“We’ve got some furs we can use once it gets colder,” Max said, eyeing the distant white-capped summits.
The mountains loomed ahead, impossibly vast, taller than anything I’d seen back home. Even Mount Everest would’ve looked like a foothill beside these titanic spires. Their jagged crowns tore into the sky like the teeth of ancient gods, wrapped in mist and ice.
I pulled up my map to get a better sense of how far we had to climb, only to realize that the path to speak with the dragons led all the way to the summit.
I zoomed in, just to make sure I wasn’t losing my mind.
“This woman climbs all the way up there, just to visit them?” I said aloud, incredulous.
“After the dungeon, I’m just gonna camp down here and wait for you to get back,” Max said, shaking his head. “Ain’t no way you’re catching me going up into that frozen wasteland. Nope.”
“I think…” Mel began, glancing toward the snowy peaks. “Yeah, I’ll just stay down here too. Y’know, to make sure Max isn’t alone or anything.”
Leo just shook his head silently.
“At least Leo…”
“Oh no,” he interrupted, holding up a hand. “You misunderstood the head shake. That was a ‘no, I’m not going up there.’ Besides, these two might need some magical assistance... or moral support.” He flashed a grin.
I turned slowly to look at Trish. Surely, she would…
She was already shaking her head.
If there was one thing I knew with absolute certainty about my wife, it was her hatred of the cold. Not just dislike, burning passion-level hatred. Snow? Beautiful from a distance. But if she had the choice to be in it? Always a hard no.
“Oh, come on, guys,” I groaned. “Eessa said I need the Lepidomare with me for this…”
Right on cue, Nyxala hovered up beside me and gave me a gentle bump with her snout, letting out a low hum as her scales shimmered in the fading glow of sunset.
Trish crossed her arms, smirking. “Looks like Nyxala’s got your back. That works for me.”
I patted Nyxala’s side, smiling. “Thanks, girl.”
She lifted her head high with pride, then turned and floated back over to rejoin the rest of the Lepidomare, radiating that same regal confidence she always carried.
We continued our trek toward the base of the mountains, their sheer height seeming to stretch into the stars themselves. The closer we got, the more impossible they felt, and the more I found myself quietly dreading the climb to their frozen peaks.
I also began to notice something strange.
As the wind sharpened and the chill in the air grew heavier, the others started bundling up in thick furs, pulling scarves tighter around their faces. Their breaths came out in soft plumes of frost.
Leo glanced at me. “You not going to bundle up? It’s getting colder. Fast.”
I looked around, then back at him and shook my head. “No… I actually feel fine.”
He raised a brow, but didn’t press.
We kept moving, the open valley slowly giving way to dense woods that crept up the mountainside like dark fingers clawing toward the sky.
Soon, we were fully surrounded by trees. I pulled up the map again and saw we were getting close, really close.
“We’ve got about an hour of travel left before we reach the dungeon entrance,” I announced, then added with a grin, “At this point, you guys should just join me for the climb afterward.”
Sarcasm practically dripped from my tone, but Trish shot me a look that made it very clear how not funny she found the joke. She pulled her furs tighter around herself with a sharp tug.
I still felt fine. Comfortable, even. There wasn’t a single patch of frost on my armor.
“The freaking walking heater over here, making jokes…” Mel muttered, teeth chattering.
Leo was holding a small flame in his palm, trying to leech whatever warmth he could from it.
That’s when Virellia’s voice entered my mind.
“James, I could use our power to create a warming aura. But it will weaken your stats to keep it going.”
Wait, seriously? If I’d known that was possible, I’d have done it a while ago.
“Yes, but there’s a problem. I can’t maintain the aura and shift into weapon form at the same time. And the warmth comes at a cost, your stats will drop by fifty percent while it’s active.”
Which means… I trailed off.
“You’ll also need to remove your armor,” she finished for me.
I looked around at my friends, huddled, miserable, and clearly struggling.
I didn’t hesitate.
I unequipped my armor and swapped into my travel clothes, bracing against the sudden shift in weight and protection.
Do it, I told her.
A burst of golden light rippled outward from where I stood. At first, the aura expanded far beyond us, but then, like breath drawing inward, it contracted until it formed a gentle dome just wide enough to encompass the group... Lepidomare included.
Within seconds, everyone visibly relaxed, their bodies loosening as if they'd just stepped into a heated cabin. The tension melted from their faces, replaced by quiet, grateful relief.
“Wow, it just got a lot wa…” Leo cut himself off mid-sentence as he looked over at me. “Wait... James, why is your armor gone? And why do you look... smaller?”
