A thick layer of ice covered the North Bridge. The going was slick, especially with the fierce north wind. Beneath the bridge, the frozen ocean shimmered in the dim sunlight, which was already lowering in the southwest. Every step felt precarious, the frost-covered stone threatening to betray their footing.

Ahead, the towering silhouette of the Tower of Skaldarn loomed larger with each step, its spires clawing at the dim sky. It was hard to guess how tall it was. Twenty stories or more, at a guess.

Justin’s stomach twisted when the bridge ended and he stood before the threshold. The doors were massive, carved from weathered stone and caked with a thin layer of frost. Justin somewhat doubted they would even open, given the extent of the ice covering them.

Alden turned to regard them both. “Beyond those doors, Rimefang is waiting. Remember the plan.”

Justin nodded shakily. More than at any point since his adventures on Eyrth had begun, he felt he was going to die. But at the same time, he felt strangely confident. Maybe upon accepting death as a possibility, the rest became easier.

“Let’s do this,” he said. “Even with this Affinity, I’m freezing my ass off.”

Lila nodded, all but embracing Justin for warmth.

“Gods be with us,” Alden said.

With a sweep of Starlance, the ice melted along the doors' hinges. With a deep groan, they creaked open.

Justin followed Alden and Lila into an atrium. The space inside was massive, a circular chamber that stretched nearly the length of a football field. A circle of towering columns supported the crumbling dome far overhead, and Justin could see the balcony of each floor between. There was plenty of space for this drake to maneuver. The remnants of upper-tier arcades hung precariously from the walls, their stone arches chipped and cracked. Besides this, there were three gaps in the wall that were probably large enough for the drake to go in and out. He could be literally anywhere.

In the chamber's center, the ethereal well pulsed faintly. Its sickly green light stretched upward in a pillar of energy. Suspended within the glow was the key crystal, slowly rotating in place. Its surface caught the green light and refracted it, sending faint ripples across the walls.

Justin scanned the interior space. This place had "boss chamber" written all over it, but there was no sign of the boss.

He gripped his cane tighter. “Where is he?”

Lila stopped beside him, her eyes darting around the atrium. “It feels like a trap.”

Alden nodded, his expression unreadable. “It is. But the only way forward is to spring it.” He stepped ahead, his blazing lance casting an orangish glow around him. “I need to cast Seraphis’s Insight.”

“And what will that do?” Justin asked.

“It should find any magical traps Rimefang has set for us.”

Alden raised his free hand, and a wide dome of white-gold light expanded faster than an eye blink, seeming to encompass the entire atrium. The magic of the ethereal well glowed faintly in response, but after a moment, Alden lowered his hand.

“Nothing,” he said. “We should be safe to proceed. Keep an eye out for the drake."

Justin followed Alden with trepidation, thankful that his Vorthak’s Flame gave him some measure of protection. Lila, however, enjoyed no such benefit. Justin had to do whatever he could to protect her.

Justin’s unease didn’t lessen as Alden approached the well. His eyes darted to the shadows clinging to the broken walls, the gaps that led outside, where the wind howled fiercely.

“He isn’t going to just let us grab the crystal, will he?” Justin asked. It was within arm’s reach.

“Maybe he’s out hunting or something,” she said. “Maybe we can skip this fight altogether.”

"Try to take it," Alden said.

She reached for the key crystal, but before she could grasp it, she was interrupted by the din of breaking stones coming from behind.

Justin whipped around. Through the open doorway, the North Bridge shuddered and began to collapse. The ancient stone cracked and fell away, crashing into the frozen sea below.

“What the—” Justin started, but Alden silenced him with a raised hand.

“Stay focused,” Alden said. “Don't lose sight of the goal.”

Justin clenched his jaw. He turned his attention back to the well. The light it emitted began to pulse faster, almost like a heartbeat. It flickered once, then again, before erupting in a sudden burst that sent a wave of energy rippling outward, throwing him off balance for a moment.

“What’s happening?” Justin demanded.

“Back away,” Alden said. “Head for the wall over there.”

He pointed to a section between the open front doors and a large opening in the wall. Whatever trap this was, Alden's spell hadn't found it.

But for now, it was the ethereal well he was focused on. Shapes began to form within its glow. Figures began to emerge of fire, water, ice, lightning, air, and more. Mixed among them were forms of darkness and green, elemental wraiths of every stripe. They were twenty if Justin had to guess.

“Alden, this wasn’t part of the plan!”

“Stay back!” Alden called. “If one slips past me, stay alive!”

At that moment, Alden roared, creating a wall of flame with Starlance. A couple of ice elementals, which had led the charge, shrieked as the strike melted them. He then raised a ghostly, gauntleted hand, sending out a storm of white-hot bolts that seemed to strike most, if not all, of the elementals. The damage wasn’t enough to destroy them outright.

