ISMUND

A weak tremor ran through the wooden table as we ate my younger brother’s birthday cake.

It was odd, but my father didn’t seem to mind too much at first, just looking around sharply before taking another bite.

Probably fine.

Shortly after, another rumble shook the ground, even more powerful.

Not, normal.

I looked over at Dad again, with a silent question. He nodded back at me and I stood up from my chair and pulled on my boots and thick shirt.

Another rumble racked the ground. Dishes spewed across the floor breaking and Balder’s cake fell on its side, twelve candles and all. I managed to lean against the wall nearby, but Mom didn’t find any support and fell.

She’ll be okay.

Dad had already thrown on his armour and held his favourite hammer with the door swinging shut behind him

I don’t think it warrants his hammer. We’re just checking outside, it’s not like you can fight an earthquake.

The System interrupted my thoughts.

> [This is not an earthquake.]

What is it then?

I was met with silence. Despite my ignorance, I didn’t spare another moment and headed right for the door. I was met with a blast of cold air and thick snow obscured my vision. I looked down at the large footprints ahead of me.

Straight.

The snow was almost unbearably deep, but I was just able to march through it. After a while, I could tell that I was pretty far behind. I was already going fast, but I picked up my pace.

I’m probably losing ground on him. He’s able to walk through the snow like it’s not even there. Maybe he knows what it is?

After a few minutes of walking with the tremors rocking the ground making me stumble, I finally found his still silhouette looking up into the blizzard.

I don’t see anything.

Another vibration racked the ground, the sound rolling through the air in deep resonant waves. I could feel it through my chest down to my bone marrow.

BOOoOoom.

A cloud of snow exploded in front of us. As it parted, I saw a giant leathery foot with plenty of thick fur wrapping around its ankle emerging. I could only see up to its knee due to its extreme size and the density of the snow all around. There was a gap of nothing but snow, but at the top, If I looked way up, I could see some massive glowing eyes staring down at us with a soulless gaze.

Dad didn’t take a single step back, but he did look at me with his piercing blue eyes, and black hair whipping around his head.

“Go to the southern town. leave with you’re mother and Balder. ”

I grunted and pinched my brows together with a grimace. He probably couldn’t hear me over the wind, but leaving was answer enough.

He’ll beat it and we’ll meet after. Or maybe he’ll scare it off. That’s more realistic. There’s some other Hunters in the town that could help him with it, a lot actually.

I took one last look behind me as I left. He had jumped up and was slamming his massive metal hammer into the back of the creature’s knee.

I resumed my pace and tore across the ground toward the house. As I neared ours, I could see people scrambling about shouts piercing what would’ve been a peaceful night. Some were heading straight for the monster, like Dad, and others were collecting their things to leave. The snow was picking up, already covering my old tracks. It was piling up by the second and it wasn’t getting any easier to get through. Now that they were fighting, the monster was making all sorts of debris fly and it was getting worse by the moment. When the house was back in sight pieces of ice and stone were flying all around. I ran up to the door. The snow was up to the handle and I couldn’t open it.

I’ll try the window.

Climbed over to one nearby, unlatched it and tumbled into the house. I hit my knee on the hard counter sending shocks of pain up my leg.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“We have to leave, now! We’re going to the southern town. Hop in the dog sled.”

The town will probably be wrecked. I don’t know that we’ll come back.

I just hoped they heard, they were probably in the basement. It was pretty safe down there. I climbed back out the window I came from.

Ah, right.

I spun around.

“Use the windows!”

After that, I headed straight over to the dog house where there was lots of loud barking and whining. There was a large stone lodged in its now caved-in wall. As soon as I got inside I saw Gibson, one of the dogs, was dead already. His head was crushed under the boulder. His body was still spasaming despite that. I fought back some tears for him as my face screwed up. Still, I made sure the rest of the dogs were out along with the dog sled. We needed to leave.

Bear and Coco were ready to lead the team already and everything was secured correctly. We were all just waiting on Mum and Balder. Time slowly, oh so slowly, ticked on as I waited for them. I was impatiently looking around and double-checking the dogs were strapped in.

Where are they? Should I go i-

Finally, I saw Balder run over with his thick coat wrapped tightly around him, he was holding a backpack.

“I’ll take that. You get in.”, I told him.

I waited impatiently for a while longer but mum was still missing.

Crash!

A giant boulder smashed into the side of our house caving it in. Splinters of wood flung everywhere and our chimney collapsed

I looked pointedly at Balder.

