The smoke curled away, and the night's silence shattered into ragged breaths.
I felt blood spatter onto my cheek—warm, heavy—before it disappeared into the snow, vanishing in red blossoms against the white. A sharp chill cut across my skin as the wind carried it away.
Hedric stood in front of us, back torn open, coat in tatters. Blood poured down him in rivers. He swayed, but didn't fall. His body swayed, but he didn't fall.
Celia turned her head slowly, her trembling eyes taking it all in—then her scream ripped the forest wide open.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
"HEDRIC!" My father's voice cracked like lightning, torn from his chest. He stumbled forward in panic—only to freeze.
The demon raised its palm with chaos magic.
A single gesture. Cruel. Measured. Enough to still my father in place, his body locked mid-step. The thing's grin stretched wider, jagged teeth gleaming like knives. My father's jaw clenched tight, fury twisting his face into something almost unrecognizable—anger and desperation colliding in his eyes.
I swallowed hard and forced myself to look at them.
They weren't supposed to look like this.
Humans. That's what they resembled—skin as pale as ours, hair falling across their faces, expressions eerily familiar. But behind them slithered tails—devilish, coiled with a malice no man could mimic.
My father once told me the demons had reshaped themselves over decades, bending their flesh into something closer to us.
To deceive other races.
It was true. Every word of it.
The one with black hair, trident gripped in his clawed hand, stepped forward. His voice was guttural, scraping the air with an unnatural rhythm.
"𐑞𐑁𐑚𐑀 𐑛𐑚𐑟𐑁 𐑢𐑚𐑀 𐑛𐑚𐑁𐑖 𐑘𐑚𐑗𐑀𐑚 𐑚𐑀𐑛𐑒𐑁𐑟 𐑚𐑀𐑛𐑔 𐑁𐑚𐑗𐑀."
Brother, shall we slaughter the children first, or the man?
The second one—his lips curling into a sadistic smile—lowered his hand toward my father, palm open, ready to strike. His tongue rolled with their foul language.
"𐑖𐑚𐑔 𐑖𐑚𐑟. 𐑗𐑚𐑛𐑀 𐑛𐑚𐑁𐑖 𐑡𐑚𐑗𐑀𐑚 𐑚𐑀𐑛𐑒𐑁𐑟 𐑛𐑚𐑁𐑖 𐑛𐑚𐑒."
Anyone will do. Just don't ruin the flesh.
The black-haired demon's grin widened as he turned back toward us, trident scraping against the ground.
"𐑞𐑁𐑚𐑀 𐑖𐑚𐑔 𐑘𐑚𐑗𐑀."
Very well, brother. I'll take care of that.
Their eyes locked onto us, sharp and merciless, the weight of their presence crushing the air around me. My heart thrashed against my ribs, the taste of blood and smoke clawing up my throat.
Is it the end…?
Dad was locked in place, the demon's grip pinning him mid-stride—fingers splayed, palm aimed, like an unseen weight crushed him to the earth. The second one advanced, trident carving a scar in the snow, dragging like it meant to write our deaths before we drew our last breath.
Cold air burned my lungs. My breath vanished in white wisps. My legs refused to move.
Think. Think. Is there a way to win?
From left, a narrow path through the trees. But we'd be hunted, cut down in seconds and at right, there's Dad. Frozen, one step from death. If I ran to him, we'd both be caught in the blast.
And Hedric—still standing, somehow, lanterns swaying on his belt in the storm wind. His eyes were blank. Blood dripping steadily, each drop a red heartbeat against the snow.
THINK… THINK…
My body trembled.
I couldn't see it. No path. No angle. No miracle.
It's impossible.
"Ka–Ka–Kaiser…" Celia's voice cracked. "I–I–I–I'm s–sc–scared… wh–what d–do we… do?"
"I don't know," I said, the words falling out hollow.
The demon came closer, that smile widening, patient, savoring. It wanted us to know the shape of our fear.
"We can't do anything… I can't—"
Celia's hands clutched me tighter, small and shaking. "I… I tr–trust you, K–Kaiser…"
She trusts me.. When I can't even trust myself.
No. Not again. Not like everyone else for hundreds of years. Humanity can't be scared anymore in front of utter domination.
I want my life back. I want myself back.
I want freedom.
There are always two sides to a coin.
Nobody smart plays fair.
"Celia—give me the scarf," I whispered.
"O–o–okie…" She fumbled, cheeks blotched with fear, and slipped it from her neck. She slipped it into my hand, hiding the motion.
I moved—quiet, fast. Hedric's lantern hung at his waist. My fingers clicked the buckle free..
