With the departure of Drudge, Winter gracefully walks past Frost like a phantom, her light footsteps not making a sound in the silent space as she takes her leave to exit the throne room. Her voice breaks the cold silence, echoing through the chamber as she speaks. “Let’s take a walk.” Winter passes through the large open double doors, the guards saluting as she passes by, Frost hurrying to follow close behind. “How bad is it?” Winter questions as they walk down the long hallway. The dragonkin guards stand at attention as the pair traverse the corridor. “Your Majesty, perhaps it would be best to discuss such matters in private.” The temperature of the already frozen corridor drops, causing Frost to pause, his breath catching in his throat, before continuing to follow after Winter.
Winter sighs as she opens a mental connection to Frost, her voice ringing in his mind as she continues. “Very well, I already know the humans have invaded my domain, and the only reason I have not already intervened is that their advance has stopped for the moment. I need to know the current tactical situation.” Winter’s eyes glow with blue energy as the temperature around her continues to plummet. Approaching the end of the hallway leading to the antechamber, the guards salute, shivering a little as they open the doors, standing at attention.
A blast of frigid air washes over the antechamber, spreading ice across the ground and walls, consuming more of the room with Winter’s every step. The surrounding guards shiver from the cold and apprehension. Most of the guards, who have served Winter for many years now, know full well that she would never arbitrarily harm her subjects, but the immense power and presence she exudes is unnerving even for the hardened veterans. “Your Majesty, please calm down.” Winter stops in her tracks, taking in the room at Frost’s words, the ice continuing its slow march across the room. Taking a deep breath to focus her mind, Winter closes her eyes, attempting to suppress her malicious killing intent and overflowing power. The guards relax as the overwhelming pressure subsides, the ice stopping its forward march, having already consumed a fifth of the room.
Winter releases a slow breath, opening her eyes. “Let’s continue.” Winter crosses the room like a silent ghost; Frost follows after her like a loyal shadow following its master. The guards snap a salute, opening the doors that lead out of the antechamber, bowing as the two pass by. Winter’s eyes emit a soft blue glow as she speaks through the mental link with Frost. “If there is nothing else, relay the current tactical situation in sector three.”
Frost lets out a deep sigh; despite the collected information, he is well aware of Winter’s intentions, and regardless of what he says, she will act according to her own will. Despite his frustration, he knows this dialogue is only a simple courtesy Winter is providing him to collect information and a show of respect for his wisdom and years of service. Frost recalls the gathered intelligence collected by the Shadow Stalkers, relaying it through the mental connection. “Very well, Your Majesty, based on the current intelligence, a Noble from a neighboring kingdom has raised a small army of roughly two hundred soldiers. They crossed the southern border near sector three, eliminating the patrolling forces of the region and preventing any emergency alerts. The army marched on the kobold village closest to the border and quickly overrun it within an hour, resulting in an estimated casualty rate of seventy percent. The evacuation of Matrons, hatchlings, and eggs was successful, but they still suffered significant casualties. According to the reports, four Matrons, twenty-eight hatchlings, and forty-three eggs are unaccounted for and are presumed dead.”
Leaving the inner castle behind, Winter stops on the second-floor landing overlooking the foyer. She turns, leaning back against the railing to face Frost, a grim look on her face, continuing to listen to the report. “The two neighboring kobold villages and the closest lizardkin village have already mobilized, and the castle is dispatching three Drake Commanders to lead the individual forces. In addition, I have ordered a group of thirty ice lizards and fifteen frost snakes to reinforce these forces, and they should arrive within the hour. If the humans try to push further into your territory, a combined force of over one thousand units will surround and exterminate them. It’s worth noting that the Seer units are maintaining mental communications between all relevant groups. Additionally, all patrols are on high alert to prevent any secondary attacks that the humans may have planned.
Winter turns around, looking down into the foyer, the banister groaning and splintering under the force of her grip. “How much information have the Shadow Stalkers acquired about the army’s strength?” Frost sighs, shaking his head, as he continues. “Unfortunately, they have not been able to get a complete account of the army’s capabilities; if you wish, I can order the Shadow Stalkers to press further into the enemy camp; the risk of discovery should be minimal.” Winter closes her eyes, the mental connection going quiet as she reaches out with her senses, focusing her mind. After a moment, she opens her eyes, reasserting the mental connection to Frost. “That will be unnecessary; I have ordered the Shadow units to retreat to a safe distance and report on the enemy’s movements. Continue with the report.”
