The four trudged into the tundra, their cloaks snapping like war banners in the wind. Snow crusted their brows and froze in their lashes, but they pressed on, following the scout’s directions until the earth itself gaped before them. From within, an unrelenting gale of icy wind roared out, as if the world itself were exhaling frost. They exchanged uneasy glances before Rohan stepped forward. A knight who led not with pretty words, but by example, always the first through the breach, the last to retreat. He began the descent into the icy unknown. Ayla followed next. Silent as a shadow and deadly as her arrows, she could pin a fly by its wings at a hundred paces. She drew a deep breath and vanished into the depths behind him. Serena hesitated, stepping back for just a moment. Her palms could seal a wound shut between heartbeats, just as easily as they could peel the flesh from a man’s bones. A steadying hand touched her shoulder. With a nod, she too descended. Last came Torgan. The berserker stood for a moment longer, taking in the tundra around him. Broad as a glacier and just as immovable, his great axe was nicked and stained from battles against horrors that should not exist. When he roared, even the wind held its breath. With a grunt, he followed the others into the fissure. The deeper they went, the colder it became. Strange runes appeared as they descended, faintly glowing and etched into the walls like scars. The same symbols from the prophecy. The same dread pulsing in their veins. Rohan raised a fist, signaling for caution, and the four moved forward, alert and vigilant, as the cave closed in around them.

 

It did not take long for the group to face their first real test. Inhuman growls and snarls echoed down a narrow tunnel ahead. They crept forward, hugging the icy cave walls, until the passage opened into a wide cavern. Inside, a small cluster of ice trolls crouched around a flickering campfire, feasting on the carcass of some unfortunate beast, their jagged teeth glistening in the firelight. Two trolls collapsed mid-bite, arrows jutting from their throats. Panic and confusion erupted from the trolls, searching for their attackers. By the time they saw Serena standing at the tunnel entrance, staff raised in front of her, their flesh began to sear as the fireball exploded on top of them, lighting the cavern in violent orange.

 

Rohan and Torgan charged in before the smoke even cleared, executing any that still clung to life. Shrieks rang out from nearby tunnels, more trolls, drawn by the chaos. They stormed into the cavern only to find Rohan waiting. Shouting and movement came from nearby tunnels, as the rest of the troll pack rushed in to see the commotion. Rohan met them with his hammer, caving in the first troll’s skull with a wet crack, his shield deflecting claws that screeched against steel. Torgan needed no strategy. His battle cry thundered through the cavern, making the stalactites above quiver. He leapt into the fray and blood sprayed with every swing of his axe, painting the ice beneath in crimson streaks. Ayla’s arrows found eyes, throats, hearts. Serena seared limbs to stumps with precise bursts of flame. Howls of pain echoed around the cavern, and moments later, silence. Rohan and Torgan stood panting amidst a ring of corpses, chests heaving, eyes scanning for any further movement. Blood crept sluggishly across the ice, already crystallizing. No words were needed. They pressed deeper.

 

While they moved with caution, their confidence was high. Any creatures they encountered were quickly and clinically dispatched. The first night was tense – resting in a natural alcove within the cavern, taking rotating shifts to keep watch. The second day was more difficult. Sleep had not come easy the night before and the party were eager to make more quick progress. Ayla led the way, searching for signs of movement as she darted between the shadows. The tunnel narrowed again, curving like a frozen serpent before opening into a vast, glimmering chamber. A chasm stretched across the cavern floor, a yawning maw of darkness with a thin sheen of pale-blue ice crusted over it. A faint shimmer lay atop its surface, almost like a warning. Serena inhaled sharply as she took in the daunting sight. Torgan let out a low whistle, scanning the ice ahead of them.

“We’ll need to move carefully over that,” he muttered. “Could take a while.”

Ayla twitched, impatient and eager to delve deeper into the caves.

“May I remind you we have an urgent mission to attend to?” Ayla muttered. “We don’t have time to waste.” Without waiting for a response, she leapt lightly onto the ice and crossed with graceful, silent steps. She turned once on the other side and gestured back. “See? It holds. Come on.”

Light on her feet, Ayla sprinted across the surface with practiced ease, her boots making no sound. She landed softly on the other side, turning to wave them on. “It’s fine! Just don’t drag your feet.” Serena hesitated, frowning at the ice. Rohan adjusted his shield. “Stay light,” he said, stepping cautiously onto the surface. The ice groaned beneath him but held. Serena followed, slow and deliberate. Torgan was last. He grunted, eyeing the crossing warily. Each step made the ice moan beneath his weight. His breath came in short puffs of steam. The others reached the far side as he edged forward.

“Hurry up,” Ayla called. “We’ve got no idea how long–”

A deep snap echoed through the chamber. The ice beneath Torgan shifted, fractures spidering outward.

“Wait!” Rohan shouted, but it was too late.

The ice gave way with a thundering shatter. Torgan roared as he plunged into the darkness, his axe catching the edge for a moment before it vanished after him. Ayla bolted back to the edge, dropping to her knees.

“Torgan!” she screamed into the void, too late to do anything but watch. Only silence answered.