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🕑 Added 2024-02-19 00:14:15 +0000 UTCThrone of Frost: Rise of the Viking Dragon
1 - The Trumpets of the Renaissance
The spring thunder echoed at the onset of war. Between the sky, the earth, the mountains, the snow, and evil, there was a faint trace of an ancient dragon that once awed the ancient world long before human civilizations advanced.
After the thunders gradually subsided, the hours had passed like sand through an hourglass. At that moment, drizzling rain began to spread again over the ancient land, and the few wild birds that had been hiding in the ruins of a temple within an ash tree forest finally couldn't bear this apocalyptic weather. Those who had sought refuge for a long time emerged from the temple to seek food in the rain, abandoning any primitive instinct for survival.
But at that very moment, when a black crow soared across the sky, Haldor slowly opened his eyes and became aware. However, he was just conscious, feeling as if he were currently swimming in cold waters while an animal devoured him very slowly, and his eyes, struggling to open, stung.
With heavy eyelids and his memories in a confused state, Haldor tried by all means to recall some of the reasons he felt this way. The only thing he could remember was that he was in this situation because he had been deceived on his journey to India.
But why would someone who was deceived by a fake tour guide end up in this situation? Haldor hadn't arrived at that answer; could he be drugged? The reflection spontaneously arose almost instantly, and he thought, "It seems my reflections are not up to the level of my intellect…
Now that he thought about it, he was deceived by a tour guide in front of a shop where he supposedly bought a dragon egg from a mythical ancient dragon. Anyway, people can make up anything to sell something, but he, who wanted to bring home memories, decided to spend over a hundred dollars on that supposedly dragon egg stone.
As the tour guide started along with other unfortunate travelers, the man leading them introduced them to smugglers who tried to detain them, failing miserably due to resistance.
"I remember, I was shot in the stomach…". Haldor had precisely recalled what they had shot in front of all the tourists to serve as an example.
No wonder he now felt like he was in cold waters; it turns out he was actually surrounded by his own blood.
"The feeling of death is truly suffocating… Please, someone save me…
Fake tour guides conspiring with human traffickers, kidnappers, places where they probably hide weapons and have drugs—Haldor would report this to the authorities and expose all the garbage he had been affected by; he would have to make a name for himself with this news so at least it would be worth it.
"So cold…" Haldor knew that this feeling might be familiar with the sensation one feels near death.
Splash! Unable to tolerar the confusing thoughts swirling in his mind, he thought he was about to die until suddenly a sensation of pain very similar to slaps burns on his face.
Haldor, who had managed to open his eyes, saw a blurry figure staring at him. Seeing that human face, he tried to speak but found that his voice was hoarse, and his throat was sore.
"Help me… Call a doctor".
"You damn fool, ¿did you hit your brain?" The figure came closer to his field of vision, and his raspy and rough voice, as if lacking ethics, spoke so loudly that it exposed his bad breath. "What kind of doctor do you expect to get in the middle of nowhere?" Boy Haldor, I advise you to wake up completely, or else when the bastards from the north catch up with us, I'll run away alone and won't carry you like I did before.
Haldor's mind was a mess, and his throat, burning because it was somewhat dry, connected with an intense headache. Right now, he could only do his best to open his eyes, and then he vaguely saw the human head.
Looking at the blurry figure, Haldor was obviously surprised, but his first reaction after swallowing saliva was also strange: "Whoever you are, why don't you wear a mask?"
The bearded man was furious and dragged Haldor by the neck. "¿What mask are you talking about? Demon child, if you keep pretending to have no brain, I'm going to leave."
The shouts and curses ceased abruptly because at the moment when the figure was shouting something, a sound was heard… At the same time, the stone floor under their feet began to tremble.
"What is this, an earthquake?" Poor Haldor was still a bit dizzy and couldn't understand what was happening.
"No matter if it's an earthquake, the wrath of the gods, or some mystery, anyway, we'll die in this place full of ruins." The bearded man sighed, released Haldor, and turned around to organize his things.
Haldor, who stayed behind, had already noticed that something was amiss, so he struggled to look up, only to see that the bearded man had just kicked a pile of fire, causing a burst of smoke and the sound of water and fire in the surroundings, further confusing his dazed mind. The bearded man casually tossed a horned helmet into the mud.