As the warrior spirit leaped into the fray, one of the elementals slipped past. Its noxious green surface bubbled and dripped, leaving a trail of corrosive fluid that sizzled on the stone.

“Oh, hell no,” Justin said.

“Poison Elemental,” Lila said. “Alden!”

Alden spared a moment to shoot another bolt at it, this one more powerful than the area of effect one from before. It landed true, but the elemental simply regathered itself, set on Justin and Lila. Alden looked quite busy, surrounded by a wave of elemental attackers. Justin supposed he should feel lucky they only had to fight one.

“Lila, we’ll have to deal with this bastard,” Justin said, his voice steady despite the rapid pounding of his heart. “I’ll take the hits. Just like the other one.”

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Lila nodded, her knives already in hand. “Let’s try not to get killed.”

The poison elemental surged forward, its body distorting and splashing as it moved. Justin raised his cane, bracing himself for the fight of his life.

The air around it turned acrid, the sharp, sour tang stinging Justin’s nostrils. Wherever the elemental touched the stone, the floor hissed and blackened.

Justin barely had time to process its speed before it unleashed a green spray of venom. He activated Gentleman's Sidestep. His body twisted into a fluid, almost theatrical dodge. It was a move better suited to a ballroom than a battlefield. With a dramatic flourish of his cane, he pirouetted out of harm’s way.

“Stay mobile!” Justin shouted, coughing as the mist burned faintly in his throat. It wasn’t enough to poison him, however.

Before Justin could even react, a thick tendril shaped like a knife extended from the elemental's form, pricking Justin in the shoulder. A sharp pain spread across his skin as he staggered back.

[You have been poisoned by Caustic Drip!]

The pain was searing, spreading from the point of impact like fire. It was as if his flesh were being eaten by an army of bullet ants.

“Justin!” Lila cried.

Justin gritted his teeth and swung his cane, striking the elemental’s core, all the while Lila unleashed a volley of knife throws. The attacks connected, dispersing a chunk of its poisonous mass. But it immediately reformed, the bubbling surface hissing with renewed intensity.

“Damn it, this thing doesn’t go down easy,” Justin muttered.

But Justin would. He staggered again as he tried to stand on his own two feet. He noted Lila had started up a song, which was healing him somewhat with her Descant Defense boon, but it wouldn’t be enough. He was too weak to even glance at Alden to see if there was help coming.

As Lila unleashed a new flurry of knives, he knew there was only one way out. He was being forced down a path he didn’t want to take, but he had no choice.

[Affinity Chosen: Lathalon’s Grace. Gain increased passive healing and immunity to Poison and Deathtouch effects.]

[Caustic Drip has been healed by Lathalon’s Grace!]

Immediately, the pain of the poison went away. Combined with the minor regeneration from Lila’s boon and the Affinity, he could already feel the wound closing, albeit slowly.

“Back in action,” Justin said. “Take this, you rotting bastard!”

Apparently, the System counted that as a Poison Barb, which landed true because his next two attacks hit far harder than they should have. The stag’s head of his cane glowed with sunny yellow light. The elemental shuddered with each hit.

[Poison Barb refreshed.]

Lila darted in from the side, knives flashing as she unleashed another flurry of attacks. Each strike drew a hiss as the elemental's body fell away. She was easily doing most of the damage, switching songs every minute to keep the effects of her regeneration going.

Meanwhile, Alden was slowly defeating the elementals assailing him. For now, the drake was still absent. Justin wondered where his Righteous Shield was when he really needed it. He supposed Alden was out of range and he didn’t want to draw the main fight closer to them.

“Focus on weakening it!” Lila called, circling the creature with her characteristic agility. “I’ll aim for the core!”

The elemental hissed and turned its attention to her. Without warning, a low groan was emitted, releasing a wide cloud of toxic spores that drifted outward in a sickly green haze. Lila backflipped away, her Acrobatic Tumble skill kicking in, but Justin wasn't sure if she had avoided the attack completely.

The attack hit Justin directly, but it had no effect.

[Toxic Spores resisted by Lathalon’s Grace!]

“Are you okay?” Justin called.

Lila entered a coughing fit. Blood came up.

Cursing, Justin stood before her and the elemental that wanted to finish the job. “Alden! Do something!”

Eventually, Lila stopped coughing, but her actions were slower. With her next volley of attacks, three of her knives went wide of the mark.

Justin cursed. Lathalon’s Grace was keeping him protected. But the same couldn’t be said for Lila.

He quickly realized, like the dark elemental, that they could not count on Alden's help.

He stepped forward, drawing the elemental’s attention with a taunting flourish of his cane. He activated Dandy’s Swagger, the aura of charisma and confidence pulling the elemental’s focus toward him.

“You’re going to have to try harder than that, sludge-for-brains!”

Its bubbling surface rippled violently as it turned its full attention to Justin, but only for a moment. It was stunned, the Poison Barb doing its work.

