Chapter 351 - A Palace of Ice (Patreon)

Zeke led a column of hardy warriors – both former slaves and kobolds alike – across the tundra, using his colossal form to break a trail for the group. He would have preferred if everyone had simply remained in the tower where they would be safe – or more importantly, so he wouldn’t have to worry about them – but when he’d brought his wishes to light, they’d been met with scoffing derision. A few of the former slaves had even been offended that he thought they needed his protection.

In a way, Zeke understood it. Most of them were nearly twice his level, and even if he wielded an uncommon level of power, they still thought themselves, if not his superior, then at least his equal.

“That’s because you haven’t shown everything you can do,” Eveline remarked. “I can promise you – just one use of that Worldbreaker technique, and they’d fall into line. Or kill a couple of the surlier ones.”

Zeke didn’t respond to her advice. Nor did she, by this point, truly expect him to. In fact, Zeke suspected that she only spoke to hear herself talk. Or because she was terrified of being left in silence.

She harumphed at that notion, saying that she wasn’t afraid of anything. They both knew that wasn’t true, because Eveline’s emotions often seeped through their curious bond. Zeke was well aware of just how scared she really was. Being left alone for countless years as a splintered spirit had taken its toll on her psyche.

“Or maybe I’m just trying to get through that thick skull of yours,” she said.

“Sure. Maybe,” Zeke said without conviction as he continued along. Somewhere up ahead, the scouts had discovered something interesting. “You think this might be what we’re looking for?”

Eveline gave a mental shrug. “There’s no telling. Probably a dud like the last few spikes in ice mana,” she answered. “But here’s to hoping.”

Indeed, almost three weeks had passed since their encounter with the shard wolves, and in that time, they’d gradually made their way across the tundra. Traversal of the inhospitable environment was slow going in the best of times, but it seemed that they’d left Min Ferilik in the middle of winter, which meant t hat the already difficult weather had become deadly. It was to the point where the weaker members of the group were forced to remain within the tower; if they came outside, they’d freeze to death in minutes.

However, the time had been well spent, and they’d discovered multiple areas of concentrated ice mana. Some were occupied by other creatures like the shard wolves, but none had been terribly powerful. But each one they found seemed stronger than the last, leading Zeke to feel like they were following a trail.

“I just hope it’s not more ice spiders,” he said with a shiver. There was just something about arachnids that made him uncomfortable, and that feeling was exacerbated when the creatures spun webs of frost that were strong enough to snare even him. If it hadn’t been for Sasha’s quick spellwork – relatively speaking – that ice spider den would have done them all in. But she’d really come through with a spell that sent a wave of fire across the nest, melting the frost webs and rendering the spiders themselves sluggish. After that Zeke and the kobolds had destroyed them with ease.

Unfortunately, they hadn’t found any significant natural treasures.

“Yet,” Eveline reminded him.

“Yet,” Zeke agreed. It was only a matter of time before they found what they needed, and once they did, they could leave the accursed tundra behind. Zeke wasn’t certain when he’d decided to remain in the wastes until he got a supreme natural treasure; at first, he’d only intended to search the immediate area of the shard wolf attack, but each time they found a lower-quality treasure, he’d told himself, “Just one more.”

And “just one more” had become a dozen or more lesser treasures and weeks’ worth of travel through the tundra. Soon, he expected his followers to start grumbling.

“If they don’t like it, they can leave,” Eveline said. “Everyone except that delightful pig girl. We hang onto her no matter what.”

Zeke resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he replied, “She is not a ‘pig girl’. She’s a boarkin.”

“What’s the difference?”

“Pig girl just sounds disrespectful.”

“Whatever. My point is that she stays. Everyone else can go. Except those useful kobolds that seem to worship you,” she amended. “Those can stay, too. You can never have too much adoration or devoted followers.”

Zeke ignored that, too. He didn’t think the kobolds actually worshipped him, but however they regarded him, it came far too close to Eveline’s assessment for his comfort. So, he’d chosen to ignore it. Of course, he fully intended to continue supporting and guiding them, but he had no desire to replace Mikaena.