Frost bows his head. “Your Majesty, the soldiers of the human army are all around Rank D, with the unit leaders being at the peak of Rank D. They have a wide variety of levels, but the majority range between level fifty and eighty. The strongest soldiers appear to be the four level one hundred commanding officers at Rank C. The Noble has a group of five adventurers guarding him; unfortunately, the Shadow units have been unable to gain any useful information about these five individuals. The best assessment is that they are at least Rank A or B. Based on these reports, our gathered forces should be enough to overwhelm the human forces with minimal casualties.” Frost places his fist over his heart in a salute, bowing his head. “Your Majesty, please give the order, and I will personally lead the troops to eliminate the human army.”
Winter stand there in the quiet of her mind for a moment, watching her subjects on the first-floor foyer going about their daily business, only stopping to give her a bow or salute before continuing with their duties. “Have the Shadow units determined what the humans are planning?” Frost shakes his head. “Unfortunately, no. After slaughtering all of the kobolds, the human army cleared a section of the crystal forest near the village, setting up a base camp for their operations to process the kobold corpses. The crystal trees, kobold cores, and kobold materials are valuable, but there is no need to bring this many soldiers and resources for that alone. Establishing an encampment implies the humans have another objective in mind, but so far, apart from the army’s initial invasion, the humans have yet to take any further actions. It is regrettable, but at the moment, that is all we know.” Ice spreads out from Winter’s hands, creeping down the length of the railing, consuming it as her power and anger flairs.
Winter lets out a devilish laugh that reverberates throughout the room; she takes a moment to rain in her power and anger, a sinister grin on her face. “Fine, I’m going to pay them a visit and teach them a quick lesson in proper manners. It seems like this little Noble’s parents did a poor job of educating him, so I will give him a proper lesson in etiquette when visiting another kingdom.” Frost grips his face, sighing in frustration, as Winter launches herself over the railing, clearing most of the foyer in a single move, landing silently on the ground floor two meters from the fortress’s main gate. “Open the gate; I’m going for a walk.” “Yes, Your Majesty.” The guards reply in tandem, giving Winter a quick salute before opening the heavy steal gate at her command.
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Frost jumps over the railing, following after Winter like her loyal shadow, flapping his massive wings to slow his descent, landing behind her with a heavy thud. “Your Majesty, it is unnecessary for you to get personally involved in this matter. Let me or one of your other commanders handle this matter for you.” Winter ignores his words, walking through the open gate into the courtyard. Frost follows Winter into the courtyard, the high walls towering over them, isolating the mountainside castle fortress from the rest of the world except for individuals who can fly. “Your Majesty, this would be a good opportunity for the new commanders to gain some much-needed experience and sharpen their skills. If you allow me to oversee this operation, I will guarantee a swift victory over the human army with minimal losses.”
Winter disregards Frost’s presence, striding with silent steps towards the center of the courtyard, her gaze scanning the different training groups practicing their techniques. Under her keen observation, she scrutinizes their swordplay, footwork, form, skills, and magical abilities. The courtyard training ground is split into four separate areas of study, each overseen by a seasoned instructor. The first and smallest area of the training ground trains one’s mind and magical abilities, pushing them down the path of a mage, witch, or sage. The second and largest area trains the individual’s proficiency with martial and ranged weapons, honing one’s skill and precision, pushing them down the path of a martial warrior. The third area hones every student’s body, turning it into a weapon through the practice of martial arts skills and techniques, diversifying everyone’s arsenal of abilities. Each group’s practice is led by a skilled master, possessing unparalleled mastery in their respective field of expertise. The last and youngest group is a collection of children and recently evolved beasts practicing a general training regimen to strengthen their foundation before being delegated to a specialization.
The instructors turn at Winter’s approach, snapping a salute and calling out in a loud voice. “Greetings, Your Majesty!” Following suit, the students snap to attention, falling into formation with a salute, the younger students having more difficulty thanks to their inexperience. Winter stands at the center of the training ground, her gaze sweeping across the gathered crowd standing at attention. Her voice booms out across the field with a commanding confidence as she speaks. “I thank all those who devote themselves to their training. The training you experience is harsh and demanding, but it is necessary for the survival of this kingdom and its people. The power you possess is the only thing that matters in this world, so dedicate your very being to your training because your strength is not only your shield against the cruelty of this world, but it is the only thing that can safeguard the people and things you hold dear. Therefore, focus all your time and energy on honing your skills and abilities for your sake and that which you cherish.” The gathered students and instructors call out in a loud, unified voice. “Yes, Your Majesty!” Winter gives a sad smile, scanning over the gathered individuals. “Thank you everyone for your dedication. Return to your duties.” The students scatter at her command, returning to their training with renewed vigor.
