Sir, we found some villagers encased in ice,” a soldier reported as he stepped into Falkmar’s command tent. “Aside from that, there weren’t any other abnormalities. Should we search the perimeters of the village?”
Falkmar considered for a moment, his brow furrowed. Then, with a decisive tone, he shook his head. “There’s no need to search further. The Snaegulvars were hunting that girl—she must have done something to provoke them. We need everyone back here. The Snaegulvars' attacks on the base are becoming more frequent.”
“Yes, sir!” the soldier responded sharply, then quickly exited the tent to relay the command to the others stationed in the village.
As the tent flap fell closed, Falkmar’s eyes darkened, his thoughts turning to the growing threat the Snaegulvars posed. Something had triggered their relentless pursuit of the girl, and the safety of his camp was at stake.
Falkmar entered the medical tent, his gaze falling on the girl lying unconscious on the cot. He turned to the soldiers stationed inside. “How’s her condition?” he asked, his voice steady but tinged with concern.
“Sir,” one of the soldiers began, “aside from a high fever, she doesn’t seem to have any major injuries. However, our medical equipment here is inadequate. We’ll need to bring her back to Almany for a thorough check-up.”
Falkmar nodded, considering the situation. “Let’s take her back to Almany then. I’m curious to find out what she did to provoke these Snaegulvars. Pack up our gear and prepare to leave as soon as the other squads return.”
“Yes, sir!” the soldiers responded promptly, immediately beginning to pack up the camp.
Falkmar cast another glance at the girl, his mind swirling with questions. The Snaegulvars were relentless, and he needed answers—both for her sake and the safety of his men.
“Almany?” the girl murmured, her eyes still closed. “Soldiers of Gevurah?”
She stirred, slowly sitting up, and as her eyes fluttered open, they glowed with a radiant silver light. White, ethereal wings unfurled from her back, their soft glow filling the tent with an unearthly presence.
“I am Aladiah, one of the guardian angels serving under the Almighty Lord,” she declared, her voice ringing with divine authority.
Falkmar’s eyes widened in disbelief. An angel? His mind raced. Why is an angel here?! He glanced at his soldiers, all equally confused. Her eyes... they were blue before, not silver. And there was nothing angelic about her presence earlier. Was she hiding her true identity this entire time?
Aladiah’s gaze swept over them. “Soldiers of Gevurah, I command you, escort me back to Azevaria,” she ordered, her tone leaving no room for question.
Falkmar, caught between shock and duty, hesitated before responding, his voice tense. “O great angel, we are merely an exploration team. We’re not equipped to travel long distances to Azevaria.”
Her eyes flared, the glow intensifying. “Do not talk back to me, lowly pawns. My commands bear the same weight as Gevurah’s. You will obey.”
The tension in the tent grew thick, but suddenly, Aladiah winced, clutching her head in apparent agony. “Ugh…!” she groaned, her ethereal wings flickering as if struggling to maintain their form.
Falkmar and his soldiers exchanged bewildered looks. The divine being before them, once commanding and resolute, was now writhing in pain.
“What’s happening to her?” one of the soldiers whispered.
“I don’t know,” Falkmar muttered, his eyes narrowing. Something about this angel—Aladiah—wasn’t right.
After a tense moment of silence, the girl let out a chilling scream. Her body convulsed as a glowing, ethereal white orb was violently repelled from her chest. The orb hovered in the air, radiating light, with a pair of ghostly wings spread wide.
“Ugh... To be able to repel my possession, she must be the right one!” the orb hissed, its voice eerie and distorted. “I command you, escort this girl back to Azevaria or die!” The orb began to open countless eyes, some bleeding as they grotesquely blinked, staring at everyone in the tent.
Falkmar’s eyes narrowed. The girl was possessed by Aladiah, he realized. The orb floating before them was Aladiah’s true form—twisted and vengeful.
Suddenly, a bone-chilling howl echoed from outside. “Awoooo!” The Snaegulvars, enraged and relentless, charged into the Almany soldiers’ base, heading straight for the medical tent with terrifying speed.
“Sir! We can’t fend off these Snaegulvars anymore!” one of the soldiers shouted in panic as the beasts stormed past, ignoring him entirely and charging toward Aladiah.