“What you just described in your own mind is exactly what she did,” Eveline pointed out. “You realize that, right? Do you think they’ll start calling you Father?”

“God, that’s disturbing.”

Thankfully, Zeke didn’t have to consider that for very long before his thoughts were interrupted by Pudge’s arrival. He had taken to accompanying the scouts on their various forays into the icy tundra, claiming that he was learning quite a bit from the little lizard people. Considering Pudge’s fascination with stealth, Zeke didn’t doubt it, either. Besides, he liked having Pudge along because the kobold rangers’ reports were often lacking in the sorts of details he found important. They were great so long as they had detailed instructions – or with broad strokes – but asking them to think for themselves was a tall order.

It was just further proof that, even if some of the kobolds had progressed to the point of becoming sapient creatures, the majority of them were still a long way off. Still, there were a few individual rangers who could rival Silik or Kianma in the realm of intelligence.

“We found something,” Pudge stated with preamble as he fell into step beside Zeke. He had little trouble forging his own path through the snow, and the cold didn’t seem to bother him very much. One of the benefits of having fur, no doubt.

“We should keep him around, too. He’s a bit rough around the edges, but –”

“I’d get rid of you before I even considering leaving Pudge behind,” Zeke remarked.

“Well, that’s just rude.”

“Just being honest,” he inwardly responded. Then, aloud, he said, “What was it?”

“A…castle,” Pudge said. “Made of ice.”

“Oh, that is interesting,” said Eveline. “I’ve never been much for grandstanding and palaces, but there’s something to be said for making a statement with your home.”

“How far?” Zeke asked, coming to a halt.

“Not far. Maybe…two or three hours.”

Pudge still hadn’t mastered the concept of time, but he was making good progress. His verbal ability was growing as well, which just proved how intelligent he had become.

With everyone coming to a halt, a few of Zeke’s closest allies approached. Jasper looked as good-natured as ever – a disparity, considering how bedraggled he was. Tundra life did not agree with the elf. Silik, like all the other kobolds, seemed to be in just as bad of shape; he and his people had never really ventured outside of their caves, and so, dealing with the weather was a novel experience. But none had born the weight of the tundra so poorly as Eta, the dryad who’d first welcomed Zeke into the fighting pits.

Her leaf-like hair was wilted and colorless, and her bark had frozen. Still, she had never complained. In fact, she’d rarely said anything unless asked for her opinion. The death of her closest companion – and the fact that she had been the one forced to kill him – had nearly broken her.  But she had tried to help Zeke, and so, he felt obligated to include her in his inner circle.

“Why have we stopped?” asked Silik.

“I could do with a rest myself,” said Jasper with a sigh. Eta remained silent.

“I think we all could use that,” Zeke acknowledged. The tundra had taken a lot out of them, especially since no one had been in the best shape after the battle in Min Ferilik. For his part, Pudge’s journey had been just as difficult. “But we can’t for now.”

After that, Zeke let Pudge explain – in his halting way – what he had seen. Situated in the middle of a glacier, the icy castle was only a few hours away. However, even if the distance wasn’t an issue, the environment was.

“I could get close,” he said. “The little ones could not. Too cold.”

Silik bristled at the evaluation of his people, but he couldn’t really disagree. The little kobold rangers were good at what they did, but durable, they were not. Still, that didn’t mean he had to like it.

“What do you wish to do, my friend?” asked Jasper.

“Well, we’re obviously going there,” Zeke stated. “I just need to know who’s coming with me.”

“I will not,” said Eta. “If the environment is as…Pudge describes, I would not survive the journey, much less whatever is in that palace.”

Pudge volunteered to go, as did Silik. Jasper, however, was noncommittal. “What do we stand to gain?” he asked. “We have been wandering around, running from one end of this tundra to the other for weeks now.”

That’s when Zeke realized that he owed everyone an explanation. So, he summoned the tower and, after he’d directed everyone inside, he led his group of companions to the manor. Once they were settled in around a cozy fire he’d started in the den’s fireplace, he said, “I have another quest.”

“Oh?” said Jasper, a twinkle in his eye. Obviously, he had suspected as much, and he’d only wanted the details. “Do tell.”