With the students having dispersed, Winter looks up, staring into the dark mass of swirling black clouds that blanket her kingdom in eternal darkness, light snow falling on her face. She stands, quiet in her thoughts, watching the snowfall as it intensifies. “Frost, do you think I cannot accomplish such a simple task as wiping out these humans?” She asks Frost, her voice flat and emotionless. Frost places his fist over his heart in a salute, bowing his head. “No! Of course not; I would never insinuate such a thing, Your Majesty.” “Do you think I will lose to these humans?” “Of course not, Your Majesty, I-” Winter, sill staring blankly into the sky, raises her hand to silence Frost. “Do you believe the adventurers would pose an actual threat to me?” Frost answers with apprehension in his voice. “We do not know the full capabilities of the adventurers, but it is unlikely they would be able to pose an actual threat to your safety, considering the full extent of your power and abilities.” The falling snow swirls around Winter like a whirlpool; ice crystals condense, solidify, and grow, forming nine floating spears of ice at her back, floating in the air like a halo of blades, drawing some of the student’s attention and awe. “Then why do you seem determined to keep me off the battlefield?”
Frost stands there, trying to find his words, apprehension in his voice as he speaks. “If the humans discover your identity as a Queen Rank Divine Beast, they will, without fail, send groups of Legendary Heroes to kill you.” Winter releases a vicious laugh, a wicked smile spreading across her face. “Is that so?” Winter chuckles. “Well, if this is your only concern, then the answer is quite simple. I only have to slaughter all the humans and ensure no one survives. Although I do not believe for a second that this is your only concern, it is a reasonable excuse.” Winter jumps into the air, launching herself like a bullet into the sky, cracking the ground from the force, the courtyard vanishing into the distance as she flies out of sight. Unfurling his massive wings, Frost sighs in frustration, flying into the sky after Winter. Despite his best efforts, Winter disappears into the distance, her immense speed making it impossible for him to close the expanding distance.
Now, out of sight of prying eyes, Winter stops her assent, hovering mid-air, held aloft by an unseen force. Griping the waist of her pants to secure them in place, she loosens her belt, her body morphing, growing in height and bulk. White scales spread out across her body, creating a hard protective layer of white-scale armor across her entire body. The pupils of her glowing blue eyes become slits as her long, flowing, elegant hair morphs, clumping together and hardening to create a main of long flexible spines. Wings sprout from her back, shredding the back of her shirt as a tail grows from her posterior, ripping a hole in her pants. In seconds, the new appendages grow to match her new, much larger form. At the same time, black horns sprout from her forehead, elongating, twisting, and spiraling back as her face morphs and elongates, taking on a draconic form, and her teeth sharpen, becoming a maw of razor-sharp fangs.
With the transformation complete, her appearance has become that of a dragonkin. Having grown a foot and doubled her muscle mass, Winter flexes her free now taloned hand, testing her new muscular body. Adjusting her clothes, she secures her belt in place, her once baggy outfit now tight on her much larger form, causing her pants legs to hand just below her knee, making them look more like long shorts than pants. Looking down at Frost’s rapid approach, Winter flexes her body, cracking her neck and back, waiting for him to arrive. She looks over her shoulder at Frost, a grin on her face at his approach, her voice a growl as she speaks. “Why are you so slow? We will work on your speed during our next sparing session.” Frost freezes, his eyes open wide, and his mouth hangs agape as he shrinks away at Winter’s words, putting his hands up defensively. “Your Majesty, you should not make such jokes. Few individuals in this world can match your speed.” Winter whips her tail through the air with a crack, letting out a rumbling laugh, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. “No need to be so apprehensive.” She chuckles, shrugging her shoulders. “It’s just some light sparing. If you are not interested, say as much; you do not need to act like I’m going to kill you.”
Winter looks into her palm, flexing her hand, her mischievous demeanor melting away. “I’m not all that fond of this form, but to alleviate your concerns, I have suppressed my power to that of an S Rank dragonkin. This way, in the event my presence is discovered, through sheer luck or powerful skills, at most, the humans will be able to report that their army was decimated by an S Rank dragonkin. They will have no evidence or knowledge of my existence or involvement. It is unlikely that there will be any retaliation as a result.” Winter looks back over her shoulder at Frost. “Unless you think there are individuals in that camp that can see through my shapeshifting ability, suppression, nondetection, and appraisal nullification skills?”
Frost sighs, shaking his head in defeat. “Of course not, Your Majesty. It would take a Legendary Hero specializing in detection skills to penetrate your concealment skills, and based on the reports, it is unlikely anyone in the entire northern territory, much less this small army, has that capability.” Winter rolls her shoulders, punching her fist into her hand. “Good, I’m glad you agree. Since you do not seem to have any further complaints, I will take this opportunity to eradicate the human army. Take command of the gathered forces and sweep the crystal forest within a twenty-mile radius of the human encampment. Eliminate any patrols or fleeing humans with extreme prejudges.” Winter unfurls her massive wings, and with a single flap, she propels herself through the air at a blinding speed, disappearing into the distance.