Chapter 12 - The Journey into the Frost
The journey north was arduous. As Elara and her small vanguard crossed the border into the northern territories, the lush green fields and temperate forests steadily gave way to a desolate, white wilderness. The biting wind howled like a pack of starving wolves, freezing breath instantly into crystals upon cloaks and eyelashes.
Yet, around Elara, a protective bubble of ambient warmth radiated from her skin, fueled by the ancient sovereignty residing in her blood. The horses of her companions trotted steadily through drifts that would have paralyzed ordinary beasts, their hooves guided by faint, glowing azure traces left in the snow by Elara’s passing.
"How do you bear it, Your Majesty?" Lyra asked, shivering beneath three layers of thick furs as she pulled her mount closer to Elara’s side. "Even with these enchantments, the cold feels... malicious. Like it's trying to find a crack in our minds."
"It's not just weather, Lyra," Elara answered, her gaze fixed on the looming, jagged peaks of the Dragon’s Teeth that pierced the bruised purple twilight sky. "The darkness up here is feeding on fear. It’s testing us before we even reach the breach."
As if responding to her words, the howling wind suddenly died down, replaced by an eerie, absolute silence. The shadows cast by the towering snowdrifts began to stretch and distort, detaching themselves from the ice walls.
From the gloom, dozens of hulking, four-legged silhouettes emerged. They possessed the skeletal frames of wolves, but their hides were translucent, revealing crackling black veins beneath, and their eyes burned with a sickly, malevolent violet light.
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"Shadow-beasts," Kaelen shouted, drawing his blade as it instantly ignited with bright, defensive fire. "Form a circle! Protect the Sovereign!"
Elara raised her hand, stopping the vanguard before they could charge into the freezing mist. "Hold your ground, Kaelen. They aren't here to fight us as beasts. They're messengers."
