Chapter 42

The howl reached the ears of those who were on guard at the wall. However, despite remaining a threatening beast, it was just a lone wolf that they could probably deal with quite easily together. So, there was no reason to despair.

"Do you think he'll really come here...?"

"No..., he'll probably just watch for a while... then he'll go back to the mountains."

"Yeah, besides, he'd end up dying at some point if he left the Frost Peaks. Just sit tight and wait a little longer; soon our shift will be over, and anyway, it'll be up to the others to deal with this creature if it does anything."

Most of the guards sat down, but not all. One remained standing.

For some reason, his heart clenched, and his eyes couldn't tear away from that creature standing so far away. That white fur blending into the snow, for a brief moment, it seemed like he had even lost sight of the wolf.

But no... it was still there. Watching them while seemingly waiting for something.

The guard sighed.

"They said it's fine, so there shouldn't be any problem..." he thought as he sat in the wooden chair. "...Yes, this must be something recurring. After the first week, I should get used to it..."

He tried, but he couldn't shake off that unsettling feeling even as time passed so calmly and silently. His shift was almost over, yet while everyone else prepared to leave quietly, his eyes couldn't let go of that creature that... was no longer there...?

He sighed.

"It seems they were right.."

As everyone prepared to leave their posts and, little by little, the new team kept arriving, the howl repeated itself. Louder, clearer, and more threatening. Upon hearing it, all eyes turned to the mountains immediately.

No longer just a lone wolf, now, at the foot of the mountain, there were dozens... and the number only grew.

Shaking, the guards kept their eyes fixed on that terrifying sight, waiting for some action from the creatures.

"It's okay..." one of the guards said, his voice trembling and his eyes moist. "They won't come here... that's impossible..."

In the blink of an eye, the number of creatures had multiplied several times over, and not just wolves, the entire base of the mountain was covered by the creatures from the Frost Peaks.

Yetis huddled among the wolves and wendigos, and unlike what one would expect from theoretically irrational creatures driven only by instincts, despite being of different races, they all stuck together... acting as a team...

Such an unbelievable sight left all the guards speechless, with only the sound of their breaths becoming heavier as the number of creatures increased.

"The Baron..." murmured one of the guards. "Someone go inform..."

The one who occupies the top of the Frost Peaks, a creature found only in fairy tales passed down for years across all the kingdoms. The owner of the breath capable of freezing the entire world and the gaze of paralysis. A being never seen before, but the most feared of all creatures.

Flying above the mountains with its imposing wings and grand body, the roar of the embodiment of everyone's nightmares echoed beyond the city limits.

"The trumpet... Sound the trumpet now!"

With the terrifying spread of the trumpet sound trapped at the top of the wall, everyone in the city trembled.

Despite the small number of inhabitants, the streets were filled, making it difficult for anyone to pass through and reach the gates.

"Pedrinho, listen to me..." placing the boy on the horse, the man struggles to hold back his tears as his hands tremble. "Go fast. Follow the road, but don't stop at the next town.."

"Daddy..."

The possession of such large lands could not come without a price to match, that is a fact. However, despite being next to the Frost Peaks, none of them even imagined the possibility of anything actually happening there.

Dozens of horses gather at the city gates, and only the children can ride them. For, while their bodies succumbed to trembling and their minds to fear, an inevitable regret consumed their hearts, but there was no more time for such things, and it was time to pay for the lands they all took possession of.

"Mommy..." his frozen tears shattered on the ground as he spoke.

"It's okay, my love..." her hands raised, she moves them towards the child's face, but, due to the trembling, quickly pulls back. "Your father and I will be right behind you, understand..? We'll catch up soon..."

Looking back, the immediate collapse of the wall widened his eyes.

The man grabs the horse's reins and firmly places them in his son's hands.

"Go fast, Pedrinho, and don't stop." leading the boy to the road in front of the gates, the man let go of the reins, and as the frozen drops detached from his face, he stepped away from the horse. "...And remember... that we love you..."

With a slap on the horse's rear, the man began the boy's swift departure.

"Mommy! Daddy! No! I don't want to go!"

The horses burst through the gates with the children on their backs, and the sobs slowly separated, with some staying at the gates and some quickly moving away with the children.

After a long time, Pedrinho finally managed to stop his horse and look back. The decision to return was immediate, but... there was no place to return to anymore.

"Mommy... Daddy..."

Dragons descend from the skies, freezing everything before their eyes with their breath and destroying every being with their claws, while the terrestrial creatures trample every living being in front of them.

His home no longer exists. Now, before his eyes, the city of Frostwatch falls amidst a tumult of shining ice and destruction.

Clasping his teeth and tightly closing his fists and eyes, Pedrinho turned his horse again and continued the path his parents had told him to take.

Blood trickles through his lips, and his heart shrinks and cools as much as the environment around him. In that moment, as the beasts consumed his home, a pure tear in liquid state walked down his face and fell onto his hand.