“Protect me, pawns of Gevurah!” Aladiah shrieked, her voice now desperate as she hovered above them, her bleeding eyes wild with fear.
Falkmar, piecing everything together, realized the truth: The Snaegulvars weren’t after the girl. They were after Aladiah. He had read of Snaegulvars in ancient texts—creatures born from grudges, hunting those who provoked them. Aladiah is their true target, he thought. If they kill her, this might end.
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“We should be fine once they take down whatever provoked them,” Falkmar muttered under his breath. “It’s a gamble, but it’s our only chance.”
“Sir, what do we do?!” a soldier cried, fear evident in his voice as the Snaegulvars drew closer.
“All troops, step aside!” Falkmar commanded, his voice sharp.
“Y-yes, sir!” The soldiers, though confused and fearful, quickly obeyed, moving out of the way as the Snaegulvars charged toward the orb.
“No! Are you rebelling against—" Aladiah’s scream was cut short as the Snaegulvars slammed into the orb, pinning it to the ground. Their powerful jaws gnashed at her, their claws tearing into her true form with savage fury.
“S-save me…!” Aladiah’s voice, once filled with arrogance, was now weak and pitiful as her form flickered and began to fade.
Falkmar’s eyes narrowed as he assessed the situation. This so-called angel is vulnerable. There's no sign of reinforcements. This is my chance. His mind raced, calculating his next move. I can't let this opportunity slip away.
Falkmar, without hesitation, raised his crossbow and aimed it at the trembling orb. “We are soldiers of Almany, under the command of Fuhrer Irmina Reltisa. We do not take orders from monsters.” His voice was cold and resolute as he pulled the trigger, delivering the final blow to Aladiah. The bolt struck true, and the orb shattered with a brilliant flash of light.
The Snaegulvars, ensuring their target was dead, slowly turned their attention to the unconscious girl lying nearby. The soldiers tensed, gripping their crossbows tightly, waiting for orders.
“Sir... what now?” one of them asked, his voice shaky.
Falkmar’s eyes stayed on the beasts as they approached the girl. He held his hand up. “Stand at attention. Be ready for anything, but do not attack. Let’s see what happens.”
“Y-yes, sir!” The soldiers, though visibly nervous, held their positions, their weapons trained on the Snaegulvars but without firing.
The Snaegulvars circled the girl, their icy breath visible in the cold air. But instead of harming her, they snuggled up to her unconscious form, their massive bodies resting protectively around her.
One of the Snaegulvars—the largest of the pack—turned its head and locked eyes with Falkmar. For a brief, haunting moment, it seemed as though the creature was acknowledging him. Then, as swiftly as they had appeared, the Snaegulvars vanished, dissolving into the cold wind, leaving nothing behind but an eerie silence.
The tension finally broke as Falkmar lowered his weapon. “It’s over…” he muttered, glancing at his men. “Everyone, stand down.”
The soldiers exhaled in relief, though the weight of what had just transpired still hung heavily in the air.
“We need to get her to safety,” Falkmar said, looking at the girl. “She might have more answers than we realize.”
----------------------------------------
Back in Angurn, the ground suddenly rumbled as a small hole opened up. With a playful pop, out came Jack Frost, hopping excitedly. Following right behind, a girl clad in metal dress armor emerged, her prosthetic arm glowing faintly in the dim light.
“Weeeee areeeee hereeeeee!” Jack Frost chimed, bouncing around the armored girl with an infectious glee.
The girl, Indienee, glanced around, her expression puzzled. “Huh… the hailstorm’s gone?” She tilted her head, confused by the sudden change in weather. Just moments before, the icy tempest had been relentless.
Before she could say more, a soldier, returning to camp after patrolling the area, caught sight of the duo. His eyes widened in alarm as he immediately recognized Jack Frost.
“Monster alert!” the soldier shouted, raising his weapon in a panic, his voice echoing through the quiet village.
Instantly, tension filled the air as soldiers within earshot snapped to attention, preparing for an imminent confrontation.
“Get away from that monster, missy! You’ll get yourself killed!” one of the soldiers shouted, his voice filled with urgency as he aimed his crossbow at Jack Frost.
Indienee sighed, stepping in front of the small creature with calm resolve. “Hah… stay behind me,” she said softly, her prosthetic arm humming with latent energy.