“Where is she?”

“I don’t know!” he looked at the house nervously, “She was trying to open the floorboards or something last I saw. She should be out any time!”

Balder was right, she was out soon. She was bruised and came hurdling through the snow with a handsome box tucked tightly under the crook of her arm. We could leave soon.

Just a few more seconds. Then we can leave before something else happens.

I glanced at the crushed dog house and then back in her direction. Her foot caught on her skirt and she tripped. She didn’t move her hands to catch herself, opting to hold onto the box. She got up again wincing and kept jogging forward.

Just a little faster! Please.

Mum smiled at us and waved with her one free hand. Another massive boulder flew through the sky and slammed into her shoulder.

Splat

It only lost its momentum once it filled her broken ribcage instead of her organs.

I rushed over to her, abandoning the sled, and Balder’s shaking hand clutching my sleeve. Once we were beside her I gave her a carefull look over. The light was gone from her eyes, there was no steam coming from her mouth, she wasn’t even twitching: she was dead.

Tears streamed down my face as I looked over to sweet Balder show was trying to reassure her body.

“Mom! Are you okay?” He was holding her rapidly cooling hand tightly as he kneeled down, “We’ll make you all better. Just, just… we’ll get you in the sled and once you’re in the town you’ll be all fixed!”

His eyes were glazed over as he said all of this looking around frantically. His eyes landed on the boulder.

“I’ll get this off of you first.”, Balder said between choking sobs, not fully comprehending the situation.

He stood up on shaky legs and started to try to roll the boulder off of her. It was… I didn’t have words for it.

I grabbed his shoulder.

“Stop, please, stop.” I took a deep breath, “She’s gone, Balder.” I looked down at the box in front of her and grabbed it. I didn’t know what it was, but she obviously cared about it. My hands were shaking so badly it was hard to hold it. I placed my free hand on his shoulder and tried to look him in they eyes. He wouldn’t meet mine.

Balder looked back at me stricken and looked like he didn’t fully understand.

“She can see a doctor and it’ll all be bett-”

I cut him off and shook him.

“We have to go now! We can say bye to her later… when we come back.”

I can’t stay here and let him get killed too.

Balder wasn’t moving and another chunk of ice slammed right next to the sled making the dogs jump and bark even louder. A few growled at the ice.

Seeing no other options, I dragged Balder over to the sled and shoved him inside. He didn’t have any cold resistance yet, he needed to be in the passenger seat with the blanket. It would also be good for him to not stare at mum’s… corpse. It was still sinking in for me too.

“Mush!”

The dogs sprinted ahead into the encroaching night and icy snowflakes.

Balder was crying now, burying his head in his arms. I didn’t know how to comfort him. I was having a hard enough time myself. Silent tears painted my face as I thought about her. She was so lovely, kind, considerate, and had a good head on her shoulders too. Hours went by and eventually, I couldn’t see my hands in front of me. I didn’t see any time when I’d see her again in the future either. Not while I’m alive at least.

* * *

Balder yelled something over to me, but it was lost to the harsh wind.

“What?” I croaked over the wind.

“I said, how much longer do you think the team can go? They’ve been running for so long. How do they know where we going? There aren’t any land markers we can see and there’s nothing to smell!”

We’re probably lost… he’s right. They probably need a break.

“Woah!”, I commanded the dogs to stop. It took a few tries but eventually the sled came to a halt.

“… maybe the storm will pass over,” I mumbled to myself.

I waited for a few hours and made sure I had the box Mum had securely in our leather backpack, but nothing changed and Balder was shivering. There was a spare cloak in here, but his jacket was much more suited to the weather. I waited a while longer but only came to one conclusion.

We need to keep going.

“Mush!”

We jerked forward again and we were going a bit faster than they were before they took a break. They were also probably eager to leave. We kept covering the ground for another hour or so. Suddenly I heard Coco and Bear barking and whining as the sled slowed down. It didn’t stop completely thought.

What’s happening?

We continued sliding forward and more and more of the dogs started yapping their hearts in distress. Finally, I felt the sled tilt forward and found out what the ruckus was all about. We were on the edge of a cliff.

I noticed too late. I reached forward to try to pull Balder out but we still fell. I heard the dogs smack against the stone. I was flung forward and Balder was sent back towards the cliff face with a sickening thud.

I was hurtling through the air until a loud crack of ice filled the air and I was underneath the frozen river’s surface. Everything went black.