I moved. One step. Two. Breath held, pulse roaring. Hedric's lantern hung at his waist by a stiff leather belt. My fingers found the buckle and freed it with a click that sounded too loud in the cold.
I put something else onto that buckle that'll help him.
I cracked the glass shield open; the tiny flame inside shivered.
The black-haired demon with the trident laughed—low, delighted confusion. The other demon's palm never left my father. The air hummed with pressure.
I shoved the scarf into the lantern, oil soaking through until it gleamed black. One tilt was all it took, the flame caught—and I hurled it at the demon clutching Dad.
It looked bored—one hand lifting with contempt.
A child's last throw.
Wrong.
The demon flicked its wrist and fired a beam.
The lantern exploded midair.
Fire leapt into smoke and shrapnel and burning oil, spraying outward in a hungry fan. The night howled—then everything vanished into a blind white-orange bloom.
Dad moved first.
He broke into the smoke quickly.
I felt his motion more than saw it—boots cutting across snow.
The trident-demon snapped its head toward the blast, then back at me, its snarl more annoyance than pain—like my fire had ruined its show.
"𐑜𐑛𐑁 𐑟𐑚𐑟 𐑢𐑁 𐑚𐑀𐑛𐑔 𐑚𐑀𐑛𐑛."
Don't run, little prey.
Celia's breath hit my collarbone—thin, choppy.
"K–K–Kaiser—"
"Stay with me," I said. "On my left."
The trident dipped, point aligning with my chest. It took a step. Another.
We don't match them in strength. We set the bait.
An old spruce loomed behind me, its trunk thick, bark split where winter had bitten through. If I angled myself just right, the demon's strike would miss and drive straight into the tree instead.
I forgot my fear long enough to smile.
"Come on," I murmured, loud enough to carry. "Take it."
I tightened my grip on Celia's hand. The demon lunged—fast.
I moved at the last heartbeat.
I spun—my shoulder scraped the trident as it missed and drove into the tree with a heavy crack. For a split second, it stuck.
'Now!' I pulled Celia, dragging her around the trunk. The demon snarled and yanked, its tail whipping as it fought to pull the weapon free.
We ran—boots slipping through the smoky snow. My eyes burned, heat searing my face. Behind us, the trident ripped free of the wood with a sharp, tearing roar.
Celia gasped. "I–I–I'm s–sorry— I–I'm s–slow—"
"You're perfect," I said, pulling her close as we skidded behind a low berm of frozen ice. "Breathe."
Dad slammed into the caster-demon, trading heavy blows. In his hands was a broken branch, thick as his wrist, the tip splintered sharp. He drove it upward in a desperate thrust. The demon staggered, then raised its palms—runes flaring to life in a glowing circle, sparking like a shield between them.
Light pulsed. The world bucked.
"𐑖𐑚𐑔 𐑛𐑚𐑁𐑗 𐑡𐑚𐑗𐑀," it spat.
Break, animal.
Dad ducked under the flash and rammed his shoulder into the demon's ribs. They crashed into the snow, rolling hard. Smoke blurred their shapes, turning them into shifting shadows. For a moment I saw Dad's face, jaw clenched, eyes burning—more alive than I'd ever seen him."
The trident ripped free behind us.
I heard it—metal freed with a shriek. The demon's steps pounded, fast. It would be on us in seconds.
"K–Kaiser… w–we can't… I–I can't—"
"You can," I said. Though I wasn't sure if I was reassuring her or convincing myself. "Listen. When I move, you throw snow at its face. Both hands. Don't think—just throw."
"I–I… o–okay…"
The steps closed—three, two—
I stood, letting the demon see me. Letting it believe the corner had swallowed us. Its grin returned, slow and cruel, as it raised the trident high.
"𐑛𐑚𐑟𐑁 𐑚𐑀𐑛𐑒," it hissed.
Kneel.
Got em.
I stepped forward like I was giving up, then dropped low, slipping under its swing. Celia sprang beside me, hurling snow into its face. The demon gagged, blinded.
And slammed my shoulder into its knee. It buckled, collapsing. The trident stabbed into the snowbank, missing my neck by an inch.
"Celia, go!" I dragged her over the fallen shaft. We ran, scrambled toward the smoke where Dad fought. Behind us the demon screeched with anger.
Hedric swayed in the corner of my vision, still upright by some impossible mercy. His lips moved. A hum. A breath.
"Dad!" I shouted into the smoke.
A shape turned—broad, human. "Kaiser—down!"
I dropped,pulling Celia down. A beam tore overhead, slicing the haze and steaming the snow. Branches burst, showering us with ice and needles.