Looking at that helmet, Haldor, who had risen from the ground, took the helmet and could see a viscous liquid oozing from it. At the same time, there were seventeen exhausted soldiers in the temple; at that moment, all stood up in a panic, either supporting each other or struggling to walk alone, desperate to escape outside.
Haldor himself, who was the first to announce the earthquake, did not panic at all because his mind was confused. He tapped his helmet in bewilderment, only to discover that the helmet, which seemed to have been used as a pot recently, was much harder and heavier than he imagined, and only then did he notice the irregularities with his body, which seemed to have shrunk, and although he wore armor, he appeared to be between eleven to fifteen years old.
"What the hell…" Haldor panicked, looking at his blood and mud-stained leather armor; there was also a hand axe at his waist. Has he suddenly become a Viking from fiction movies? Is he now a Viking? Has he traveled to some historical point full of Viking chaos? And regardless of the era he was in, the mere fact that he was now in the body of a child surrounded by soldiers is more than concerning, not to mention the various things that could unconsciously kill him.
Haldor, who had done his best to straighten his numb body, seemed to be silent, absorbing all possible information and contemplating the possibility that all of this was a dream. But the most worrying thing is that everything was real, so he looked around for more information, but quickly the earth shook again.
"Hurry up!" ¡If you can't walk, crawl! If you can't even crawl, "I won't care if you live or die". The man who had grabbed Haldor's neck before was Ravyn, who put on a helmet, took a long knife with a short handle, and put it on his shoulder.
Ravyn then turned around without touching anything else and walked toward the ruined door of this ancient temple, muttering to himself as he walked: "After the defeat at the Valley Pass, I realized the truth, and that is, we can't give our lives indiscriminately against those northern dogs." Not to mention all our soldiers, even our resources are worth more than a thousand gold ingots.
"It was just a damn exploration mission, how is it that we ran into a hunting squad near the border?" One of the Vikings in the crowd complained about the bad luck they had.
Haldor, who listened to the words of these people, didn't bother if it was a hallucination caused by the blood loss he had before losing consciousness when he was shot because right now, he had a strong headache that didn't let him think.
Therefore, it is difficult to know if he was following the instructions of the other party or out of survival instinct and exploration, so he put on the helmet that someone had just used to cook some kind of broth and then tried to stand on the stand of the stone statue that was on one side.
But as soon as he stood up, Haldor realized that his legs were so weak that he could only support himself with all his arm strength, and even then, he could barely take a step.
And at that moment, algo even stranger aconteció. He clearly felt a strange presence, something chilling and similar to the air, flowing from his chest to his abdomen in a cascade and then descending to his legs through a repetitive cycle. That feeling was not bad at all; despite feeling cold, he could feel how that strange sensation was helping him stand at the moment. But the moment he wanted to take another step, he fell to the ground unable to support himself with his hands alone.
"Damn, what the hell is happening to my body?"
The rest of the people had already escaped, and Ravyn had also left without even looking at Haldor, but a man who was far behind the group looked at him and said, "The captain warned you not to take that unknown egg; you should have given up that idea when we all warned you, so now accept the consequences of what's happening to you." If you think for a second that you can surpass your father's legend by dying in this place, you're very wrong; you were too young for this mission, but still insisted on coming…
Haldor clenched his fists full of rage and confusion, unable to understand what these people were saying. He had just woken up after someone shot him somewhere in India, so probably everything that was happening was a product of his imagination, but are these people treating him worse than trash?
If it weren't for his current condition, Haldor would have resolved all the problems that the others had with him as they please. However, this time, he didn't have time to think about fights he couldn't win.
Boom! At that moment, another great vibration occurred, shaking the walls of the temple as if the whole world were about to split in half, and at that instant, large chunks of stone began to fall from the temple.
"Kill them all, leave none alive". "Don't stop, fight to the death, and let the fortunate celebrate in Valhalla". "Ahhhhhh!"
Haldor soon heard metallic sounds outside the temple, swords clashing against each other, and the sounds of flesh being cut to death. He knew that those who were hunting them had caught up, and a bloody battle was now unfolding at the temple's entrance.
