The howling wind was the only sound accompanying Arthur and Adora as they trudged toward the glowing beacon. With every step, the icy landscape became less desolate. The air was still sharp and unforgiving, but the distant shimmer of firelight hinted at life—perhaps the first sign of civilization in this frozen wasteland. It was a small shimmer of hope.
Then, they saw some dark Sillouettes wandering through the endless expanse of Ice besides them.
Three figures cloaked in heavy furs emerged from behind jagged ice formations, weapons drawn but held cautiously. They were humans, each clad in thick, patched-together armor, their faces weathered by the cold and hardship, many scars ran over their face and neck. Their movements were slow, their posture tense, yet Arthur and Adora could tell immediately—these hunters were nowhere near the level of strength both of them had reached. They were about as strong as a Worker Ice elf if not a little stronger.
Arthur exchanged a brief glance with Adora. They both knew it would be unwise to show their full strength. Instead, they allowed exhaustion to weigh on their shoulders, their breathing to grow heavier, playing the part of desperate survivors.
The lead hunter, a man with a thick gray beard and piercing eyes, stepped forward. "Who goes there?" His voice was hoarse, hardened by years of struggle.
Adora stumbled slightly, clutching her arm as if wounded. "We barely made it through the last attack," she said, her tone laced with weariness. "We've been wandering the tundra for days... Is this a safe place?"
The hunters exchanged uncertain glances before the older man nodded. "If you're human, then you belong with us. We don't turn away our own."
Arthur dipped his head in gratitude, masking his smirk. "Thank you. We owe you our lives."
The hunters led them toward the light source, which soon revealed itself to be more than just a campfire. A city—though calling it such was generous—came into view. Less than a hundred people occupied the outskirts, living in structures of ice and salvaged wood. Fires flickered in metal barrels, casting long shadows against the frozen walls. It was a bleak but functioning settlement, a last refuge for those who had nowhere else to go.
Adora and Arthur listened carefully as their guides spoke. "This is the outer city," one of the younger hunters explained. "Most live here, but the true stronghold is further in—the Frost Castle."
Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Frost Castle?"
The older hunter nodded grimly. "That's where Lynx rules. A self-renowned King. The strongest Cursed of all humans here. No one's ever laid a scratch on him and lived to tell about it."
"And why don't you guys just live there too?" Arthur asked.
Nobu smiled lightly. "Lynx wants something in return for the safety of the castle. He wants you to work for him, but we would never do anything like that. Oh I am Nobu by the way, I am one of the few Hunters that remain independent in the Outskirts."
Arthur was shocked, they lived such a hellish live for seemingly a pretty long time, but they were still able to smile.
Nobu suddenly started laughing. "Oh and by the way, personal advice. Never go outside of the camp alone, there are wolves and Frost elves out there stronger than you can imagine. Both of you would be dead in an instant."
"And why doesn't Lynx try to beat his trial or at least help you guys survive if he is so strong as everyone says... Seems more like a show-off to me" She grumbled
"Even he can't help us anymore, do you really want to know why? Because it wil probably destroy what little bit of Hope is left in you." He said with deep eyes.
Adora stiffened slightly, but kept her expression neutral. Arthur, however, could feel the heat radiating off her despite the cold.
"Go on..." She said.
Nobu's face paled. "Alright you asked for it, we did not find any exit from the frozen expanse of ice. Not a single one, we did find something else tho..."
A little bit of hope ignited in Arthur and Adora. They immedieatly asked him "What was it that you did find?"
He said while trying to hide the angry look on his face. "Well, in the direction where we thought the exit to the Ice land would be, we saw a massive red light at the horizon which was so bright it could be the sun at night. But the way that leads to the light is impossible to pass for any Cursed to ever exist. That is sure."
A small tear flowed down his left cheek. "It is because the way is blocked by a deep canyon, at least over 2 kilometers deep and filled with nothing but Ice. And that's not all, the path is guarded by a monster..."
Adora asked in less than a second "What rank and class does it have, do you have any information about it?"
Nobu clenched his fists and slowly said: "Yes we know it's rank and class, and exactly that is the problem... It is a Elite Warden."
Nothing but silence breached the space around them. Adora quickly thanked Nobu for his Information, grabbed Arthur at his sleeve and pulled him away in a frenzy.
"Oh damn this desolate wasteland!" She yelled.
Arthur said in a somber voice: "Uhm Adora, could you explain to me how strong a Elite Warden approximately is, i mean maybe we do have a chance to beat it?"
Adora turned her head and laughed at him. She replied: "Beat it? Did you dream that? Just imagine a Elite Warden at least over 100 Frost Commanders combined.
Arthur chocked on the water he just took a sip from and dropped to the ground. "100???"
"Yes, at least 100 if it's a weak one."
"now i understand everything and why this town is so small, the people can't escape neither can they stay safe from the cold and other monsters."
They went to a small structure near the outskirts, given blankets, and allowed to rest. Arthur took in their surroundings, already piecing together what he could about this city. The people in the outskirts were weak, barely surviving. Their existence was fragile, dependent on something—or someone—to protect them.
Night settled in, and the two of them climbed onto the roof of an abandoned ice house, overlooking the city. The Frost Castle loomed in the distance, its spires sharp against the star-lit sky.
For a while, neither of them spoke. Then, Adora broke the silence.
"Arthur," her voice was calm but held an edge he hadn't heard before. "I don't care if you join me. But I will raid this castle and kill Lynx with my own hands."
As Arthur looked at Adora, he saw starlight leaving her in frightening shadows. He had seen her fight, seen her rage in battle—but this was different. This was pure killing intent she set free into the open expanse of the darkness the night brought with it.
For the first time in a long while, Arthur felt something unfamilar coming from a human being. He only experienced that feeling a few times, on the streets it wasn't normal to feel something like this...
What Arthur felt in this moment was a mix of true fear and suprise...