“Oooookaaayyy!” Jack Frost replied cheerfully, hiding behind her with a drawn-out, playful tone.
The squad leader, clearly perplexed, hesitated. “Why are you trying to protect that monster? Who are you?” he demanded, his voice filled with suspicion, but his tone was cautious.
Indienee’s eyes narrowed slightly, her stance unwavering. “I’m Indienee,” she answered firmly, her gaze locking onto the squad leader. “This ‘monster’ isn’t your enemy. We’re just passing through. You don’t want to fight me.”
The soldiers exchanged uneasy glances, their grips tightening on their weapons, but confusion rippled through the ranks. They had been trained to see anything like Jack Frost as a threat, yet here was this armored stranger standing in its defense.
“What do we do, sergeant?” one of the soldiers asked, tension thick in his voice, unsure whether to proceed or back down.
The squad leader, still studying Indienee, lowered his weapon slightly, though he remained on edge. “We’ll see about that,” he said cautiously. “But if you’re lying, we won’t hesitate to attack. Now, explain—why are you here, and what’s your business with Angurn?”
Indienee held out the rectangular metal plate, its surface gleaming slightly under the fading light. "I’m an adventurer, based in Aerimes, Acacia," she said, trying to maintain a casual tone. She hesitated for a second before adding, "This Jack Frost is my, uh… partner."
The soldiers exchanged glances, clearly uneasy, but they advanced cautiously, not lowering their weapons. The squad leader squinted at the plate, his eyes widening as he read the inscription.
“She’s a Platinum-ranked adventurer?” he blurted, astonishment evident in his voice. “Why is an adventurer of such high rank here?!”
One of the soldiers beside him leaned in, whispering, “Sergeant, how high is Platinum?”
The squad leader, still staring at Indienee’s plate in disbelief, whispered back, “There are six different rankings for adventurers. It starts from Bronze, then Silver, Gold, Platinum, Orichalcum, and Adamantite.” He paused, his voice lowering further. “Platinum is around the rank of a Major for us.”
The soldiers shifted uneasily, clearly impressed but wary. The revelation of Indienee’s rank changed the mood slightly. They were now more cautious about how they proceeded, knowing they were dealing with someone far above the average adventurer.
“Why is someone like you, of such high standing, involved with this… Jack Frost and traveling through Angurn?” the squad leader pressed, his tone more respectful but still filled with suspicion.
Indienee crossed her arms, glancing at Jack Frost, who was still playfully hopping around behind her. “I’m here on a personal mission, nothing to do with your affairs. Jack here’s harmless—at least when I’m around. I don’t want any trouble with your troops.”
The squad leader exchanged another glance with his men, visibly debating what to do next. "If you're really a Platinum-ranked adventurer, that changes things. But, we’ll need more than just your word."
Indienee gave a knowing smile. "Fine by me. Just don’t get in my way."
As the soldiers exchanged uneasy glances, one of them whispered urgently to the sergeant, "Should we ask for her help to fend off the Snaegulvars' assault?"
The sergeant frowned, shaking his head slightly. "Adventurers usually care more about rewards and money. We don’t have the resources to hire one, and we’re not allowed to hire adventurers anyway.”
"But... she could really help us," the soldier murmured, glancing at Indienee’s impressive rank.
Noticing the tension among the soldiers, Indienee tilted her head. “Is something wrong?” she asked, her tone neutral but curious.
After a brief silence, the squad leader cleared his throat. “We’re heading back to our camp. The Snaegulvars have been assaulting it more frequently,” he admitted, though there was a clear hesitation in his voice, as if he was weighing his options.
Indienee frowned, thinking to herself. “I shouldn’t get involved with Almany soldiers, but it sounds like they’re in trouble…”
“Do you need my help?” she offered, keeping her voice casual but firm.
The squad leader looked conflicted but ultimately shook his head. “It’s prohibited for us to get help from adventurers, but... thank you.”
Indienee shrugged. “Alright, then. I’ll be on my way.”
As Indienee walked, her mind raced, thoughts swirling around the escalating attacks. "The Snaegulvars aren’t just acting randomly," she muttered under her breath. "I need to find the person I’m looking for before the Almany soldiers do."