Jeze and Helga ran as fast as they could. Barreling down after them was the Frost Hag. The mother of the Ice Giants was going to catch them no matter how hard they pumped their legs. But not much further. The plan will work! Jeze told herself, and she could almost feel the tip of the Frost Hag’s spear. Doubt gnawed at her bones, but she kept running. To Helga’s credit, the warrior maiden did not crack under the pressure and ran as hard as she could despite the closeness of their demigod pursuer.

“You can not flee from me. I will catch you and freeze your blood!” The Frost Hag cried.

Jeze and Helga kept running.

“The last thing you will see is your heart bursting from your chest!” The monster promised.

Jeze and Helga turned a corner, which gave them a few seconds more distance from the monster. Their hearts rose up when they saw a thick mist materialize just ahead of them. That was Mikal’s work! They ran through the mist, and out of the corner of her eye, Jeze saw Mikal complete the final Glyph, and the mists flash froze into an opaque wall of ice.

Mikal’s ice wall parted like a curtain for the Frost Hag. “So you two are not alone. Good, that would be more to my collection!”

Jeze struck the monster with fire darts. The Frost Hag howled in rage and gave chase. Mikal had created two ice walls, and when Freyja ran after Jeze, the second wall melted into the ether. Hidden behind it was Helga and Mikal.

“You think it worked, ya?” Helga asked.

The Healer shrugged and said, “It has to work. Otherwise, we are all dead.”

Helga slapped the dark-haired man on the shoulder that, nearly sent him stumbling to the floor. “Come on, Micky! Have faith!”

Mikal scowled at the warrior maiden, and the two ran off toward their next designated spot. Jeze and Dunar planned all of this. They were crazy to think they could face a demigod. Mikal thought to himself. With an inward sigh, he realized, we are crazy! He was mixed up in all of this, too.

Jeze ran and turned down the labyrinth of caves and tunnels with the Frost Hag close on her heels. She experienced a momentary feeling of intense doubt. What if she ran the wrong way? She could end up in a dead end! Fear gripped her heart, but she pushed it down. Jeze needed to trust her abilities and to trust her team. The Frost Hag screamed and yelled threats of painful deaths. The monster was furious! Good! In order for this plan to work, they needed to keep Freyja off balance and enraged. Jeze was now in the translucent ice corridors where the frozen adventurers lined the sides. But something was off. The frozen adventurers were no longer encased! They moved to intercept her. Behind Jeze, the Frost Hag cackled. It was a sinister sound that sent chills up one’s soul.

“You see how futile it is? This is my realm! You will join my collection!” Freyja promised.

Jeze weaved in between grasping hands and clumsily swung weapons as a dozen zombie adventurers lumbered after her. Of course one of Freyja’s aspects would be Necromancy! The Proven did say she studied the dark arts! Jeze scolded herself for not anticipating this. This could be bad! Jeze readied her battle axe in her right hand and held her Fire aspect channeling rod in her left. She used the rod to deflect a clumsy sword thrust, and with her axe, she removed the zombie adventurer’s arm.

“Sorry!” She said and hoped that they were not alive.

Then grief squeezed at her heart like a dragon’s grasping claw. What if she had to fight the zombie forms of Rainbow and Swordslayer? Could she even strike them? No, it would be the end of her, Jeze realized with fear and sadness. The zombie adventurers shambled and lacked the skills they had in life. The undead were numerous, and they succeeded in slowing Jeze down enough for the Frost Hag to catch up! In the corner of her eye, Jeze saw the monster come after her.

“Here is where you die!” The Frost Hag cried and lunged with a spear.

Jeze slid under the attack, the ice covered spear blade was mere inches from her face. So close that Jeze saw her own reflection in it. She ran up a wall and jumped off it to flip away from the Frost Hag. Jeze landed and weaved through the clumsy attacks of a few zombies while she shaped the final glyphs with her Fire rod to Summon and Shape flames. The Frost Hag barreled after her, and Jeze struck the monster with fire. Freyja hissed and flinched back, which gave Jeze enough time to sprint away. A zombie adventurer armed with a short spear stood in front of Jeze and tried to stab her. With her Fire aspect channeling rod, she deflected the spearhead and removed the zombie’s head with her axe.