Ravyn, the bearded man, returned with a bloodied face, looked at Haldor on the ground, and lifted him with one hand, placing him on his shoulder. He said, "I really want you to die, but the seer told me that if I let you live, Frostgard will be greater than ever." I didn't want you to come, but I couldn't deny you the journey to this place because it was in the prophecy.
Haldor, being held by Ravyn on his shoulders, didn't understand what he was being told, but he was still grateful that they didn't leave him lying here for some deranged enemy to split him in half when he was found.
"Don't forget that all of this is for Frostgard." You'll have the chance to take the leader's position once you become a man. If you survive, everyone will recognize you as the leader and be willing to serve you to death as they did with your father.
Ravyn's words had completely changed in meaning. In the midst of the battle, he remembered the exact words of the seer, which said: "You are the bridge of the Frost Alpha; you will know that you will fight for him to the death when he himself is at the gates of the underworld." It will depend only on you whether he lives or dies.
¿Who was this Frost Alpha?
"[A warrior born of frost, forged in the crucible of icy battles. Marked by the lineage of the ancients, he will be the heir of ice and wind. In days of shadows and threats, the Frost Alpha will emerge, carrying with him the glow of the dawn on his axes. In his hands, the ancient blade of cold will become the guide of a destiny sealed by glory.
He will conquer fields of ice and stormy mountains, forge alliances with the creatures of the north, and challenge the forces that try to devour Frostgard's essence. His name will resonate in the icy valleys like the echo of a winter thunder, announcing the arrival of a leader destined for greatness.
Under his banner, the ice tribes will unite, and his war prowess will echo in the hearts of those who yearn for freedom. [In the chronicles of history, the Frost Alpha will be remembered as the warrior who led Frostgard to worldwide glory, unifying kingdoms under the eternal mantle of snow and erecting an empire that will defy winter itself.] "
Revyn didn't know if he was in the presence of the Frost Alpha, but when Haldor took that ice egg and was cursed in the eyes of others, he knew that he was possibly in the presence of the Frost Alpha.
When he was about to launch into battle, he remembered those words of the seer and felt an urgent need to go back for Haldor, who could barely walk. "You better fight to the death when they catch up with us; only then can we survive this battle imposed by the gods."
Haldor didn't bother to listen further; he took the axe from his waist and prepared to fight tooth and nail against anyone seeking his head. He had felt like he was dying once; the feeling was horrible, so he wouldn't feel it even a single time more in this place.
The moment Haldor took his weapon, he felt a woolen bag on his chest, and when he touched it, he noticed that it was something round emitting a cold aura. He didn't pay much attention, but he remembered being told about the ice egg, so he knew exactly what was inside.
"Attack!"
Ahead, Haldor could see several men covered in thick fur, wielding longswords, and starring deeply at everyone still alive from his group.
"Form up, don't be intimidated, and cover your flanks now!" Revyn, who was the captain, descended to Haldor, stood in front of him, and unsheathed his large dual axes.
"Fight!" "Ahhhhhhhhhh!"
Clang! Clang! Clang!
At that moment, a fierce battle erupted at the temple's entrance, and soon, many began to receive horrible wounds before their necks were severed by the relentless metal that kept resonating. According to Haldor's understanding, if anyone is minimally injured by the metal of those cold weapons, then if bleeding doesn't kill you, the cut probably will be due to some kind of infection…
"¡Die, cursed dogs of the north!" Revyn beheaded several enemies, but soon several arrows landed on his left leg and shoulder.
The warriors hunting them were around twenty; now, there were no more than fifteen because many had died, but still, there were only seven on Haldor's side who could still stand.
"We're finished…" Haldor murmured as he crawled toward a sword that one of the Vikings had dropped. He took it and, after figuring out how to use it as support, stabbed it into the ground. With support, he managed to stand, held the ax with his right hand, and looked directly at the approaching enemy.
"Well, at least it won't be so easy for them to kill me..." Haldor consoled himself with this after knowing he was about to face enemies twice his size.
"I'll attack their legs and then go for their neck..."