Dad lunged from the side, driving his broken spear into the demon's flank. It howled, palms flaring wild. Runes sparked out of control as the air filled with burned sap and blood.
For a heartbeat, I saw it.
An opening.
"Celia," I whispered, "hug the ground. Don't look. No matter what."
"O–o–okay…"
I rose into the steam and smoke, small and shaking but standing anyway. My hands were empty.
My choices were knives made of nothing.
It didn't matter.
I cupped my mouth and screamed at the trident-demon behind us, voice ragged and full of every lie that keeps a human alive.
"Your brother is dying!"
The trident-demon hesitated—just a flinch, a twitch of instinct. It turned its head.
Dad didn't waste it.
He drove the branch in with a roar. The caster-demon's shield shattered, runes cracking like glass.
For a moment, the forest held its breath.
Then chaos erupted. The trident-demon lunged at me. The caster clawed at the branch. Dad reached for me with one hand, gripping another weapon with the other. Celia lifted her head, eyes wide, tears shining, heart blazing.
I took the only step that existed.
Forward.
And as the world broke open again, I remembered what I'd promised beneath the stars:
Nobody smart plays fair.
Suddenly, the caster demon's jaw snapped sideways from a brutal roundhouse kick—delivered by none other than Hedric.
Both Dad and Celia froze for a moment, stunned.
The trident-wielding demon roared in anguish.
"𐑊𐑚𐑗𐑛𐑚𐑡!" - Brother!
But Dad was already his opponent. He intercepted the spear with his own weapon, metal clashing with a sharp branch, and shoved the demon back with a crushing kick.
It clenched its teeth, trembling with rage.
"Take your time, Hedric. What was the delay for?" Dad growled, eyes never leaving his foe.
Hedric didn't answer. He seized the caster demon by the neck, slammed it into the ground, and mounted it—raining punches across its twisted face. Blood sprayed with each strike.
"Well," Hedric grunted between blows, "I thought my life ended right then and there. Thank your son for this chance."
"Kaiser…?" Dad muttered, still fighting.
Exactly.
What I strapped to his buckle was a mini health serum Serenya brewed—she found the formula in Dad's old books. She slipped it into my pouch without telling me. The stubborn girl didn't want me to know she has a sweet side.
Serenya… you'll never change.
"But this… this ensures our victory."
The caster demon choked out, words broken and weak.
"𐑊𐑚𐑗𐑛𐑚𐑡… 𐑖𐑐𐑝 𐑁𐑝𐑛𐑕 𐑁𐑚𐑛𐑁𐑡." - "Brother… you must escape."
"𐑖𐑗! 𐑗 𐑓𐑁𐑕𐑔 𐑚𐑝𐑁 𐑡𐑁𐑡 𐑣𐑁𐑡!" -"No! I can't leave you here!" the trident demon screamed, voice cracking with something close to grief.
"I don't know what they're saying," Hedric muttered, wiping blood from his brow. His back wound had closed slightly thanks to the serum, but blood still seeped through.
"But they're desperate."
The trident demon's gaze suddenly snapped toward me, its voice a venomous hiss.
"𐑊𐑗𐑛𐑁𐑡 𐑔𐑗𐑗𐑁… 𐑓𐑝𐑕𐑁𐑡, 𐑖𐑚𐑗𐑡, 𐑡𐑛𐑡𐑚𐑡, 𐑗𐑖𐑡𐑕𐑡 𐑡𐑁𐑡?" - "Nosey little… fucker, aren't you?"
A chill froze my spine. I stumbled a step back, heart beating under that death stare.
"I'm your enemy, you blind monster!"
He struck again, forcing the demon to retreat, sparks flaring with each clash.
"We're going to defeat them. We can do this."
"Fear doesn't make us grovel before other races," Dad snarled, pushing forward.
"Fear makes men more dangerous than magic ever could. I don't care what the world thinks of humans. Can you remember who you were, before the world told you who you should be? That changes tonight." Hedric said.
His defiance ignited something in me. I couldn't stop the smirk spreading across my face—I knew then.
We had them.
But before the thought settled, a piercing screech tore through the snowy atmosphere, so loud and unnatural it shook the marrow of my bones.
Instinct forced us all to freeze, fear coiling sharp and primal in our chests.
The screech still echoed when the snow shifted.
Not like footsteps. Not like wind.
Something heavier. Something older.
The ground trembled beneath us, faint at first—then harder, shaking snow from the branches overhead. My throat tightened. Celia clutched me, her nails digging into my sleeve.
"Kaiser…" Her voice cracked. "Tell me that's the wind. Please."
"It's not the wind," I whispered.
And then… silence.
