Chapter 3: Hunting the Beast of Freljord 1

The most powerful creatures were the gods of Freljord, but Kylen would not risk touching them. There are many legends and stories about these creatures. It is as if the gods themselves built these mountains and settled here. They say they can turn the world upside down when they're angry. But mortals knew little about the powers they possessed.

Kylen knew of only a few of the strongest creatures. He had heard of a tribe of trolls and their king, who could shake the earth with his blows. Such an opponent is very dangerous, but since there is a way to increase his strength, he will try it. First, he needs to know its exact location and whether it's worth going there at all. He made a plan and went to the long house where all the meetings and small celebrations of their clan were held.

The building he needed was at the highest point of the ancient city, and to get there he would have to walk through the entire settlement. Along the way, he was greeted by everyone and congratulated on his successful hunt. Someone had already managed to tell everyone. Kylen greeted everyone in return. It was more of a courtesy to the strong warrior than they really knew, and they wanted to interact with him.

When they reached the long house, a couple of burly men stood at the entrance, holding massive two-handed axes and frowning around them.

"Kylen, the meeting will begin in a few minutes. You're right on time," nodded Bjorn, a Clan warrior and one of the most experienced.

"Bjorn, Ulfric," Kylen nodded and stepped inside.

The long house looked like a huge room from the inside, with fire burning on the walls as a source of light. The stone building had served the clan for more than a hundred years. Against the wall was the throne where the clan leader, Hrolf Torbergsson, who had ruled the settlement for twenty years, usually sat. Along the walls were the common rooms and the long table where the food was placed during the feasts. It was empty now and served as a meeting place. Hrolf was already seated at the head of the table, surrounded by other warriors, including his father. After greeting everyone, Kylen found his place and sat down.

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All the warriors were chatting about the upcoming event; some mentioned some recent rumors or something.

"Silence please, let's begin the meeting," the Chief called out, raising his right hand. - Our hunters were able to track Druva's boar, and they managed to reach his hideout, where he is with the female," the chief continued.

"Where is she?" Someone asked.

"Beyond the Dragon Ridge, between the White Leaf Forest and the Coastal Zone. They live in one of the caves," the chief replied. This caused a murmur among the gathered people. The White Flower Forest got its name from the trees whose leaves were incomparably white, and it was a few days' journey from the village.

"I'm sorry, Chief. If they're no threat to us, why are we hunting them?" someone decided to speak up.

"Yeah, we would have forgotten about them, marked them off. But they've spawned, and these are the first ones we've seen. If we can tame such beasts, our clan will prosper," the leader urged. At this news, the whispering began again. Drewa boars were very difficult to tame, and they could only be tamed if they were taken as infants. If a mistake was made in training, this species would become a dangerous enemy for the trainer. After all, they were large animals and very dangerous.

The last tamed Drewas boars were seen only about a hundred years ago.

"This is bullshit!" came a cry from the crowd.

"We're going to be animal conquerors again! - shouted another.

"The road is too difficult!" added another voice.

"Silence!" commanded the head, banging his fist on the table. Everyone stopped making noise and calmed down. "That's what this meeting is for; we need to discuss if this is worth the risk."

"Leader, this doesn't make sense. We don't need them, how many could we lose over this idea," came an opinion from the crowd.

"In fact, it could bring us many advantages. They can easily carry heavy cargo and travel quickly to the southern territories. We can take goods there and sell them to our neighbors," someone said.

"We're not stupid merchants, we're warriors," someone challenged him.

"When you have nothing to eat, you'll see what you have to say," said his opponent. The latter did not hold back and started hurling obscenities at him. An argument broke out between them, and they almost came to blows.

"Silence, you stupid fools! Separate them already!" ordered the head. The brawlers were quickly untied and given light blows to keep them quiet. "What do you think of that, Torvid?"

Torvid was the assistant who ran the household of the settlement. He oversaw construction, settled disputes, and performed many other duties.

"I can say that we need this option. There is less and less game, the population is growing, a few more years and there could be another winter famine," Torvid said, standing up.

"What other solutions are there?" asked the chief.

"Our region is not rich, and we don't have enough people to build a settlement closer to the warm region. The only thing left is war to get what we need," Torwyn said. This statement caused another uproar among the people.

"Silence, we will not fight, that is out of the question," ordered Hrolf. During his reign, the Bear Fang clan had only made war for protection, to defend their domain from invaders. It will take time for the animals to grow. We might need as much food as possible until then.

"I agree with the leader. We must take care of our children, or they will be like us, at each other's throats for a handful of seeds," one of the men stood up. Many here have survived the coldest and hungriest of times. Other warriors rose behind him.