[Poison Barb refreshed.]

Justin charged, not wasting the opportunity to deal increased damage with his Add Injury to Insult boon. He unleashed a flurry of attacks, hitting as hard and fast as he could. He ended the combo by sticking out his cane and extending the enchanted blade from the stag’s head.

When the stun ended, the elemental's tendrils lashed out in response. Justin dodged with Gentleman’s Sidestep, sliding smoothly as if he were on a dance floor before whipping around to strike again.

“Lila, now!” he shouted.

Lila, with blood dripping from her mouth, threw all her knives. Each hit harder than the last. The elemental shuddered, its form flickering as it began to destabilize.

The creature roared and shifted back, gathering energy for another attack. Justin charged forward, intending to end it before that ever happened.

But he would be too late. The air around the elemental crackled and hissed as a wave of green liquid shot forth before it.

Justin’s eyes widened. “Brace yourself!”

The tide of poisonous sludge struck the ground with a deafening hiss. There was no way Justin could dodge it, as Gentleman’s Sidestep was still on cooldown. But just at the nick of time, a glowing shield appeared before him, completely tanking the hit before disappearing.

Glancing back at Lila, it seemed she had managed to use her Acrobatic Tumble to get out of harm’s way.

Justin aimed for one last taunt. “Hey! You call that an attack? I’ve had Taco Bell leftovers that are far deadlier!”

The elemental trembled a bit, hesitating. Even if his enemy couldn't understand the insult, it could understand the intention.

Lila seized the opportunity. Buffing her attack with Bardic Inspiration, her blades flew true, piercing deep into its core.

Justin surged forward, cane raised high. “Time to end this.”

He drove his cane deep into the elemental’s bubbling core. The creature let out a keening wail, its form trembling violently before collapsing into a pool of harmless green liquid. The corrosive muck hissed and steamed as it evaporated, leaving behind a shimmering pile of ethereal dust at its center.

Justin staggered back, leaning heavily on his cane, his breath coming in ragged gasps. Despite the cold, sweat clung to his brow. Nearby, Lila slumped against a column, her face pale.

“Are you okay?” Justin asked, his voice hoarse.

Lila managed a faint smile, wiping a streak of grime from her cheek. “I’ll live. I think."

Before they could fully catch their breath, Alden strode over, his spectral armor glowing faintly in the dim light. He raised a hand to heal Lila more fully. She nodded gratefully.

“That was…unexpected," Alden said. "I would have stepped in sooner, but the rest of the elementals required my attention.”

Justin glanced at the faint scorch marks and fading wisps of other elemental remnants around the room. "Yeah, I noticed.”

By now, the effects of Lathalon’s Grace had fully mended Justin's wounds. The passive healing was subtle but effective, and Justin couldn’t help but think this Affinity might be his best default option. It wouldn't stand up to heavy damage, but it was enough to heal the smaller stuff, and maybe even the bigger things, given enough time.

Alden turned to them both. “We need to stay sharp. Justin, I understand you had to switch Affinities, but I suspect the poison elemental attacking you wasn’t a coincidence.”

Justin frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Not idly did that bridge collapse. It was Rimefang’s doing. He probably got one look at your flames and recognized it for what it was.”

“So, you’re saying he sent that poison elemental after me to force me to switch Affinities?”

“It wouldn’t shock me. Either way, we must take the adjustment in stride. No doubt, this was his way of getting the measure of us. At any moment, the drake will—”

A deafening roar cut him off as something massive shot through one of the gaping holes in the wall. A blur of silver and blue streaked overhead, its massive wings stirring up a whirlwind of freezing air. Rimefang, the ice drake, soared through the tower. Its crystalline scales caught the faint green glow of the ethereal well. Frost clung to its wings, and jagged ice spikes protruded along its spine, shimmering like deadly ornaments. Its head was round with long, jagged ears that flapped behind it. If Justin had to guess, it was twenty meters from snout to the tip of its spiked tail.

The drake banked sharply, circling the chamber. Its glowing blue eyes seemed to lock onto Justin's, filled with a cold, predatory intelligence.

“Take cover!” Alden barked.

Justin and Lila dove behind a column as Rimefang unleashed a stream of freezing air that blasted across the room. The column trembled under its force, frost rapidly spreading across its surface. Ice crept along the floor, jagged spikes forming in its wake.

From the edges of their cover, Justin glimpsed the drake banking again, its massive wings beating as it circled back toward the ethereal well. The chamber shook as Rimefang landed before the glowing pillar of energy, its bulk dwarfing the well itself. Frost bloomed outward from its claws as it settled, its head rising high to survey its prey. Justin could have sworn from the flash of its long, needle-like teeth that the damn thing was smiling at him.

Justin’s heart pounded as he gripped his cane tighter. It was difficult to believe, but after everything they had just faced, the real fight was only just beginning.