The tremor deepened. Trees rattled, branches snapping. Hedric's grip on his hammer tightened until his knuckles turned bone-white.
"Steady," he muttered. "Don't run. It'll chase."
The trees groaned. A shadow spread across the haze, long and coiling.
No. No, that's…
The snow erupted.
A massive shape burst from the snow—black scales, icy-blue veins, jagged spikes. It surged forward, coils thicker than a horse, crushing trees in its path.
The Frostcoil Serpent.
Its head rose above us, fangs gleaming pale, steam curling from its maw like frost-breath. Eyes glowed amber, intelligent and hungry.
Celia whimpered. "K–K–Kaiser… wh–what is th–that…?"
My chest locked. My mouth refused words.
The demon with the trident spun, tail lashing the snow. Its jaw snapped open, voice spilling rot into the air.
"𐑀𐑁𐑛𐑔 𐑡𐑁𐑡 𐑒𐑓𐑀𐑛𐑗 𐑟𐑚𐑟!"
An ancient one. A cursed beast!
The serpent struck.
Fangs sank into the caster-demon's torso, cutting off its ward. Wet crunch—bones snapping like twigs. It shrieked, voice muffled by coils tightening, ribs cracking in a sick rhythm.
"𐑁𐑚𐑗𐑀—𐑕𐑚𐑔 𐑞𐑁𐑚𐑀—!"
Brother—save—
The trident demon roared, charging at the serpent, stabbing deep into its side. Frost bled from the wound, not blood—an icy mist that burned his flesh. The serpent didn't flinch. It twisted, coils slamming down, and the demon vanished beneath a wave of black scale.
I couldn't believe there's a pre-historic being within our sight.
Dad's voice cut through the horror, hoarse but sharp. "Stay low! Move when I say!"
I tried to nod. My body wouldn't. My legs shook too much. Celia's lips trembled against my ear. "K–Kaiser… is this…?"
I didn't answer. I couldn't.
The serpent's hiss rumbled, deep and shaking snow loose like an avalanche. Its frost aura swept outward, freezing branches, slowing my breath until each inhale felt like knives.
The trident demon snarled, voice guttural:
"𐑞𐑁𐑚𐑀 𐑖𐑚𐑔 𐑕𐑚𐑔 𐑙𐑚𐑗𐑀—"
This is mine to kill—
The serpent's head reared back, steam curling from its maw, a hiss rolling low like thunder.
The trident demon snarled at its fallen kin, brandishing his weapon.
"𐑔𐑛𐑖 𐑞𐑁𐑚𐑀! 𐑣𐑁𐑒𐑟 𐑡𐑁𐑡 𐑕𐑚𐑔 𐑛𐑗𐑟!"
Stand, brother! Fight this cursed beast!
But his brother only gurgled, blood spraying through shattered ribs as coils crushed down.
The serpent struck, fangs sinking deeper. Bone cracked like splitting timber.
The dying demon wailed, words slurred:
"𐑁𐑚𐑗𐑀—𐑕𐑚𐑔 𐑒𐑓𐑀—𐑟𐑚𐑟!"
Brother…save—our cause!
"𐑛𐑗𐑟!" the trident demon roared.
Silence!
He hurled himself forward, stabbing the trident into the serpent's flank. Frost mist erupted, burning his flesh, but he pressed deeper, shrieking through the pain.
"𐑡𐑁𐑡 𐑞𐑔𐑗𐑡𐑟! 𐑕𐑚𐑔 𐑞𐑁𐑚𐑀!"
Fall, ancient one! Fall!
The serpent's hiss rattled the forest, coils whipping. One slammed down with an impact that shook snow from the treetops. The demon rolled clear, barely, his trident scraping sparks on frozen stone.
"𐑞𐑔𐑗𐑡𐑟 𐑡𐑁𐑡 𐑙𐑚𐑗𐑀—𐑡𐑒𐑔 𐑓𐑗𐑒 𐑔𐑛𐑖 𐑣𐑁𐑒𐑟!"
You were sealed once—I'll carve that seal again!
The serpent lunged, jaws wide and demon twisted, trident crosswise. Fangs slammed against it, driving him into the snow. Claws tore trenches in the ice as he fought the crushing bite.
"𐑣𐑁𐑒𐑟 𐑓𐑗𐑒! 𐑒𐑓𐑀 𐑟𐑚𐑟!" he spat through gritted teeth.
Bite me, serpent! Bite and choke!
The serpent whipped its head, hurling him into a tree. Wood splintered, the trunk collapsing. He staggered from the debris, frost steaming off scorched arms.
