Conquering His Cold Heart

Once again the group ran towards Icethorne as fast they possibly could and soon Gageus, his two close companions and the other frost giants moving in from the west, east and south lost sight of them.

"Fuck!" Gageus roared out in anger. The wounds Frost left across his arms and legs violently spurt out blood, dyeing both his own blue skin and those of his comrades ruby red. The pain was extreme, but his fury was even greater.

"Gageus don't flail around you'll only make it worse." One of the frost giants who caught him loudly ordered while the other one moved to restrain him.

"Bastard! I'll kill him and eat his flesh!" Gageus fury continued to rise, his body struggling against his comrades as a viciousness filled his gaze.

"Bring me back to the temple!" His two comrades trembled upon hearing his order, knowing full well of his reasoning. Though they needed to head back to the crevasse anyway to report their failure and treat Gageus' injuries they knew that wasn't the reason he gave that order.

"Understood." The two of them nodded their heads and accepted the order, grabbing hold of Gageus gently from the side and carrying him back to the crevasse, where their tribe lived and thrived.

While Gageus was carried to safety by his two comrades Frost and his group were able to make great distance, gradually closing the gap between them and Icethorne however Frost was anything but relieved. His strength and capabilities were surely known now to the local hegemons.

"Faster Kiba we need to make it to Icethorne before they move!"

"Garow!" Kiba chuffed and forced himself to pick up speed at the expense of stamina. Borris and Avira were forced to hold themselves even tighter against the tiger's back lest they wished to be thrown off.

"Frost what are our chances?" Eventually Borris asked the big question with a heavy heart. He was experienced enough to realise the situation they were in and to pick up on the state of their most powerful protector.

"…I'm not going to lie, it's not good. The one I took down was almost at B-rank, meaning whoever comes at us next will be equivalent to my level possibly even higher." Frost himself was almost breaching into the mid stages of B-rank and was far more capable than most at his level but he was just one person, one person who had to protect others rather than fighting solo.

At this point Borris and Avira were truly deadweight, their existence limiting his options.

Borris was his friend and Avira well he promised General Anya and Luna that he'd safely escort her to Icethorne, he had his pride and honour but….if there was absolutely no choice then he'd have to abandon them to save his own skin, a choice he dreaded even thinking about but currently a distinct possibility.

"Haaaaaa if it comes down to it lad don't feel guilty, I'm old and I've lived a good life. I'll gladly sacrifice this body of mine if it'll ensure the future of the younger generation." With a deep sigh Borris volunteered to lay down his life, hoping to take a weight off Frost's shoulders.

The Glacial mountains were classified as a danger zone for a reason. Lives were lost each and every day, a common occurrence, one that Borris knew and accepted going in.

"Borris?" Avira turned her head to look at Borris in confusion, failing to catch onto the gravity of the situation at hand, still completely certain in Frost's capabilities.

"Just promise me that you'll protect V. She's too young to die and has so much to do for Northrend." Borris looked at the young princess with a gentle kindness, the same way he looked at his granddaughters. He'd grown really fond of her during their journey together.

"….." Frost was silent for a few seconds as he took in Borris' stance and endured his determined gaze. He bit his lower lip in frustration, his words struggling to leave his throat.

"….Haaaaaa very well I give you my word Borris but we're not there yet." Eventually he succumbed to the old dwarf's will and promised to protect Avira.

"I know but it's best to be prepared beforehand." A moment's hesitation could spell the end after all.

Avira who had just caught on had tears streaming down her cheeks, she lamented her weakness, her inability to protect herself let alone one of her citizens.

The four continued with their journey, counting every single metre they crossed and every minute that passed.

Eventually after almost 2 hours the boundary was in sight. A massive landscape of a mountain range stretching across the horizon and piercing beyond the clouds boldly separated the external and inner regions of the Glacial mountains.

Dead ahead between two mountains in a large gap that stretched several kilometres wide allowing those from either side to pass through was an entrenched fortress.