"Kylen, I hope we can make it with you. Your magic will be a great help," the chief asked, turning to the silent young man who did not join the conversation. Though he was the strongest, he respected his elders and preferred to let them speak first.

"You have my strength and skills with you," Kylen replied, clenching his palm into a fist.

"You've raised a fine son, Ernmund," the leader said to Kylen's father. He only nodded slightly. Though the relationship between father and son was far from loving, he had responsibly fulfilled his duty as a parent by passing on all his knowledge and experience to his child.

"So we prepare for the hunt. Know that our march will be sung about in songs, and Volibir himself will bless us with success," Hrolf shouted. All the others joined him in the same cry.

Kylen only thought that he would have to postpone his journey in order to find a strong opponent.

Bear Fang began to prepare for the journey. Many routes to the destination were laid out. The best traps were made by the hunters, and provisions were carefully stocked. By this time, the young man was busy in a cave farther down the mountain. It was quiet and fresh ice flowers were growing there, emitting a small blue glow and filling the darkness of the room with a magical aura.

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Not far from the cave was a small lake, in which several poreas lay, sticking out their tongues.

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Magical creatures were a feature of Freljord, but these harmless little beasts stood out. There were legends among the races that these beasts represented the souls of the dead, so no one ever touched them. They never attacked, nor could they harm themselves.

People often brought gifts to these creatures, hoping that they would help their deceased relatives. The Poro were mysterious creatures, always surrounded by an aura of secrecy. They always lingered outside human settlements.

Now at peace, Kylen meditated, trying to achieve a stronger connection with the elements. Lately he had heard the voice of another calling to him. It was as if Mother Nature herself was speaking to him. He could often walk through the forest and the cold air would envelop his body, but he felt caress and warmth in it, as if nature was embracing him.

He was awakened by a small rustling and a girl's cry, followed by the splashing of water. When he opened his eyes, he saw Ingun falling into the water, her clothes soaked to the bone, and powder swirling around her.

With a sigh, he got up and walked over to her. She looked at him in confusion, for he was only wearing his pants. He held out his hand and she took it.

"How are you a stretch Ingun?" Kylen commented.

"Yeah, it got dark in there by accident and it was slippery, that's all," she mumbled. He didn't tell her that she had been staring at him and hadn't noticed what was under her feet.

"You're all wet," Kylen examined Ingun's outfit.

"Eh, how am I supposed to go back now," she said sadly.

Kylen just held out his hand and a glow formed on it. Particles of moisture began to emerge from his clothes and immediately froze. While he couldn't control the water or do anything more complex with it, he could concentrate his power and put many times more strength into the magic, allowing him to partially control it.

"Amazing, thank you," Ingun said as she watched her clothes dry completely.

"Be careful," Kylen smiled at her. "So why did you come?"

"Yeah, I just knew you've been here for a long time, so I thought I'd bring you something to eat," she admitted shyly, looking at the food already floating in the water. Poro did not refuse the treat and began to eat the food floating in the water.

"No problem, I was just about to go back," Kylen said.

"Then let's go together," Ingun suggested.

"I don't mind," the young man replied.

Kylen went to get his clothes and after putting them on he left the cave with Ingun. Having made up her mind, the girl grabbed his hand, squeezed it between her protruding hemispheres, and held on tightly.

"Are you leaving already tomorrow? - Ingun asked.

"Yes, we will leave at dawn, our journey should take a week of days," Kylen replied.

"Take care, and I hope that Anivia will protect you on your journey," Ingun said. Anivia was the goddess of Freljord, she cared for all the inhabitants and could help them in their hour of need, but she was not omnipotent. She could only control the aspects of cold and weather.

"Don't worry, I'm sure we'll make it," Kylen replied. He wasn't afraid, his faith in success was strong and he didn't doubt for a second that they could fail.

"I've been meaning to ask you, what are your plans for the future?" she asked shyly.

"Xm, after the trek, I want to follow the troll king and defeat him in battle," he replied. Ingun opened her eyes wide and looked at him in disbelief. She, too, had heard legends of a monster that shook the earth. 

She put her hand on Kylen's forehead and looked into his eyes. 

"Are you all right? Why go to certain death?" she asked worriedly.

"Calm down, I'm not crazy. I've reached the limit of my powers and I need stronger opponents," Kylen said confidently.

"You're delirious, I'll tell your mother," Ingun decided to use her main argument. She didn't want him to leave and risk his life.

Kylen sighed and realized that he really couldn't say anything against his mother. He loved her too much and didn't want to bother her. But he felt sorry for Ingun that she didn't believe in his powers. Many people in the village didn't even know what he could do. 