He lifted his trident again, voice cracking with fury
"𐑛𐑗𐑟 𐑖𐑚𐑔 𐑕𐑚𐑔 𐑟𐑚𐑟… 𐑡𐑁𐑡 𐑙𐑚𐑗𐑀 𐑕𐑚𐑔 𐑡𐑒𐑔!"
This world is ours… not yours, relic!
It struck again, smashing its coils down like avalanches. The demon dodged once, twice—then the third slammed him to his knees, snow exploding outward.
Celia whimpered, her nails biting into my arm. Dad's jaw clenched, eyes locked on the chaos.
The demon bellowed as he shoved his trident upward, stabbing deep into the serpent's jaw hinge. Frost bled like fire, searing his chest, but he only laughed, half-crazed.
"𐑣𐑁𐑒𐑟! 𐑖𐑚𐑔 𐑕𐑚𐑔 𐑟𐑚𐑟 𐑕𐑚𐑔 𐑡𐑁𐑡 𐑒𐑓𐑀—!"
Yes! This flesh will be my trophy—!
The serpent's tail smashed him down, snow cracking like glass. The trident flew free, burying in frost. The demon writhed, bones snapping under crushing coils.
The serpent reared, eyes burning.
The demon's gaze shifted, past the coils, past the beast—toward us.
The serpent turned first to the other demons, coils dragging through snow with a sound like tearing ice. For a heartbeat, its glowing eyes left us, drawn to the louder, deadlier prey.
I seized the chance. My body screamed to run, but my mind burned hotter than fear.
Think. Map it out. There has to be a path that isn't suicide.
I dropped to one knee, pulling Celia close. "Stay still. Breathe deep. Don't move until I say."
She nodded in tiny, shaking jerks. "I… I c-can… I'll try…"
Dad crouched low, not taking his eyes off the fight. He spoke without turning his head. "Kaiser. Tell me you've got something."
"Working on it," I whispered.
Hedric shifted his weight, wincing. Blood soaked his back again where the serum hadn't sealed fully. "Whatever you do, make it quick. That thing's about to realize there's warmer meat nearby."
I scanned the battlefield—trees, terrain, angles of retreat. The serpent's coils crushed saplings like twigs. Behind it, a ridge of snow curved upward into the dark. Maybe cover. Maybe a drop.
The trident demon lunged at the serpent, roaring in its guttural tongue. Their clash sent frost spraying like shards of glass.
Dad hissed, "Options?"
"Three," I murmured, voice low and tight. "One—we rush for the tree line to the east. Risky. It's flat ground. We'd be easy prey for either one of them if they turn."
"Two?" Dad's voice was hoarse but steady.
"Use the serpent's strike. If it coils tight enough around the demon, we slip behind it. Between those scales. Timing has to be perfect, and… if it decides to go after us instead—"
"We're done," Hedric muttered grimly. "Third?"
I exhaled. "We bait both. Make noise. Draw them into each other. Demon and serpent—let them kill each other while we vanish."
Dad risked a glance my way. "And how exactly do you plan to make that happen?"
I bit the inside of my cheek, watching how the serpent moved. Slow to strike, fast to coil. The demon was agile but bleeding. One more mistake, and—
"—distraction," I whispered. "Something that stings both at once. Make the serpent lash out and hit the demon by mistake."
Celia looked up at me, eyes wide. "H-how?"
I reached into my coat and pulled out the broken glass from the lantern—shards slick with oil. "If I throw this into the serpent's face… it'll flinch. If the demon lunges at the same time, they'll collide."
Hedric shook his head. "Kaiser… if you miss—"
"I won't," I said, sharper than I meant to.
Dad's jaw tightened. But he didn't argue. Instead, he said, "Fine. When that happens, I move first. Hedric, you're back up."
"I'm in," Hedric rasped, gripping his hammer.
Celia's hand tugged mine, tiny and trembling. "I—I'll do it too. I can throw snow again… blind the demon while you… while you—"
"No," I whispered. "You just stay back and ready. But… thanks."
She nodded, swallowing hard, trying to stop her shaking.
I closed my fist around the shards, watching the serpent rear back, the demon bracing for another strike.
One shot. No second chance.
Not smart. Not safe. But humans never play fair.
Every sound felt distant except the cracking snow and guttural roars. I clenched the oil-slick shards, feeling the cold bite his palm.
"Now," I whispered to myself. Then louder, "Dad—ready."
Dad's stance shifted, one knee bent, hands tense for a dash. Uncle Hedric moved his hammer into a ready grip, ignoring the way his wound still seeped through torn cloth.
The serpent lunged at the caster demon again..its coils poised to strike. Then I waited… heart drumming in my ears.
One second.
Two.
Now!