“Sorry!” she said as she ran past, and the zombie adventurer fell to its knees.

Jeze was worried that if she continued to use the rod, she would damage the engraved Runes and not be able to Summon the Fire aspect. But she pushed that concern down. Not much further ahead was the first of the traps. Jeze heard the Frost Hag closing the distance between them. Freyja moved fast! Jeze reflected with a quick glance to confirm that the Frost Hag was getting close enough to stab her with the ice spear. Good, Freyja was charging recklessly after her.

“I hope this works,” Jeze mumbled to herself as she leaped to avoid triggering the security disc trap.

A mere moment later, she felt the intense heat as the Fire Rune trap was triggered, and the hallway was engulfed in flames. Jeze paused to risk a glance back. The Frost Hag howled in pain as she stumbled out of the flames. Jeze noticed that the Hag looked weaker, just like when they had injured the Night Mistress. Wounds and scars appeared along the Frost Hag’s once unblemished blue skin. Jeze recognized the marks of Swordslayer’s parallel blade attacks and the dark spider-like veins that marked Rainbow’s poison attacks. They almost defeated her! Jeze knew it.

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“I will make you suffer,” the Frost Hag rasped as Runes flared along the monster’s skin.

Jeze felt the familiar sensation in her head. The monster was using the Mind aspect! Jeze immediately worked to push out the Hag’s magic. But it was too late. The Hag tilted her head and grinned evilly.

“I sense something familiar in your heart. Vengeance is it? Against me? Why is that? Aww yes, there is someone in my collection that is close to you? I wonder who?” The Frost Hag hissed as she twirled her fingers.

More adventurer zombies shambled out of their imprisonment. Jeze even heard fighting echo off the hallways as her teammates engaged in combat. The Frost Hag cackled as she unleashed her frozen army! Jeze focused her panicked mind back to the task at hand, and she launched a fire dart that struck the monster in its laughing face.

“You will die!” The Frost Hag shrieked and charged.

Good, let her come after me. Jeze thought to herself as she led the Frost Hag down the ice corridors. Jeze’s mind was zeroed in to complete one task. That was to kill this bitch! She weaved seamlessly through the attacking zombies and fought with axe and fire. Jeze’s emotions and rage allowed her to touch upon Mastery once again. She led the Frost Hag to another Fire Rune trap, and the monster blindly rushed into it. Once again, the hallway was engulfed in flames, and this time, the Hag stumbled to her knees.

“You will die!” The Frost Hag rasped.

Jeze weaved glyphs into the air and struck the Frost Hag several times with fire darts. The monster rose up and gave chase. One final turn, Jeze thought to herself, and she led the monster into the chamber where the Proven waited. Currently, her teammates were fighting against a small horde of zombie adventurers. The Frost Hag cackled.

“Good, we are all together now!” The monster shrieked. Her voice echoed off the ice walls.

Jeze turned to face the Hag with sword and axe at the ready. No more running. This was it.

“You will not flee from me?” The Frost Hag hissed.

Jeze responded by shouting, “For Glory!”

“Hurrah!” Her team chanted back.

Mikal had completed the final glyphs for the Vitality Spring. The whole team glowed faintly with power. All the cards were played. The Proven were going all out! With a howl of fury and grief, Jeze charged the Frost Hag. Freyja was shocked by the sudden ferocity and stumbled back. The Hag jabbed her spear at Jeze, who deflected the thrusts with sword and axe and closed the distance. Dunar and Rolfe held back the wave of zombies with shields and weapons as Helga circled around the Frost Hag.