"Okay, don't tell me, or I'll think twice about marrying you," Kylen joked, trying to find a counterargument.

"Who needs you, who said I want to marry you," Ingun said, letting go of his hand. She turned away from him, trying to hide the embarrassment and joy on her face.

"If you don't want to, you'll have to find someone else," Kylen muttered sadly and walked forward. Ingun turned around fearfully and caught up to him with all her speed, taking him under her arm again.

"Why the other one? I didn't say I was against it," she said quickly. Even though Kylen only had to pay a ransom and any girl could be given to him, it didn't matter what she thought, it was the custom. But as it was, Ingun had no father and her mother wanted her to find her own happiness.

So they reached the village. It was already evening, and it was necessary to get a good night's sleep before the long journey. That night, magical lights played over Freljord. The northern lights adorned the sky, as if a path of celestial beings had been laid across the sky.

Soon the sun began to rise, illuminating the dark darkness with its rays. With the first rays of light, the settlement began to awaken. Many warriors emerged from their homes, equipped with weapons, supplies, and all the necessary tools. Ten chosen hunters set out, the best of the best. They had a difficult task ahead of them: to cross the Abyss and the Dragon's Ridg.

The group split into five men, walking in a single column. The most experienced hunter led the way, followed by Kylen. He was the first to react to the threat and eliminate it. The initial path was not difficult, it was familiar and had been traveled many times. 

By midday, the group had reached the first dangerous point of the Abyss Collapse. This area was named for a reason - it cost many lives. Under a thick layer of snow, tens of meters deep chasms could hide, and if you survived the fall, there was no way back, only death by starvation in the cold abyss.

Before moving forward, people in groups began to tie themselves together with ropes. That way, if one of them fell, the others could hold on to him. If they failed and the whole group fell together, another group could help them, or if the fallen group died, it would give the others a chance to get around the dangerous area.

They gathered themselves and began to move forward, keeping a large distance between them. Kylen was not afraid of this route, for at any moment he could create a platform for himself and not fall.

The dangerous part took three hours. All the while, the hunters were tense, choosing their path carefully. Suddenly, in the second group, the foot of one of the hunters fell through the snow. This caused the entire group to stop. The fallen hunter tried to get out, but the snow moved away and he fell through his waist. This only made the situation worse, and it was no longer possible for him to get out on his own. The rest of his party approached to help. 

"Stop, you fools, go back," Bjorn shouted, noticing the delay of the second group. When they saw the problem, they turned around and headed back.

The wind was so strong that words could not reach them. They approached their comrade and began to pull him out, but suddenly the snow began to move sharply into the depths. All who were near began to slide down.

Kylen acted swiftly and decisively. His icy hands cut the rope connecting him to each of them. He stretched out and began to freeze the icy road before him, trying to reach them in time. 

A huge depression formed in the middle of the snowy wasteland. The three men who had remained with him on the same rope tried to hold on to their companions and prevent themselves from being pulled down into it. But they were losing the battle, and were slowly sliding toward the edge of the abyss.

Kylen approached the edge, but they were on the other side. Stopping at the edge, he began to concentrate ice magic in his hands. When he had the power he needed, he unleashed a beam of ice energy, creating an ice bridge across the chasm. Accelerating, he glided toward his comrades holding the rope.

The young man made it at the last moment, for almost another hunter would have fallen, followed by the last, and then the whole group would have fallen to their deaths. Grabbing the rope, he began to pull them up. By creating an ice slab to lean on, the three of them were able to pull their comrades up. One by one, they began to climb. Until the last one managed to climb up. 

The faces of the fallen hunters were blank. They almost said goodbye to their lives and thanked the two men for not cutting the rope and holding on to the last one.

The first group stood on the other side of the ice bridge and shouted something at them, but the wind drowned out the words. The lucky ones exhaled and walked down the ice bridge. Kylen followed behind, ready to support them if anything happened. He stopped for a moment and looked down. The chasm was very deep, the light couldn't penetrate any further, and there was no bottom to be seen.

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When they reunited, Bjorn was furious. The oldest and most experienced hunter shouted at the others that they had decided to help their comrade and almost died themselves. As they approached, the weight in that place became too great and the snow fell, breaking the solidity, a chain reaction started, causing all the snow to fall.

They realized they had done a foolish thing, and so they accepted all the blame. He passed it on to Kylen, who had cut the rope.

"You certainly did, and if we had failed, you wouldn't have helped them, and you would have gotten us killed. But you did a good job, Kylen, thank you for saving the lives of those Dubnya," he finally added.

There was no time to stay, and they moved on. They had until nightfall to reach the Dragon's Ridge and stop to rest and gather strength to continue.