CHAPTER 44

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The ground shook underfoot as the Frost Colossus roared again, its deep bellow echoing across the frozen expanse. I could feel the Aetheric Flow rippling violently around it, like a storm of raw energy surging through the ice-bound landscape. My sword hummed with power as I channeled the cold magic into the blade, sharpening my focus. This wasn’t just a fight against a massive creature—it was a battle against the very essence of the Frozen Wastes.

The others fanned out, their movements quick but cautious. Leira stayed close to Sari, her sword drawn and ready. I had to admit that for as much fear as these people harbored, they were brave in the face of overwhelming odds.

The Colossus lumbered toward us, its massive feet cracking the ice beneath it with every step. The ground trembled again, sending fissures spider-webbing across the snow-covered earth. It raised one massive arm, encased in jagged ice, and brought it down with terrifying speed.

"Scatter!" I shouted, diving to the side just as the creature’s fist slammed into the ground, sending up a plume of snow and debris. The shockwave rattled my bones, but I quickly regained my footing, using the momentum to slide across the snow and reposition myself.

"Stay on its legs!" I yelled, my voice carrying over the howling wind. "If we can cripple it, we can bring it down!"

Leira nodded, her expression grim but focused. She darted forward, aiming for the Colossus’ leg, but the creature moved with surprising speed for its size, sweeping its arm across the ground in a wide arc. Leira barely had time to leap back, narrowly avoiding being crushed by the ice-covered limb.

I felt the pulse of the Aetheric Flow grow stronger as the Colossus moved. It was drawing power from the land, feeding off the frozen magic that infused the Wastes. I could feel it too—the cold magic swirling around me, ready to be harnessed.

My instincts screamed at me to use my fire magic, but the landscape here was hostile to flames. I could feel the resistance in the air, the way the cold magic pushed back against heat. No, fire wasn’t the answer here. The Wastes demanded a different approach.

I closed my eyes for a split second, feeling the Aetheric Flow rushing through me. I could sense the raw power of the ice magic waiting to be commanded, waiting to be shaped. Ice magic was new to me, and while I had grasped the basics, I was still learning its intricacies. Even with my instant mastery, the nature of this magic was foreign, complex in ways that required me to adapt.

Still, I had no choice.

I raised my hand, channeling the cold energy through my body and into the earth beneath me. The snow responded, rippling outward in a shockwave of ice and frost that surged toward the Colossus. It slammed into the creature’s legs, freezing the joints solid. For a moment, the Colossus slowed, its movements jerky and uncoordinated.

"Now!" I shouted, signaling the others.

Leira was the first to react, darting in with incredible speed. Her sword gleamed in the pale light as she struck at the Colossus’ leg, the blade sinking into the frozen flesh with a crunch. Sari followed, launching a volley of arrows toward the creature’s vulnerable spots, though the arrows mostly glanced off its icy hide.

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But the Colossus wasn’t down yet.

It roared, shaking off the ice that encased its joints, its movements becoming more erratic as the Aetheric Flow surged around it. The cold magic was intensifying, the air growing sharper, biting deeper into my skin despite my resistance to the elements.

I gritted my teeth, my hand tightening around my sword. This wasn’t going to be easy. The Colossus was too big, too strong, and the magic of this land favored it. I could feel the strain of the ice magic working against me, pushing back every time I tried to wield it. This wasn’t like fire, where I could command the flames with ease. Ice was slower, heavier, and required more precision.

But I had learned from Alric that power wasn’t just about brute force. It was about adaptation, control, and strategy.

I took a deep breath, closing my eyes for a moment as I focused on the Aetheric Flow around me. I could sense the patterns in the magic, the way the cold magic twisted and coiled around the Colossus. It was drawing strength from the land, using the very ice beneath us to fuel its attacks.

I opened my eyes, my mind racing with possibilities. If the Colossus was drawing power from the ice, then I could disrupt that flow. I could cut off its connection to the land.

"Leira! Sari! Keep it distracted!" I called, my voice sharp and commanding.

They didn’t question me. They moved into position, drawing the Colossus’ attention with quick strikes and evasive maneuvers. The creature roared again, swinging its massive arms in wide arcs, but its movements were growing slower, more sluggish.

I knelt down, pressing my hand against the frozen ground. I could feel the magic surging through the ice, the flow of energy feeding into the Colossus. I just needed to sever that connection.

Drawing on the Aetheric Flow, I concentrated on the ice beneath us, focusing all my energy on disrupting the magic that held it together. The ground began to tremble, and cracks appeared in the ice, spider-webbing outward from where I stood.

The Colossus stumbled, its connection to the land weakening. Its roar was less powerful now, more desperate as it struggled to maintain control. But I wasn’t done yet.

With a final surge of power, I released the ice magic, sending a shockwave through the ground. The ice beneath the Colossus shattered, collapsing into a deep chasm that I had created. The creature let out one last roar before it tumbled into the abyss, its massive form swallowed by the frozen earth.

The valley was silent once more.

I stood slowly, my breath visible in the cold air as I surveyed the battlefield. The Colossus was gone, its connection to the Aetheric Flow severed. Leira and Sari stood nearby, both of them breathing heavily, but they were unharmed.

"You... you did it," Sari said, her voice filled with disbelief.

I sheathed my sword, feeling the cold magic still lingering in the air. "We did it," I corrected her. "But this was just one battle. The Wastes aren’t done with us yet."

Leira nodded, though her eyes were still wide with the shock of what had just happened. "You handled that magic like it was nothing," she said quietly.

I didn’t respond. I wasn’t about to tell her how difficult it had been—how much focus and control it had required to bend the ice to my will. The ice magic was still unfamiliar to me, and even though I could master it quickly, it wasn’t the same as fire or the other elements I had learned. It required patience, precision, and a deep understanding of the land itself.

And I was still learning.

"Let’s keep moving," I said, turning away from the broken ground where the Colossus had fallen. "There’s more to this place than just one creature."

As we continued our journey through the Frozen Wastes, I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were being watched. The Aetheric Flow was still disturbed, and the magic of this land was far from done with us.

But I would be ready for whatever came next.