Battle on the Frozen Land

  After half an hour of travel, we continued toward the Ice Orc’s stronghold. The sky was filled with gray clouds of various shapes and sizes, and the sun barely peeked from behind them. The air was bitterly cold, and all that could be seen was endless snow, massive trees, and a long, winding path. Scattered throughout the terrain were the lifeless bodies of animals and monsters—scorpions, wolves, and other creatures, their blood staining the snow.

  Ston spoke up, "The orc camp should be close now."

  After another twenty minutes, we reached a slope. Below, a small village came into view—ten igloo-like huts scattered across the icy plain. Ghouls roamed the area, their grotesque figures pacing around the settlement. Ston pointed at a large hut.

  "Look at that big one."

  Prince Fabian smirked. "That must be Thaid’s orc. I’ll roast him alive."

  Thaid laughed. "Well, fire has an advantage over ice."

  Ston cracked his knuckles. "I don’t care if it’s the orc or the ghouls—I’m taking one of them down."

  Fabian nodded. "Alright. Ston and I will handle the ghouls. But what about that ice wall? It’s covered in spikes, and breaking through won’t be easy."

  Ilarion grinned. "Simple. We’ll break through and burn the village to the ground."

  Thaid’s eyes gleamed with excitement. "I like the sound of that!"

  I chuckled lightly. "Enough talk. Time for action. Ston, Thaid—I’m counting on you!"

  ---

  The Plan

  1. Ston: Create three massive boulders.

  2. Thaid: Set them on fire.

  3. Fabian & Ston: Use the chaos to eliminate as many ghouls as possible.

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  4. Ilarion & Thaid: Head straight for the Ice Orc.

  Ston cracked his knuckles. "Three massive rocks? That’s easy!" Moments later, three giant, jagged boulders—each three meters wide—lay before us. "Sharp edges, heavy mass—these will do the trick." He then turned to Thaid. "Now, we just need fire."

  I smirked. "Leave that to me."

  I pulled out a small vial—its inner layer forged from steel, its exterior crafted from dark wood, engraved with silver runes. Inside was a dark green liquid with a sharp, acrid scent.

  Ston stepped back warily. "What is that?!"

  "Insect venom," I said simply, pouring the substance over the rocks. "I mixed it with Thaid’s poison earlier. I didn’t expect to use it so soon."

  Thaid ignited the boulders, and Ston, wielding his colossal Hammer of Ruin, sent them rolling down the slope.

  "Three... Two... One... Attack!"

  The burning projectiles thundered forward, crashing through the ice wall. A deafening roar filled the air as the flaming boulders plowed into the village, demolishing huts and crushing everything in their path—ghouls, wooden structures, and even ice barriers.

  The battle had begun.

  ---

  Storming the Village

  As ghouls scattered in chaos, Ston seized the opportunity, cutting down the confused creatures with brutal efficiency. Meanwhile, Thaid and I sprinted toward the orc’s hut.

  The large wooden structure stood ominously, surrounded by a deep pit with no visible bottom. Above it, peculiar ice formations hinted at the orc’s mastery over frost magic.

  Thaid clutched a small dagger-shaped medallion, pressing his thumb against it. In an instant, his signature daggers materialized in his grip.

  "Let’s finish this quickly," I said.

  Before we could advance, the Ice Orc and his mate emerged.

  The male wielded a colossal ice club. I clenched my jaw. "This is going to be more troublesome than I’d hoped… but so be it."

  I glanced back—Fabian and Ston were still occupied with the ghouls.

  No turning back.

  ---

  The Duel Begins

  The Ice Orc swung his massive club, but I countered with Dawnflame, slicing through the weapon. My blade nearly reached his throat, but at the last moment, he froze his club, sealing the gap and ensnaring my sword in ice.

  Thaid reacted swiftly, scaling the orc’s massive frame with acrobatic precision, driving his dagger into the monster’s eye. The orc bellowed in agony, thick red blood oozing down his face.

  Thaid leaped away just in time.

  But the orc stomped, freezing the ground beneath us. Thaid lost his footing, sliding dangerously toward the pit. He barely managed to stab his daggers into the ice, stopping his fall at the last second.

  Meanwhile, the Ice Orc encased his injured eye in frost, halting the spread of poison. He raised his club defensively, guarding his body.

  I took advantage of the distraction, plunging Dark Sovereign into his gut. He reeled back, but before I could press the attack, the female orc lunged at me, aiming to crush my skull.

  I smirked, dodging swiftly, using the slick ice to slide away. Like Thaid, I embedded my daggers into the ground for stability.

  The male orc turned to strike me down, but I coated my dagger in a mysterious green liquid—the insect venom.

  The moment he swung his club again, it disintegrated.

  He froze, stunned.

  What he didn’t realize was that Dawnflame, being a sun-forged blade, had an inherent counter to ice magic. The forced freezing had only delayed its retaliation. Once freed, the sword’s fire surged back, burning away anything in its grasp—including the orc’s weapon.

  Seizing the moment, I hurled Dark Sovereign at the female orc. The blade struck her leg, piercing deep into her flesh.

  The male orc’s eyes widened in panic. He had fallen into my trap.

  A sudden sound from below—the scraping of daggers against ice.

  Thaid was climbing back up. Fast.

  The Ice Orc tried to finish me off before Thaid could rejoin the fight, but it was already too late.

  I dodged his desperate strike and plunged my venom-coated dagger deep into his abdomen once more. This time, his ice magic couldn’t mend the wound.

  Because Dark Sovereign had a hidden property—wounds inflicted by it resisted healing.

  The battle was nearing its end.