Jeze was forced back by the Hag’s deadly spear, but Helga was able to land a devastating blow that buckled the Hag’s legs. Mikal struck the monster with spears of ice. The Frost Hag rose and twirled her weapon, which forced Jeze and Helga to retreat. Wounds slowly closed on the Frost Hag’s skin, but she was weakened.

“You are dying,” Jeze said.

The Frost Hag glared with red eyes that dripped with fury. She charged Jeze, and the teenager deftly avoided the spear attacks. The Frost Hag’s furious assault left her exposed, and Helga struck again with her Dane axe that chipped deeply into the ice-hard skin. Helga retreated when the Hag faced her, and this allowed Jeze to land a blow of her own. That was the strategy for the two to move in and out, and when they were both away, Mikal struck the Hag with spears of ice.

Jeze saw that Rainbow and Swordslayer were still frozen in the ice as all the other adventures shambled out. This sparked hope in her chest. A hope that felt like a warm fire during the cold of winter. Maybe they were still a chance to save them!

The Frost Hag’s ice-hard skin fell off in pieces. Her magic was fading. In the final exchange, the Frost Hag roared and went after Jeze. Helga’s axe removed the monster’s leg, and the creature collapsed to the ground. Jeze pounced and forced the creature onto its back.

“Release my friends,” Jeze demanded.

The Frost Hag cackled and searched around with her red eyes. “Friends? There are more than one. Ahh, yes, those two.”

“Do it!” Jeze demanded again, this time pressing her sword harder into the Hag’s throat.

Freyja laughed and replied, “I can do that. But you will have to choose. One of your friends can be free, but the other shall remain trapped with me.”

Jeze hesitated. Conflict burned in her heart. Who should she choose? She cared for both.

Freyja laughed with glee. “I see the pain on your face! You must choose”

Jeze felt bad for the Frost Hag. The monster had so much pain in her heart that she only found joy by spreading more pain. Freyja was lost to rage, and there was no coming back for her. Jeze shook her head.

“No,” she replied, and with a chop of her axe, she removed the Frost Hag’s head while it was still sneering.

“Jeze! What have you done?” Helga demanded.

“What about your friends?” Mikal asked.

With the Hag’s control gone, the Zombies aimlessly shambled about. Some returned to the walls, and others walked away.

Jeze shook her head and replied, “If she was able to free one, that means there is a way to free both. I will not be tied down by her terms.”

Dunar nodded and asked Rolfe, “Help me with them.”

The two large Frostsworn warriors gathered the frozen bodies of Swordslayer and Rainbow.

“What now?” Mikal asked.

“We search her chambers,” Jeze said.

She was tired from the fighting, from running, and from the grief. Jeze was not able to look at the frozen bodies of her friends as Dunar and Rolfe carried them. The next moments were a blur to Jeze. The team went deeper into the ice caves to where Helga and Jeze first encountered the Frost Hag. The team searched the room and found a room behind the throne that was filled with gems and treasure. Mikal’s eyes lit up.

“There is so much here for us to search through!” The Healer exclaimed.

The others remained somber as they searched. There were tomes and books and a journal beside the Frost Hag’s throne. All of this would have useful information, but Jeze was numb.

Helga tapped her on the shoulder and said, “Jezie, look at this.”

In another chamber further in was a glimmering Threshold.

“The exit portal,” Jeze said.

“That is what Freyja was guarding,” Dunar observed. He turned to Jeze and asked, “Can you repurpose it?”

Jeze was looking at the bodies of Swordslayer and Rainbow. Tears dripped down her cheeks.

“There is a chance they can be saved. Their bodies and Will were strong,” Mikal assured her.

Jeze nodded and went to work. In moments the Portal was repurposed and allowed for two way travel. Dunar nodded.

“This would make an ideal Safe Zone,” he observed.

Mikal gripped Jeze by her shoulders. “Have hope. Let us go and see what we can do for your friends. At the very least, they will have a proper burial.”

Jeze hugged the Healer and sobbed into his chest.