They were still too far to make anything out but even then Frost could tell that it was an absolute monstrosity, an impassable bulwark that kept the kingdoms and empires within the inner regions at bay as well as their personal beacon of sanctuary. Just a little longer and they'd make it.

It was impossible to stop a sense of relief from festering in their hearts as the distant image of the fortress came into view but as if waiting for that exact moment disaster struck.

"Not another step little kitty cat." Suddenly a booming voice tinged with a dense aura and bloodlust reverberated around them. Borris and Avira nearly passed out from the pressure while Kiba painfully groaned, his body feeling 3 times heavier and radiating fear, he struggled to disobey the voice.

"Ignore her Kiba!" Frost was the only one not pressured by the voice and replied with his own aura, forcing back the aggressor's pressure.

"Tsk that wasn't a request!" The low yet clearly female voice roared again this time with an even stronger aura as well as a physical attack.

A fierce looking harpoon was launched from the distance, piercing through obscuring snowfall to target Kiba's hindquarters. The enemy intended to take away his legs, forcibly preventing him from taking another step.

Frost with his battle instincts fully activated covered his glaive and arm in chakra before slashing at the oncoming harpoon. He was no longer holding back in the slightest, his aura was flowing through his body and weapon like water, enhancing his every move, adding density, speed, resilience and the ability to compete against another's aura.

Frost was stronger, faster and more durable when his aura flowed like this, but the state was rather draining, an empowered mode that he could only use for a short period of time.

His aura and chakra enhanced glaive struck against the harpoon that travelled faster than sound.

Boom!

There was cataclysmic explosion of air when the two weapons clashed, and Frost visibly winced as a strong force ran up his arm and nearly popped out his shoulder. Kiba who was the supporting foundation was blown backwards by the explosion, all four of his feet becoming airborne as he drifted back close to ten metres.

The momentum behind that harpoon was terrifying, just a single throw with no skill or even chakra, just pure physical strength and aura managed to make Frost grimace and knock Kiba off his feet. This opponent truly wasn't someone Frost could hold back against.

"Huh?" The enemy however was rather shocked by the situation. Her spear failed to pierce the tiger's rear in fact it failed to pierce anything. She gazed at Frost as if trying to see through his secrets.

'Interesting.' She internally said before slowly revealing herself from behind heavy snow fall and boulders of ice.

The woman was a frost giant but far larger than Gageus and even Valend, standing roughly 12 maybe even 13 metres tall. She was covered in muscle and wore rather primitive, barbarian like attire. Crude leather and fur pelts along with monster bone armour. Her main weapon was a hammer fashioned of bone and ice, that likely weighed hundreds of kilograms.

She was a frightening individual that screamed power, strength and wild brutality. The several scars across her torso, face and legs certainly didn't help to soften her appearance, she well and truly a wild warrior. There was however some semblance in her face to Gageus, perhaps they were related.

When the woman was revealed in all her glory Avira and Borris visibly trembled, their instincts immediately setting off alarm bells. This woman was strong, impossibly strong.

Borris frowned heavily as he gazed at her massive hammer knowing full well that his plate armour would fail to endure such an impact.

Not wanting to entertain this woman with a dance Frost subtly ordered Kiba with their soul connection to keep running, he'd handle her aura as well as any projectiles sent their way.

Kiba didn't even chuff of growl in reply instead the moment his feet touched the snow covered ground he continued his charge north, towards Icethorne.

"Acha I wouldn't do that if I were you." The female frost giant said with an evil smirk and a moment later nearly a dozen javelins flew in the air, all targeting Kiba.

"Shit stop!" Frost ordered Kiba to immediately stop, allowing him to avoid some of the javelins while the rest were slashed by his glaive or slightly redirected by an ice shield or three.

Kiba tried to run again once all the javelins had been brought down but another volley was immediately sent his way ruling that out.

Frost and the group were thus forced to face off against this massive frost giant as well as the several frost giants that stood hidden in the vicinity. From the javelins and his own senses Frost surmised that their enemy's numbers stood at roughly a dozen perhaps more, terrible odds.