Chapter XXXII – Frost Veins
Lucian was surrounded on all sides.
Eighteen hobgoblins closed in, their green hides slick with sweat and mud, their yellow eyes gleaming like coins in the dark.
Each one was the size of an orc, thick-shouldered, tusks jutting from lips that curled in hunger. Their breath steamed in the cold air, fog mixing with the stink of blood.
Mana-resistant skin. The worst possible opponent for a mage.
Lucian's lungs burned. His robe was torn, his fingers raw from frostbite and overuse. Behind him, the elven girl clutched her staff, her knuckles pale. "Lucian," she whispered, her voice trembling, "they're circling us."
"I noticed," he said dryly. His tone was calm, but his heart pounded like a drum.
The boy stood in front of her; tall, white-braided hair gleaming faintly beneath the canopy. His curved blade shimmered with runic light, elven make. He was breathing hard, blood streaking his temple, but his stance was firm.
"Theren," Lucian said, voice low, "keep them off her."
Theren nodded once. "Always."
The girl , Lyara, raised her staff slightly, silver light pulsing around the crystal head.
Lucian exhaled. "Why," he muttered, "do I always end up in these situations?"
The forest pressed in, ancient and vast. The Ironwood trees loomed above like pillars of some forgotten temple. Mist coiled around the roots, carrying the scent of moss and blood.
And as the hobgoblins began to growl, the memory of how he'd met the siblings returned, sharp and quick as lightning.
15 minutes earlier
The teleportation had thrown him into the Ironwood's western reach.
He'd landed hard, rolling through leaves until his ribs ached. When he stood, mana light shimmered faintly around his wrist; the bracelet showing his starting rank.
No movement, no sound. Just endless forest.
He had barely taken a step when the clash of metal reached his ears, faint but close.
Curiosity got the better of him.
Lucian followed the noise and emerged into a clearing where two figures fought against a horned boar the size of a carriage.
The elven boy darted in, his curved blade flashing with speed. The girl stood behind him, her staff glowing, murmuring soft words in Elvish.
"Lunar Cascade!"
A ring of silver light burst from her staff, cutting across the boar's flank like moonlight turned to blades.
Lucian watched for a moment then saw the creature turn, its tusks catching Theren in the chest.
Before he could think, he raised his hand. Frost flared around his fingers.
"Frost Veil!"
Shards of blue-white ice exploded outward, coating the beast's legs. It stumbled, slowed and Theren didn't waste the moment. He vaulted upward, slashing clean through the beast's neck.
The carcass hit the ground with a thud that shook the earth.
When the silence settled, Lyara blinked in shock. "You— You saved us."
Lucian gave a half-smile. "You were doing fine until you weren't."
Theren wiped his blade and offered a small bow. "Theren of Nareth. This is my sister, Lyara. We owe you."
"Lucian of House Arvel," he said simply. "And you don't. I just prefer my forest without screaming."
They shared a faint laugh; a fragile kind of camaraderie born out of necessity.
When the three of them looked around, they saw how vast the Ironwood really was. Monsters roamed in packs, mana storms flickered between the trees, and in the distance, a faint rumble shook the ground.
They had all made the same decision then, wordlessly.
Survive together.
Now
The memory snapped away with the sound of claws scraping bark.
The hobgoblins lunged.
Lucian's hand shot up. Frost gathered instantly, weaving in the air around him. "Frost Veil!"
The first two goblins were caught mid-charge, their movements sluggish, ice crawling up their arms. But even as frost hardened, they tore through it with brute strength, roaring.
"Damn it." Lucian pivoted back, frost cracking under his boots. "Lyara!"
"I'm trying!" she cried. Her staff flared again, threads of silver magic swirling around the goblins' legs. "Bindroot!"
From the soil, glowing vines erupted, wrapping around three of the monsters, pulling them to the ground. The goblins shrieked, hacking at the glowing binds with crude blades.
Theren moved like water.
His curved sword danced in silver arcs. "Elven Blade Art – Crescent Step!"
He spun once, cutting through a goblin's throat, then ducked low, sweeping another off its feet. Blood sprayed across the moss.
Lucian's pulse quickened. He raised both hands, drawing runes midair, the frost gathering sharper this time, humming with precision.
"Frostlance."
Three shards of pure ice shot from his palm, piercing straight through a goblin's chest. It fell twitching, steam rising from the wounds.
The others hesitated for a moment, then howled and charged together.
"Fall back!" Lucian yelled.
Theren slashed another across the chest, but one creature slipped through, swinging a rusted cleaver. Lyara screamed as it nearly grazed her head.
Lucian stepped between them, runes blazing across his arm.
"Glacial Burst!"
A surge of ice exploded from beneath him, sending shards outward like a storm. The closest goblins froze mid-leap, shattering into fragments when they hit the ground.
He gasped for air, mana veins glowing faintly through his skin. "Two left!"
Theren nodded, blade trembling slightly from exhaustion. "I see them."
Lyara's hands shook as she lifted her staff again. "I—I can do one more spell."
"Save it," Lucian said quickly. "For when it counts."
The largest hobgoblin, the leader, its body streaked with red war paint. roared and leapt forward.
Theren met it halfway, blades clashing in a blur. Sparks flew. The hobgoblin swung wildly, each blow shaking the ground. Theren ducked low, rolled, slashed upward, and caught it across the arm,only for its other fist to crash into his side.
Lucian's eyes widened. "Theren!"
Theren hit the dirt, coughing blood, but raised a trembling hand. "Now!"
Lucian didn't hesitate. Frost spiraled around his hand one last time, denser, colder, alive with desperation.
"Fracture Ray!"
A single beam of blue-white light shot forward, piercing the goblin clean through the heart. It froze where it stood, then shattered like glass.
The final hobgoblin turned to run, but Lyara's staff flared.
"Moon's Tear!"
A crescent of silver mana sliced through the air, cutting the creature down where it fled.
Then, silence.
Lucian fell to one knee, gasping, steam rising from his shoulders. Theren dropped beside him, laughing breathlessly. "You... fight like a lunatic."
"Better than dying politely," Lucian muttered.
Lyara's knees gave out, but she smiled faintly. "We... did it."
The three of them sat amid the corpses, the scent of iron thick in the air.
*****
In the VIP room, students leaned forward, eyes glued to the shimmering projection.
"Who are those two elves?" someone whispered.
The announcer's voice boomed through the arena. "Now that's a fight! Look at those first-years go! Lucian Arvel, surviving against a 1-Star threat with two allies — impressive control for someone his age!"
Rodrik, seated near the front, crossed his arms and allowed himself a faint smile. "Good," he murmured. "He's learning."
Back in the Forest
Lucian looked up at the canopy, breathing slowly, trying to calm his heart.
Theren cleaned his blade on a fallen leaf. "That... was too close."
Lucian nodded. "We got lucky. Next time, we won't."
Lyara tilted her head toward the sky. "At least we have each other."
Lucian allowed himself a small smile. "For now."
But before the moment could settle —
A flare of heat cut through the air.
A fireball roared from the trees, bright as a falling star.
Lucian turned too late.
It slammed into Theren's face.
The blast threw him backward, the air filling with the stench of burned flesh and smoke. Lyara screamed, rushing forward, but Lucian caught her arm. His eyes went wide, his mana flaring instinctively as he stared into the trees; where a silhouette stepped from the smoke, hand still glowing red.
"Who the hell—"
The figure smiled. "Round two begins now bitches."