."
The first wolf lunged, its jaws snapping, but Arthur sidestepped with ease, plunging his newly acquired dream into its throat. Adora followed up with a swift decapitation of an approaching elf, her blade slicing clean through the brittle flesh. The fight was over almost as soon as it began, the enemies falling to the snow without much resistance.
Arthur crouched down and bit into one of the dead elves necks, their blood flowing into him. A warmth spread through his veins, chasing away the cold. He sighed in relief. "Much better."
Adora wrinkled her nose. "Still weird."
Arthur stood, flexing his fingers. "Still effective."
As night began to settle in, the temperature dropped even further. Arthur summoned Wolf Fang and used its serrated edge to carve a small alcove into a thick wall of ice. It wasn't much, but it was shelter. They draped the furs they had scavenged over the entrance and settled inside.
Adora lay on the ground, wrapped in a thick wolf pelt. "You taking first watch?"
Arthur nodded. "Yeah. You sleep first, I'll wake you up in a few hours."
Adora yawned. "Don't get eaten."
Arthur chuckled. "No promises."
As Adora drifted off, Arthur leaned against the ice wall, watching the frozen expanse beyond their shelter. He could hear the distant howling of wolves, the shifting of the ice as the wind howled through the night.
When his shift was up, he nudged Adora awake. "Your turn."
She groaned but sat up, rubbing her eyes. "I hate this place."
Arthur smirked. "You and me both."
With the first light of dawn, they continued their journey, the endless tundra stretching before them. As they walked, they discussed the creatures that roamed these lands.
"Frost Elves are weak to fire and blunt weapons," Adora said. "Their bodies are brittle, and they don't handle direct impacts well."
Arthur nodded. "And wolves?"
"Fast but predictable. Their fur protects them from the cold, but their bellies are vulnerable. You get one on its back, and it's done for."
Arthur grinned. "Sounds like we just need to fight a lot and keep getting stronger."
Adora sighed. "You make it sound so simple."
Before Arthur could respond, a loud noise rumbled in the distance. They both froze, exchanging glances.
"That sounded big," Arthur said.
Adora nodded. "Let's check it out."
They moved swiftly, the wind cutting against their faces as they ran toward the source of the commotion. As they reached a high ridge, they peered down and saw the battlefield unfold before them.
An enormous Ice Elf army stood in tight formation, led by two imposing commanders like the one Arthur barely killed through luck, their armor glistening with enchanted frost. Opposing them was a massive pack of wolves, led by three colossal beasts. The largest among them dwarfed the others, standing nearly five meters tall, its breath coming out in steaming clouds as it growled orders to its kin.
Arthur whistled. "Well… that's something."
Adora's expression turned serious. "What do we do?"
Arthur grinned, eyes alight with excitement. "We pick a side… or we take them both down."