I offered a tired smile. “New trick that Virellia let me know we had.”
Leo blinked. “Okay, but... you did this? You’re the reason it’s suddenly warm?”
I nodded. “It’s a support aura. Covers everyone nearby, but there’s a cost. I lose half my stats while it’s active, and Virellia can’t shift into weapon form while maintaining it.”
“You don’t have to…” Trish started, but I cut her off with a wave of my hand.
“It’s fine. Besides, if anything happens, I’ll just shut it off and re-equip…”
This time, I was the one interrupted.
“It’s not that simple, James,” Virellia said aloud, her voice calm but firm. “It takes time, about a full minute, for your stats to return to normal after the aura ends.”
That made a few heads turn.
“Well,” I said, smiling at the group, “you guys can protect me for a minute, then. Either way, it’s fine.”
But in the back of my mind, I spoke to her more seriously. That changes things. A lot can happen in a minute if we’re attacked.
“I know,” she responded gently. “But I have faith in our friends. We’ll be okay. Besides, right now… we’re protecting them.”
She was right. I couldn’t argue with that. This was still my role, shielding the others, even if it meant trading my armor for warmth.
Still... what happens when we reach the dungeon and it’s still cold? Or worse?
“Mel,” I called, turning to her, “can you do any cold resistance enchantments?”
She shook her head. “Not yet. I haven’t learned one, but when we make camp, I’ll dig through the books I brought. Maybe there’s something useful in there, if I’ve got the materials.”
“That’ll work. We’re almost there anyway. Pace should pick up now that everyone’s not freezing.” I gave her a grateful nod and smiled.
Trish’s voice cut through the stillness. “It’s so weird how warm it feels,” she said, glancing around. “But the snow isn’t melting… and my boots aren’t even wet.”
I paused, frowning as I looked at the unbroken frost beneath us. The snow crunched beneath our feet, still dry and crystalline. No puddles. No slush. Just untouched white.
Virellia, I asked, what exactly is this aura doing?
She answered without hesitation, her voice calm. “It’s not the world that’s warm, James. It’s you. All of you.”
You’re warming us from the inside?
“From the soul outward,” she confirmed. “It’s not something I created. It’s something I remembered. A deeper part of who I am. Who we are.”
I felt her presence settle around me, not like fire or light, but something deeper. Something older.
“The warmth is... coming from within us,” I said aloud, still trying to wrap my head around it. “It’s not the air. It’s not even the body. It’s... something else.”
Leo glanced down, brushing snow off his knee. “Still frozen solid,” he muttered. “But it feels like I’m standing next to a hearth.”
No one laughed. Even Max looked quietly thoughtful.
Trish stepped beside me and slipped her hand into mine. Her fingers were warm. Steady. “Whatever it is… it’s appreciated,” she said softly. “Thank you.”
We finally reached the dungeon entrance.
It stood at the end of a steep clearing, a spire of frozen crystal rising from the earth like the buried fang of some long-forgotten titan. The mountain’s natural ice had fused with something… unnatural. The spire shimmered in layers of violet, emerald, and deep azure, catching what little light broke through the clouds above.
Veins of color pulsed within the crystal’s surface, like liquid auroras trapped beneath ice. As we approached, a swirling portal came into view at its base, an oval-shaped doorway of slow-turning mist, all greens, purples, and blues. It didn’t shimmer like fire or ripple like water. It flowed, slow and dreamlike, as if it wasn’t made for the eyes of the waking world.
Cold radiated from it, not the biting kind we’d been walking through, but a deeper chill. One that whispered something ancient.
I took a slow breath, my eyes locked on the portal.
“This one feels... different,” Trish said behind me.
“Yeah,” I agreed, barely more than a whisper.
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“Let’s set camp and rest for the night,” I said.
Leo waved a hand vaguely at the swirling portal. “Yeah… we’ll worry about whatever that is tomorrow.”
We made quick work of setting up camp and getting a fire going. The flames snapped to life, their warmth chasing away the creeping cold.
“This should be enough to keep us warm,” Mel said, adjusting a few logs. “Release your aura, James. If anything attacks while we sleep, you’ll want to be at full strength.”
I nodded and let the golden warmth fade. As it dispersed, I realized just how heavy it had been, how much energy I’d been pouring into it without fully noticing. A subtle weight lifted from my body.
I opened my menu and watched as my stats slowly began climbing back toward their normal values.
The others bundled back into their furs, huddled around the fire while Trish stirred a small pot of stew, the scent of herbs and salted meat drifting into the air.
After a minute had passed, my body fully rebalanced. I equipped my armor once more, the familiar weight settling back into place. But something felt… off.
