We made our way toward the gates, the crunch of snow underfoot the only sound in the desolate cold. The air felt strangely still, almost oppressive.
“Do you think the whole city is like this?” Bel’s voice cut through the silence, his eyes scanning the towering black structures.
“If it’s anything like the last time we entered a city , I’m guessing yes.’” I gripped my war hammer a little tighter, the weight of it oddly comforting. It had become my preferred weapon lately. Heavy, destructive, and reliable.
“You’ll be fine. Stick together ,” Vael’dargar said, walking with her usual silent grace, the only sound being the soft rustle of her cloak. She paused, eyeing the horizon. “. Let’s see what you learned .”
And then we saw them.
A group of corrupted humanoid creatures emerged from behind a jagged outcrop of ice and stone, their presence unnerving. Their figures were hunched, covered in tattered armor and thick fur clothing, their faces pale white, rounded like humans, but with something disturbingly alien about them. Their eyes were wide, empty, and their mouths twisted into grim, toothless sneers. They wielded chipped spears and axes made from an unknown green metal, metal that wasn’t just the blade but the entire weapon, from the head to the handle. No wood in sight. I grunted.
“Guess it makes sense. No wood in a frozen moon.”
Sylvan narrowed her eyes. “They seem to have done well for themselves though those weapons look well made .”
“Well, let’s test how good they are ,” Llin muttered, already slipping into the shadows.
Froskari Guard (Lev 99)
The Froskari were once a formidable species, forged in the relentless grip of this frozen wasteland. Over countless millennia, they clawed their way up from the depths of ice choked caves, adapting, evolving until they no longer merely survived, but ruled this moon.
They didn’t wait for an invitation. The creatures growled, lumbering forward with surprising speed.
Joro moved first, his massive tower shield raised to block the incoming charge. The weight of the shield was staggering, but he was unfazed, planting his feet solidly. As one of the corrupted creatures rushed at him with a spear, Joro knocked it aside with a grunt, his sword swinging in a smooth arc to slash the creature’s midsection.
Bel shouted “ Thal! This seems like a perfect opportunity to practice “
The priest tensed for a moment but nodded
Thal and Sylvan flanked him. The healer’s spear jabbed forward with a precision that surprised me, knocking aside a second attacker while Sylvan summoned a burst of flame that sent one of the corrupted creatures stumbling backward, a dark, shriveled limb smoking.
Bel shot an arrow into one of the monsters, the arrowhead sinking deep into its shoulder. But then one of the creatures veered toward him, its axe raised high, and Bel twisted in midair, rolling and using his newfound mobility to slip away before it could land a blow. His movements were sharper, more fluid than they had been before, his training clearly paying off.
Llin flickered in and out of the shadows, her dagger flashing as she caught one of the corrupted creatures off guard, slipping it between ribs before vanishing into the darkness again.
The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
“Not bad, everyone. But watch your spacing!” Vael’dargar’s voice rang out like a whip. “Timing and footwork, always. Don’t rush in without thinking.”
I was already on the move, my boots locking into place, letting me cling to the icy ground as I swung my hammer down on a creature that had tried to rush Joro from behind. The blow was enough to shatter its skull. I didn’t give it another thought. The moment I landed, I threw one of my wire traps, the length of the cord snapping out to wrap around another attacker’s leg. A quick tug, and it was thrown off balance, stumbling into the path of Llin’s next strike.
Their sloppy charge wasthe same like what we’d seen before. These corrupted humanoids fought on instinct and they lacked the discipline we had gained. The combination of Joro’s steady defense, Sylvan’s calculated elemental attacks, Thal’s healing, and our improved mobility meant they never stood a chance.
Vael’dargar, standing at the edge of the battlefield, continued to bark out orders. “Faster, Bel! Don’t wait for them to come to you, move to a better vantage point . Timing, Sylvan, don’t wait to react. Llin! Stop wasting time hiding in the shadows, get in their faces!”
With every instruction, the team tightened up, our movements syncing more seamlessly. We were improving with every fight. The time spent training was paying off.
As the last of the corrupted creatures crumpled to the icy ground, a new notification popped up
Active Quests: frozen cleansing
Kill the Froskari (4/100)
Kill Iskaroth’s chieftain (0/1)
Rewards:
- EXP (based on performance)
- Rare -grade item
Vael’dargar signaled for us to move forward.
We marched toward the first dome. The entrance was massive, two towering statues of what appeared to be bear we fought stood at either side, carved from the same black stone that made up the city. The gate was half destroyed, as if something had torn through it.
We entered cautiously, and the temperature shifted noticeably. The bone chilling cold outside gave way to a more tolerable warmth. Not comfortable warmth, but a strange, oppressive humid heat that made the air thick. Steam rose from the cracks in the stone as we entered the dome, the air heavy with a strange metallic tang.
The dome was vast, the size of a warehouse. Steam pipes ran along the walls, some leaking, others hissing like living creatures. Above us, a massive glass skylight stretched across the top of the dome, the pinkish sunlight filtering in, casting a pale, eerie glow across the room. It was beautiful but decayed. This place had once been cared for, but now, neglect was clear in every corner.
In the center of the dome stood a small guard station, surrounded by statues of froskari. They were carved with intricate detail but were also showing signs of wear. Cracked stone, missing limbs, chipped faces.
“Here we go,” I muttered, eyeing the humanoid figures.
At the far side of the dome, another group of corrupted froskari appeared, this time with no armor or thick fur. They wore tattered, threadbare clothing, and their faces were just as pale as their predecessors, with the same unsettling quality to their features. The same eyes. The same unnatural stillness.
This time, they didn’t charge. Instead, they moved with more coordination. There were fewer of them, but they fought like a pack, each creature anticipating the moves of the others. Still, it was nothing we couldn’t handle.
I swung my hammer at one of them, only for it to dodge with surprising speed, but that was when Bel took advantage of its mistake, an arrow striking it in the shoulder before it could react. Sylvan followed up with a burst of fire, catching it square in the chest, while Thal’s spear found its mark through the creature’s gut.
“Better,” Vael’dargar called out, her tone a mix of praise and critique. “You’re working better together, but still, don’t forget to think as individuals. Be ready to move on your own, not just follow the pack.”
We pushed forward, deeper into the city, moving through a long, narrow tunnel. The walls of the tunnel were decorated with intricate carvings, scenes of hunting, Froskarichasing bears, deer like creatures that one made me chuckle thinking of Velarion , and other prey. The figures were dynamic, capturing motion in a way that suggested a time long past.
The tunnel branched, leading us in several directions. There were signs etched into the stone above each path, but they were in a language I couldn’t decipher.
We kept moving forward.
Eventually, we reached another dome. This one was different, more industrial, more utilitarian. It was clearly a workshop, with tools scattered about and large anvils set against the walls. The corrupted creatures here looked different too, blacksmiths, judging by the hammers and tongs they wielded, but they were more coordinated, their movements deliberate. The fight was harder than the last, but again, our teamwork made the difference.
At least until the end.
Just as we thought the battle was won, three of the Froskari rushed Llin. She didn’t even have time to react before they grabbed her and disappeared through a trapdoor that had opened in the floor.
“Llin!” I shouted, my heart dropping. “Where the hell ?”
“I’ll go after them,” Vael’dargar’s voice was cold and unwavering, her eyes already calculating. “This is what we’ve been training for she’ll be alright .”