"I flung the shards. They spun through the cold, cutting the serpent's eye ridge. It flinched.. more irritation than pain, head jerking aside. Its coil missed the caster demon by inches and smashed a tree to splinters.
The demon lunged—wrong moment, wrong angle.
A coil swept sideways, snaring its torso. The shriek tore the night as the serpent crushed tighter. Snow cracked beneath them, rumbling like distant thunder.
"Dad—" I called.
"Stay down!" Dad said calmly though his eyes flicked toward me "Move when I say. Not before."
The serpent didn't let the demon finish. Its coils wrapped around, each thicker than a tree trunk. With a slow, merciless squeeze—
Snap.
The scream ended. One demon died.
Blood steamed on the snow, painting it black beneath frost light.
The trident demon roared, voice cracking with something close to grief. It lunged at the serpent, stabbing deep into a scale. Frost mist poured from the wound, and the serpent hissed—a sound so low it rattled our bones.
I was about to take their attention when dad's eyes never left the monster.
"Stay low. Don't fight it. We're not its enemy—unless it chooses so."
But the serpent turned its head and chose.
Its gaze locked on the group. Frost aura spilled wider, numbing fingers, icing lashes, turning every breath to shards. Celia's lips trembled, her body shaking.
"Are we going to die here?" she whispered.
"No." I gripped her wrist, though my own hand shook. "Stay behind me. No matter what."
But the trident demon wasn't done. Its grief twisted to venom.
"𐑛𐑚𐑟𐑁 𐑖𐑚𐑟 𐑟𐑚𐑀𐑛𐑒—"
—If I die, the children die with me—
It lunged. Straight at us.
The trident demon feinted—then dove aside, not toward us, but away. A scream tore from its throat, shrill and sharp, like bait.
The ground trembled.
The Serpent erupted from the treeline, its head rearing high, frost cascading off its scales. Its eyes, pale, glacial, locked on the nearest living thing. Us.
I moved to pull Celia back, but the Serpent was faster.
A blur of motion… white, silver, and death.
Hedric stepped forward, shoving us down just as the Serpent's strike came. Its head whipped past, jaws missing Celia by a hair, only to rake across Hedric's side with jagged fangs.
The sound wet, sharp, finally ripped through the clearing. Blood sprayed across the snow, steaming where it hit the ground.
"Uncle!" I caught him as he stumbled back, the wound deep, ragged, and leaking heat into the frozen air.
His voice was a rasp, but steady. "Stay… focused, Kaiser. This isn't your kill."
Celia's eyes widened, horror etched across her face. "I..I can stop the bleeding—"
"No." Hedric's gaze cut to her. Fierce. Unyielding. "Not now. If it strikes again and you blind it. You hear me? You blind it."
"I… I will," she whispered, tightening her grip on her dress.
The Serpent's head lowered again, fangs dripping frost and blood—Hedric's blood.
"Good," Hedric breathed. "That's… what I need to hear."
Dad moved in, fast and hard, his branch sweeping low and jamming deep into the demon's thigh. The thing shrieked, staggered—its grip loosening for a fraction of a second. Hedric shoved himself off the serpent's scale, collapsing into the snow as the trident tore free.
I pulled him back, keeping low. "Stay with me. Don't move too much. You'll lose more blood."
He gave a dry laugh that ended in a cough. "You're… still thinking straight. Good."
The trident demon roared, staggering upright, its chest heaving. Its voice rasped like stone grinding ice.
"𐑛𐑗𐑟 𐑖𐑚𐑔… 𐑡𐑁𐑡 𐑙𐑚𐑗𐑀 𐑕𐑚𐑔 𐑡𐑒𐑔…"
This world… will… be ours… yet…
Celia tugged at my sleeve, whispering quick, shallow. "If it charges us again, I'll a-aim for its eyes… Y-you pull him clear."
I gave a sharp nod. "Count to one after I say move. Don't look back."
But the demon didn't come for us.
It lunged at the serpent instead—stabbing deep into black scales. Frost burst outward, chilling the air sharp as knives.
The serpent hissed low and coiled. In seconds, it had the demon wrapped tight, fangs driving into its shoulder. Bones cracked like kindling.
Hedric coughed, but kept his voice clear. "Don't waste this… chance. When it kills him… you run. Understood?"
Celia squeezed my arm, whispering, "I can make a smoke screen. Pack snow…throw it w-when we move. It'll give us… two seconds."
I met her gaze. She was still trembling, but her jaw was set. "Good thinking. Do it."
The serpent squeezed harder. One final, merciless snap silenced the demon's scream.
I stayed crouched, counting heartbeats. One. Two. Three.