Or maybe right.
It was like something was within reach, just beyond understanding. A presence. A whisper. I couldn’t explain it, but I knew I was on the edge of something important.
“James,” Virellia’s voice echoed gently. “It’s time. We must meditate again. We are on the cusp, I can feel it.”
You too, huh? I asked. What triggered it?
“Who’s to say? And who are we to question it?” she answered. “The sooner we enter my realm and reflect, the sooner we’ll uncover what waits beyond.”
Let’s do it, I said.
I stood from the fire. “Guys, I’m gonna step away for a bit. Need to clear my head.”
They looked up from their bowls with varying degrees of curiosity. Trish was the first to speak.
“Just be careful.”
“And don’t destroy the forest like last time,” Max added with a grin.
“Which time?” Leo asked, chuckling. “Achui, or here?”
I waved them off, laughing as I walked.
“Want me to come watch over you while you do this?” Mel asked, already standing.
I shook my head. “No, you focus on the enchantments. We’ll need them if that dungeon’s colder than this place.” I gestured toward the portal.
She looked back at it, shivered a little, and nodded. “Yeah, fair point. I’ll get started.”
I gave a quick nod and turned toward the forest, slipping between the trees in search of a quiet clearing.
But I wasn’t alone.
I turned and spotted Nyxala hovering quietly behind me, her luminous eyes locked on mine.
“You don’t have to come,” I said gently. “I’ll be okay, I promise. Besides, I don’t want to come out of a trance and find out I accidentally hurt you.”
She hummed in response, raising her head to its full height. Her body tensed slightly, tail twitching, like she was refusing to turn back.
I smiled. “We’ll have our adventure later, I swear. I wouldn’t leave you behind for it. You’re the only one brave enough to go with me, after all.”
She relaxed slightly and nuzzled my side, letting out a soft, affectionate hum. Then, with a final glance, she turned and glided back toward the others.
Alone again, I continued deeper into the woods, searching for a quiet place to sit and begin.
After nearly an hour of wandering, I was ready to give up and just sit anywhere.
That’s when I found it.
A clearing perfectly formed as if carved by intention rather than nature. At its center sat a massive boulder, smooth and rounded, like it had been waiting. Strange flowers bloomed throughout the entire space, vibrant, luminescent petals in every color imaginable, glowing faintly against the snow-dusted ground.
The sight stole my breath.
What kind of flowers could bloom in this kind of cold… and so beautifully, at that?
I stepped carefully through the field, the blossoms rising as high as my waist. Their glow pulsed softly, as though reacting to my presence. I didn’t dare touch them, only moved gently between them until I reached the boulder.
With a small hop, I climbed atop it and sat, slowly letting my breath match the rhythm of the quiet around me.
The view was… unreal.
A kaleidoscope of color against the pale snow, the forest around me hushed and reverent. It didn’t feel like I was just in a clearing.
It felt like I was standing at the center of something sacred.
“There is great power here,” I said aloud, my voice barely more than a whisper.
“Yes… indeed there is,” Virellia responded, her tone hushed, almost entranced.
I closed my eyes and breathed in through my nose. The scent of the field washed over me, sweet, mesmerizing, unlike anything I’d ever known. I exhaled slowly, matching my breath to the pulse of this sacred space. Once I found the rhythm, the shift came naturally.
When I opened my eyes again, I was no longer in the clearing.
I stood within Virellia’s realm.
The familiar platform greeted me, wide and circular, surrounded by stars and endless void. A single campfire flickered at its center, and a tree stood nearby, its leaves dancing gently despite the absence of wind.
Virellia appeared before me, radiant in her luminescent golden glow. She stepped forward and embraced me, her warmth folding around me like sunlight.
I hugged her back, wrapping my arms around her and holding her tight.
“Good to see you again,” I said, smiling.
“You as well,” she replied. I couldn’t see her features through the brilliant light, but I felt her smile.
Then, the platform began to change.
The stone beneath us shimmered, and in the blink of an eye, it shifted, becoming the field from the real world, the same glowing flowers sprouting up around us, vibrant and full of life. The trees were missing, but everything else had been replicated with surreal precision.
“This place holds something ancient… echoing just beneath the surface,” Virellia said as she walked toward the boulder. Her voice was steady, almost reverent. “Reflecting it here may help bring what we’re reaching for into view.”
She climbed onto the boulder and sat. “Come. Let’s begin.”
I followed, hopping up beside her. I sat down, legs crossed and let my gaze roam over the breathtaking field around us.
I inhaled again, but this time, there was no sweetness. No scent at all.
Only stillness.