So, Zeke told them what the quest required and his suspicions concerning the quality of the treasures he needed. Finally, he said, “I think that the better the treasures are, the more significant the upgrade will be. So, that’s what we’re looking for – something special. And I think that ice palace is where we’re going to find it.”

Silik asked, “And you think this…Hall of Affinity will help us?”

“I do,” Zeke said.

“Then we continue to serve.”

Zeke sighed. “I don’t need servants, Silik.”

“And yet we serve.”

“You’re fighting a losing battle there, chief,” said Eveline.

“Ugh. Don’t say ‘chief’,” Zeke groaned in his mental voice. That had been one of his father’s favorite words, and he’d never associated it with good things.

Thankfully, Eveline got the hint and said, “Fine. My point is that there’s still a long way to go before the kobolds get where you want them to go. Just be patient.”

Zeke didn’t respond. Instead, he looked at Jasper and asked, “So? You in?”

Jasper nodded. “Palaces usually mean valuables,” he said. “And I am not above liberating a few choice items. For the greater good, of course.”

Zeke chuckled. “For the greater good,” he said. Then, he asked Pudge if he wanted to come, and the former dire bear just looked at him like he’d gone insane.

“Of course. Sasha will come too,” he said.

“Don’t you dare put that beautiful pig girl in danger!” Eveline mentally screeched.

“Shut up. And I told you about calling her that. If Pudge wants her to come, she’s coming,” he told the mind spirit. Then, he asked aloud, “Can she handle it?”

“She is tough,” Pudge answered. “She will be fine.”

So, with that decided, the group went their separate ways to make preparations. Silik insisted upon bringing a few centurions and Kianma along, while Pudge went to gather Sasha. The porcine girl had recovered well from her expenditure, but she’d rarely left the tower in the intervening days. Pudge claimed that she was working on her spellcraft as well as her path, though Zeke hadn’t interacted with her enough to know whether or not that was true. He hoped it was; he needed allies who were willing to work.

“Especially when that ally is a sorceress with nearly limitless potential,” remarked Eveline as Zeke rested. He didn’t have to gather anything, after all.

Eventually, everyone was ready, and the group set out. Silik, along with a pair of hulking centurions, led the way while Zeke took the next spot. Jasper was in the center so that his skills could affect the whole group, while Pudge, Sasha, and the spiritweaver Kianma brought up the rear. Otherwise, everyone else remained behind at the tower.

Like that, they made their way through the tundra for two hours before a blizzard overtook them. According to Pudge, it was a permanent fixture surrounding the ice palace, so they forged ahead. Along the way, even Zeke began to feel the effects of the biting cold – at least until Kianman enacted some ritual, powered by her own blood, to protect them from the elements.

When she cut her own hand and raised it to the sky, Zeke hadn’t known what to expect, but a moment later, the entire group was encased in a bubble of red mana. Zeke could feel various attunements, but the most prevalent was vitality.

So protected, they continued on. Finally, after another two hours, they reached their destination when, suddenly, they left the blizzard behind. Before them, perched on an idyllic snowy mountain, was a huge palace of glittering ice.

“Well, you don’t see that every day,” Zeke muttered.

“No. You most assuredly do not,” Eveline said, her voice filled with awe. It was a poignant reminder that, despite her age, the former demoness had never experienced anything outside of the demon realm.

The castle itself reminded Zeke of all the fantasy palaces he’d seen in moves back on Earth, but the structures in his memories felt hollow by comparison. The pieces were similar, but somehow, the whole was far more impressive. Perhaps it was because he was seeing it in person rather than on a screen.

In any case, the group quickly decided that a little surveillance was in order. Predictably, Pudge volunteered to scout things out, and considering that no one else in the group was more qualified, Zeke had no objections. Soon enough, Pudge headed out while the others crowded around and made their mental preparations for what they assumed would be an assault on the palace.

“You always go there,” said Eveline.

“Huh?”

“To knocking down walls and killing people. That’s an unhealthy way to go about living your life.”

“I don’t think I need life advice from a demon.”