The icy wind howled, sweeping across the endless expanse of white, carrying with it the tension that had settled over our group. The Frost Wraith was here. I could feel its presence in the Aetheric Flow, pulsing with cold, twisting the very air around us. My hand tightened around the hilt of my sword, the steel cold beneath my fingers. The traders and guards huddled together, fear written across their faces, but they were still, waiting for my lead.
But before the battle, I had gathered much from the people around me.
We had been traveling for hours before the Frost Wraith appeared. The traders and guards had been discussing the dangers of the north in hushed tones, though I had been more focused on sensing the Aetheric Flow around us. It wasn’t until one of the older traders, a man named Tarek, spoke up that my attention shifted.
“The Frozen Wastes aren’t just home to demons and beasts,” he said, glancing around nervously as we continued our trek. “There are things out here... ancient things, older than any demon. They say the cold itself is alive.”
I glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. “Alive? What do you mean?”
Tarek hesitated, clearly uncomfortable with the topic. “It’s not just the cold. It’s the magic in the air, the way it twists and warps everything it touches. Some say the cold comes from something deeperfrom the very heart of the world. And those who travel too far north never come back.”
One of the guards, a woman named Leira, scoffed. “That’s just superstition. People disappear because they’re unprepared for the weather, or they run into a beast they can’t handle. Nothing more.”
But Tarek shook his head, his eyes scanning the horizon warily. “Maybe. But I’ve been through these wastes before, and I’ve seen things... things that don’t belong in this world.”
I listened intently, storing the information away for later. It was clear that the Frozen Wastes held more than just physical danger. The magic here was twisted, and if even seasoned travelers like Tarek believed the cold itself was alive, then there was something worth paying attention to.
Later that evening, as we set up camp, I sat by the fire with a few of the other travelers. The mood was tense, the cold biting through our cloaks despite the warmth of the flames.
Leira, the guard who had dismissed Tarek’s warnings earlier, sat across from me, sharpening her sword. “You’ve been quiet,” she said, glancing up at me. “You’ve been through these wastes before?”
I shook my head. “No, but I’ve learned enough about magic to know that there’s something strange here. The Aetheric Flow is different. The cold isn’t just natural—it’s tied to the magic of this place.”
Leira raised an eyebrow. “You think the cold is alive too?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “But I can feel the magic in the air, and it’s not like anything I’ve encountered before. There’s more to this place than just the weather.”
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Tarek, who had been listening quietly, nodded in agreement. “You’re right about that. The Northern Kingdoms have always been wary of this place, and for good reason. The magic here... it changes people. It warps the land. I’ve heard stories of entire villages being swallowed by the cold, their people frozen in place, never to be seen again.”
I frowned, considering his words. The more I learned about the Frozen Wastes, the more I realized how little I truly knew about this world. The Aetheric Flow was vast and unpredictable, and the cold magic of this place seemed to have a mind of its own.
That evening, as the group huddled around the fire, I took the opportunity to learn more about the continent. I turned to one of the younger traders, a woman named Sari, who had been talking about her travels.
“You’ve been to the Western Empire?” I asked, my curiosity piqued. I had heard rumors about the empire, about its mages and its armies, but I had never met anyone who had traveled there.
Sari nodded, pulling her cloak tighter around her shoulders. “I’ve passed through a few times. The empire’s not like the Northern Kingdoms. Magic isn’t just a tool there—it’s a weapon. They train their soldiers in both combat and magic, and they use the Aetheric Flow to fuel their war machines.”
“War machines?” I repeated, frowning.
“They use magic to power their weapons, their ships, even their cities,” Sari explained. “It’s impressive, but also dangerous. The Aetheric Flow is unpredictable, and if something goes wrong... well, let’s just say there’s a reason the empire has so many mages on hand.”
I considered her words, thinking back to the magic I had encountered so far. The Frozen Wastes were a place of ancient magic, but the Western Empire seemed to be using the flow in ways I hadn’t considered. It was a reminder that magic wasn’t just about power—it was about control, about understanding how the Aetheric Flow worked and how to manipulate it safely.
The conversations gave me more insight into the world than I had expected. The Northern Kingdoms were cautious, guarding their borders and limiting the use of magic, while the Western Empire embraced it fully, using it to fuel their ambitions. It was a contrast I hadn’t considered before, but it helped me understand more about the continent I was traveling through.Now, as the Frost Wraith moved closer, I was better prepared. The information I had gathered from the traders and guards had given me a clearer picture of what I was up against, and I knew that the Frost Wraith was just one piece of the larger puzzle. There was something deeper at play here—something tied to the very magic of the land.
I took a deep breath, focusing on the Aetheric Flow. The cold magic was strong here, but I was learning how to bend it to my will. This wasn’t just a fight—it was a test. A test of my growing abilities, of my understanding of the magic that surrounded me.
The Frost Wraith surged forward, and I met it head-on, my sword cutting through the air with precision. The cold magic responded, swirling around me as I pushed forward, guiding the battle with my growing mastery of the Aetheric Flow.
This was only the beginning.