I closed my eyes.
And that’s when everything changed.
I could see through the eyes of another being. A powerful one.
His head whipped around, scanning the battlefield with urgency. Within a breath, he launched into the air, locking eyes on two young dragons, babies. His rage surged through me the moment he spotted the demons approaching them, their expressions filled with malicious glee.
A roar ripped from his throat; fury incarnate. A blast of fire burst from his maw, engulfing the demons below.
He reached the younglings... but he was too late.
An explosion erupted at their feet, sending shards of stone upward. One of the young dragons died instantly, the blast tearing through her fragile form. The other was impaled, a jagged spike driven deep into her side. It looked like it had missed her organs, but her small, shivering frame couldn’t hold on. Her final breath left her in a soft gasp as her head slumped forward.
The rage that followed was beyond anything I’d ever imagined.
The dragon’s gaze snapped toward the retreating demons, who were laughing, gleeful in their cruelty. He lunged forward, sinking his teeth into one, severing its head with a sickening crunch. Black, putrid blood sprayed from its neck as he spit the head aside.
Then came the other. A torrent of liquid flame erupted from his jaws, consuming it in a scream that didn’t stop until it was writhing ash.
But the vengeance wasn’t done.
Thousands of demons now surrounded him, closing in, cautiously, weapons raised.
Chains shot from all directions, slamming into his scales, yanking him toward the ground. He roared in fury, his body writhing beneath the bindings.
Then he changed.
The dragon’s form collapsed into a humanoid shape, golden and terrible. A shield formed on his arm. A flail appeared in his hand. He dropped into a low, brutal stance, the tempest stance, and tore through the encroaching horde.
Demons fell by the dozens, each swing of his weapon fueled by righteous fury. Then, in a blinding flash, he shifted back into his dragon form, free of the chains, and unleashed a spiraling wave of liquid fire, engulfing everything around him.
The screams were endless.
But still, they weren’t enough to ease the pain.
His strength began to falter. His flames dimmed.
Then… sorrow overtook him.
The dragon shifted once more into his humanoid form and fell to his knees, the flail clattering to the stone. A broken, anguished cry tore from his chest, a sound of pure despair and unimaginable grief.
The vision ended.
Tears rolled down my cheeks.
I wiped them away, blinking rapidly, and realized I was no longer in Virellia’s realm. I was back in the field. The trees surrounded me. Dawn had already broken.
I felt… rested. As if I’d slept through the night.
Virellia, what the hell? I asked, alarm shooting through me.
“I… I don’t know,” her voice echoed in my mind. There was concern there, real, deep concern.
I didn’t stop to reflect.
I sprinted the halo on my back igniting with light. My speed exploded beyond anything I’d ever experienced. Trees blurred around me, the wind howling past my ears.
Within a heartbeat, I reached the edge of camp.
The others were scrambling to pack up. Trish’s voice was rising, panic in every word, until she saw me. Her expression melted into pure relief as she ran toward me.
“What the hells, man?!” Max shouted, his voice cracking slightly.
“I’m okay, I swear,” I said quickly, holding up my hands. “I just finished meditating. I had no idea that much time had passed.”
Trish wrapped her arms around me, and I pulled her in tightly.
“I thought something had happened to you,” she whispered. Her voice trembled just enough for me to feel the weight of the fear she’d carried.
“What happened?” Leo asked, his gaze narrowing as he looked me over.
“We’re… not sure,” I said honestly. “It doesn’t make sense.”
Do you think it was the area? I asked Virellia silently.
“I can’t say for certain,” she replied, still shaken. “But that shouldn’t have happened.”
“I was trying to reach you all morning,” Max said, stepping closer. “When you didn’t answer, we thought maybe something got you.”
“Sorry, guys. I don’t know what was different this time,” I said, glancing toward the clearing I came from. “It felt... connected. But I can’t explain it.”
“What about on Achui?” Leo asked. “You passed real time then too, didn’t you?”
“I did… but that time, I meditated outside Virellia’s realm. This one… was different.”
“That’s right,” Leo said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin.
“Well,” Mel interjected, shaking her head as she grabbed her pack, “clearly our fearless leader is fine. Let’s finish packing up and get moving before something weird happens again.”
Knowing everyone was okay, I finally took a breath and pulled up my notifications.
You have acquired:
[Dragon’s Soul Bond] - When you find the dragon, you are destined to share your life with this bond will activate. This is no ordinary bond. Your souls will intertwine. You will become one. Thoughts, memories, past trials, merged. Their life will become yours, and yours theirs. You will not merely remember them; you will become them. This bond will alter your race slightly. The dragon will live on through you. Their will. Their strength. Their legacy. You will carry it all.