Then I spoke, low but steady: "Celia, on my mark."
She nodded, scooping snow into her hands, ready to throw it high and wide.
Hedric shifted weakly, eyes on Dad. "Kaelric… listen. You can't win without sacrifices… but make sure mine… buys something."
Dad didn't look back, he just planted his stance between us and the serpent, branch gripped tight.
I whispered, "Mark."
Celia hurled the snow, breaking it across the frost-glow of the serpent's eyes. White powder flashed in the icy light, breaking its line of sight for a heartbeat.
Dad moved first. I hauled Hedric to his feet, Celia clutching his other arm, and together we slipped into the smoke and shadow.
The serpent's head whipped, jaws snapping where we'd been seconds ago. Its hiss rolled like thunder, freezing the air as we bolted through the trees.
"Left!" I said. "Stay low—don't step on open ice!"
Celia nodded, half-dragging Hedric while I bore most of his weight. His boots dragged trenches in the snow, but he tried to help, pushing weakly with his legs.
"Keep… moving," he muttered, his voice dry as sand.
"Don't talk," I said, adjusting his arm over my shoulders. "Save your strength."
He gave a short, breathless chuckle. "Strength's… already gone, boy."
A branch cracked behind us. The serpent was following—slow, deliberate.
"Celia," I said slowly, "snow, now."
She flung another handful behind us, smashing powder into the air. The serpent hissed and paused, blinded for a second by the white blur against frostlight.
"Again!" Dad's voice snapped from ahead. He was clearing a path fast, cutting through ice-crusted undergrowth with savage strikes. "Don't look back—keep moving!"
We pushed hard until the serpent's hiss faded into the distance. Only then did Dad slow, scanning the trees, listening. When nothing followed, he motioned us toward a hollow beneath a ridge.
"Here," he said, voice clipped. "We stop here."
We eased Hedric down against the frozen earth. He coughed wetly, red dripping onto the snow like ink on white cloth.
Celia ripped off the hem of her dress and pressed it hard against the wound. Blood still welled through, dark and steady.
"It's deep," she said quickly, voice thin but focused. "Too deep—I can't—"
"Don't say can't," I cut in, grabbing the edge of the scarf to hold pressure. "Just keep it steady."
Her hands trembled, but she pressed harder. "Right. Okay. Harder pressure."
Hedric's breathing rasped, shallow and uneven. "You two… make a good team…"
"Don't talk," I muttered, jaw tight. "You're going to make it."
He chuckled, though it came out as a cough. "You don't… believe that."
I didn't answer. There wasn't a point. His skin was gray under the frostlight.
Dad knelt beside him, face hard. "There's no healer near enough. You know that."
"I know." Hedric's eyes slid to him, sharp even now. "That's why… you listen, Kaelric. Take them back. Finish… what we started. But don't waste their blood. Or mine."
I pressed harder on the wound. Blood seeped between my fingers. "You're losing too much—dammit—"
"It's enough," Hedric murmured. Then his grip found my wrist, surprisingly strong. "Kaiser."
I met his gaze.
"You did the right thing. Keep your head. Keep doing that. Don't… ever freeze."
I swallowed the knot in my throat and gave a short nod. "I won't."
He smiled faintly, eyes flicking to Celia. "And you… good arm on you, girl. Don't stop throwing."
Celia's breath hitched, but she nodded. "I… I won't. I promise."
His eyes softened—then unfocused. His chest rose once more, shuddered… and stilled.
No last word. No drawn-out breath. Just gone.
Celia's hands lingered on the scarf. "He's… he's gone," she whispered. Her voice cracked at the edge, but she forced it steady.
I sat back slowly, wiping my bloodied hands on the snow. "We can't leave him here."
Dad looked at me for a long second. Then he nodded once. "We carry him. All the way."
Celia swallowed hard, standing. "I'll take his hammer. It's heavy, but… I'll manage."
"You don't have to—" I started.
"Yes, I do." Her tone was firm. She bent and lifted the weapon with both hands, bracing it across her shoulder. "He trusted us. We're not leaving anything of his behind."
I met Dad's eyes. He didn't say anything—just shifted Hedric's weight over his back in one smooth motion.
"Move," he said. "Before the serpent changes its mind."
We moved through the frost-bitten woods in silence, only the crunch of snow and the distant hiss of the serpent behind us.
When the village lights came into view, Celia finally whispered, "I'm sorry… It's my fault isn't it? What are you going to tell your people?"
I answered without hesitation. "The truth. That Hedric chose to sacrifice himself. And we make sure… his choice means something."
We left the hollow in silence, snow swallowing our steps, Hedric's blood marking the trail behind us like fading ink.
Snow whispered under our boots as we crossed the boundary into the village. No one spoke. Not until the watchmen saw the blood on Dad's coat… and Hedric's lifeless form across his back.
The alarm bell didn't ring—not for danger. For loss.
Doors opened. Faces appeared. Whispers spread like frost.
"They've returned…"
"Hedric…?"
"No. No, it can't be…"
By the time we reached the center square, half the village was there. Torches flared, light cutting through the dark. The air felt heavy, thicker than smoke.
Dad knelt carefully, laying Hedric down with the respect of a comrade…not just a friend. His frozen breath hung in the air, sharp and slow, as he straightened and faced the crowd.
"Dad!"
Hiro burst through the line of onlookers, barely nine, face pale, eyes wide. He fell to his knees beside Hedric, shaking his father's arm. "Wake up! You're… you're just cold, right? You can still… You can't—"
His voice cracked into a sob.
Behind him, a woman stumbled forward—Hedric's wife, Liora. Her hands shook as she pressed them to her mouth, staring down at her husband's lifeless body.
"No…" she whispered, voice breaking. "No, Hedric… Not you…"
She dropped to her knees beside Hiro, gathering him close though her own body trembled. "Hiro, stop please, don't shake him. He's… he's gone…"
Hiro clutched her arms, eyes wide and wet. "He can't be! Mom, dad can't leave us!"
I opened my mouth then shut it. No words I had could fix that sound.
Instead, Dad stepped forward, voice even but heavy. "Liora… Hiro… your husband, your father… fought until the end. He stood his ground. He was brave."
Hiro's head snapped up, eyes glassy with tears and anger. "Then why are you alive? Why is he—" He jabbed a trembling finger at me. "…why is Kaiser alive when my dad isn't?!"
The crowd stirred—some in shock, some in bitter agreement.
"Because he chose to protect us. He put himself between Celia and the trident. If he hadn't, she'd be gone. Maybe me too. Maybe all of us." I said.
Hiro's gaze turned on Celia, sharp and wounded. "So… he died for her?"
Celia flinched but didn't step back. "I…I didn't ask him to. I was ready to—"
"Doesn't matter!" Hiro's voice cracked. "He's still gone!"
Liora's tear-streaked face shifted toward Celia, not with the boy's raw anger, but something quieter. Heavier.
"He always said… he'd give his life for this village. I just never thought… it will be tonight."
Her voice caught again. She pulled Hiro close, shielding him from the stares around us, even as her own eyes searched Celia's, unreadable.
"Hedric died as a warrior should.. protecting the lives of others. Not just Celia's. Kaiser's and mine. His sacrifice bought us enough time to escape. Without him… none of us would stand here."
Hiro's shoulders shook. He bowed his head, forehead pressing into his father's arm, silent sobs breaking through his teeth.
The crowd parted again. Lucas stepped forward Hedric's older son—taller, older, his face carved from stone. No tears. No trembling. Just a look that could cut through iron.
He stopped in front of me. "Tell me straight, Kaiser."
"Your father made a choice," I said evenly, meeting Lucas's eyes.
"He saw the strike before any of us did and put himself between it and Celia. He held on long enough for us to counter, to come back. That's courage. And that's the truth."
Lucas' jaw tightened. He nodded once slowly, deliberately. Then his eyes slid to Celia, sharp enough to make her shift her weight.
But he said nothing. Just turned and knelt beside his brother, resting a hand on Hiro's shoulder.
Whispers rippled through the crowd again. Not about Hedric now. About Celia.
"Half-blood…?"
"She brought this."
"Elf blood. Nothing good comes of it."
Celia lowered her gaze, hands tightening on the hammer she'd carried all the way back.
I caught Serenya's eyes in the crowd, my sister. Her lips curled faintly, like she was holding back a bitter remark. But even she stayed silent.
Our mother, standing beside her, didn't speak either. But her expression.. soft, shocked, held no hate. Only worry.
Dad knelt beside Hedric again, pulling a thick cloth over his face. "We prepare him for the rites. Tonight, we mourn. Tomorrow… we lay him to rest."
"Goodbye, old friend."
No one argued. No one moved.
Then Lucas stood, voice flat. "I'll carry him."
Dad gave a slow nod. Lucas lifted his father's body with care, like it was heavy not just in weight, but in what it meant.
The crowd followed as they carried Hedric toward the longhouse where the dead were honored. Eyes followed Celia too. Some are filled with anger. Some with fear. None with trust.
I stayed close beside her.
Because right now, she looked like the next one they'd bury—if someone pushed hard enough.
It's time to talk.