Excitement swelled in my chest, followed immediately by a wave of sadness.
I don’t want to take a dragon’s entire life from them, I thought, heart heavy.
“That choice still belongs to the dragon who chooses you, James,” Virellia replied gently.
You’re right, I answered. But it feels wrong. They have families. Friends. A life. I wouldn’t want to be the reason they lost that.
“Then trust them to make that decision. Freely.” Her voice was calm. Unshaken.
I nodded slightly, though the weight still pressed on me. I’ll think on it later, I said, pushing the thought aside. Right now… we have a dungeon to get to.
The camp had been fully cleaned up. The Lepidomare were gathered near the tree line, watching us with keen, alert eyes.
“You all stay safe out here,” Leo said, patting Sunveil’s side. “With us gone, some predator might get brave and think you’re a snack.”
In response, the Lepidomare straightened, letting out a series of low, musical hums, tones that almost vibrated in the air like flexed muscles made sound.
Trish stepped back from hugging Nyxala, and I approached her next.
“You watch over them,” I said softly, placing a hand against her scaled cheek. “Protect them. Lead them.”
Nyxala pressed her head gently against mine in response, the soft hum from her chest resonating deep in my bones.
There was understanding between us.
Not the bond she shared with Trish, nothing so profound, but something still meaningful. A quiet respect. A friendship built on shared purpose.
We turned toward the dungeon entrance, the colors of the portal swirling in violet, green, and blue. Cold air drifted from its surface, yet something deeper called from within.
Without another word, we stepped forward.
You have entered a Starter Dungeon. The rules within are as follows:
- No time limit – Take your time but stay vigilant.
- Main Quest Completion Required – You cannot leave until the objective is fulfilled. Failure to do so will result in the loss of all experience and items gained.
Good luck, Adventurers! Happy Delving!
YOU ARE NOW ENTERING: The Shiverglass Sanctum
Objective: Unlock the Prism Core by solving the trials of the frozen mind.
The Sanctum:
Built into the heart of a hollowed glacial spire, the Shiverglass Sanctum was designed by ancient architects of cold and silence, creatures that believed only in the purity of unbroken stillness. It was never meant to house life… but to test the souls that sought power beyond instinct.
Within its walls, warmth is an illusion. Time is unreliable. Truth is slippery.
The sanctum is layered in challenges meant to freeze not just the body, but the mind and spirit.
Few have entered. None have returned. But for those who endure, those who do not falter in thought or fracture in will, a gift is waiting.
As we passed through the threshold, the view before us stole our breath.
A vast corridor of glacial beauty stretched out ahead, crystal walls shimmering in shades of pale blue and silver, arching high into a ceiling lost in frost and shadow. Light refracted across every surface, dancing like starlight trapped in ice.
The temperature dropped instantly.
The cold wasn’t just biting, it clung, digging past fur, cloth, and skin, seeking bone and thought.
The others instinctively pulled their furs tighter, breaths turning to clouds that barely drifted before freezing in place.
Then realization hit me.
“Mel,” I said, brow furrowed. “Did you enchant the furs?”
She nodded, her face already pale from the chill. “Not as well as I’d hoped. But yeah, I had enough materials to get something basic in.”
Leo stamped his feet and rubbed his arms. “Doesn’t feel like it’s helping,” he muttered, teeth beginning to chatter.
We’re going to have to do it again, I thought.
Virellia responded before I even finished the thought. The moment my armor vanished, and my daily clothes replaced it, she activated the aura.
Golden warmth pulsed outward in a soft wave.
The others visibly relaxed, their shivering slowing as the bite of the cold dulled to something tolerable.
“Wait,” Max said, concern creasing his brow. “What if we get into a fight?”
“We’ll just have to tread carefully,” I replied, eyes scanning the corridor ahead. “Plan accordingly. Right now, I can’t have you all freezing to death before we even find the first room.”
I glanced down at my own hands. Even I could feel the chill creeping in, sharp and unnatural.
“If I can feel it… I can’t imagine what you guys were dealing with.”
“It’s still cold,” Leo said, rubbing his gloved hands together. “But now it’s more like… first frost kinda cold. Manageable.”
“Let’s stay focused,” Trish said, eyes forward. “And protect James when the time comes.”
She looked at me, brow raised. “One minute, right?”
I nodded. “Yeah. One minute until my stats come back up after the aura drops.”
Everyone gave a small nod in response, quiet understanding passing between us.
Then, together, we turned our eyes down the corridor, the distant shimmer of light bending across the ice like a path waiting to be followed.