As soon as he thought of this, Haldor ignored the feeling of fear with the electrotherapy at that moment and immediately tried to activate the flame of survival hidden within him. However, the sensation of killing wasn't exactly something he lived for. What he did feel was that he wanted to fight; he was now fed up with being attempted to be killed, so he would at least show resistance.
"So now children come on their surveillance expeditions? Damn dogs, it doesn't matter, we'll kill them anyway!" said one of the men who had approached Haldor, who could barely stand.
Haldor maintained a serene expression, even though he was afraid and his heart was pounding. There was nothing that would prevent him from defending himself, and if he had to die, he would at least leave a wound on his enemy that would make him remember.
"Hehe!"
Clang!
The moment the man approached, he attacked with his sword at Haldor, who countered with his axe. However, the difference in strength and the lack of balance made him fall to the ground.
"Son of a b****!" Haldor wanted to get up, but at that moment, the sharp edge of the sword was approaching his chest, and this made him feel helpless. After all, he was about to be stabbed once again.
¡Crack!
But at that moment, the sword's edge collided with the egg on his chest, stopping the attack. In that instant, filled with adrenaline, Haldor grabbed the axe and attacked the man's leg, who was at a short distance in front of him.
"Ahhhh"
Haldor, who hit an artery in the man's leg, was soon blinded by the blood that filled his face. Nevertheless, he didn't stop and attacked the man's stomach as he fell to the ground while holding the wound with his hands.
"Die! Die! Die".
Crack! Crack! ¡Crack!
Driven by rage and the anger of almost dying, Haldor attacked the man in front of him again and again without stopping until he lay in a pool of blood, motionless.
¡Haldor! ¡Run, get out of this place, and don't look back! Ravyn shouted upon seeing Haldor killing an enemy, even though he could barely move. Only in that moment did he understand that Haldor was the Alpha of the Snow.
"It's better if you don't die." Haldor didn't want to look at Ravyn, who was covered in terrible wounds. Overwhelmed by fear, he staggered as best as he could towards an external exit of the temple.
But in the next moment, as he passed through the door, a moisture appeared in his chest, and when he looked down, he noticed that something was moving from side to side.
Haldor was so astonished that he even stopped moving. His brain immediately began to work at an extremely fast speed, reasoning about what exactly was moving in his chest.
"Rrrr"
"Ahhhhh"
But at that moment, Haldor, who was petrified wondering if the egg had broken and what was inside, regained his alertness and walked towards the wet stairs leading to the forest.
Boom!
As soon as he left, the tremors became more frequent, and the temple, which was practically abandoned, collapsed, burying all those who hadn't left.
Haldor staggered and fell into the mud. His gaze focused on the ruins of the temple, and he sighed, knowing that maybe everyone had died.
The earthquakes became more frequent and larger, and the ground was extremely slippery due to the torrential rain. Haldor, who didn't want to stop, ran towards the forest, occasionally falling to the ground. But just as he was about to enter the forest, the ground beneath his feet rose.
And at that moment, a crack that became increasingly larger appeared in plain sight, forcing Haldor to retreat.
But that's not all; finally, the biggest event arrived. For a moment, the earth rumbled, the mountains shook, and the ground cracked. The cries and wails outside the temple also exploded with the thunder.
Those weren't human screams, nor those of normal beasts; it was like the scream of a huge mythological creature.
¡Crack!
As if that wasn't enough, a new enormous crack opened not far from the temple's door, shaking the debris and moving the huge collapsed walls.
After an unknown amount of time, the movement stopped.
Haldor, who was on the ground soaked with rainwater, looked around dazed. He looked around as crows flew away, as the earth cracked, and as everything seemed to have stopped from one moment to the next.
Rrrroooaaarrr!!!!
At that moment, from the temple, a pair of enormous wings spread to the sky, and an enormous body similar to that of a lizard but hundreds of times larger appeared in the sky.
Seeing this scene, even though Haldor didn't belong to this timeline, he had lost his ability to think carefully and perform basic actions. He murmured, "A dragon..."
There was a dragon hidden in the temple, and it was underground, so its emergence had caused the temple to collapse.
And just a moment later, Haldor was a bit confused again because after that dragon came out of the ground to reveal its full body, it didn't immediately rise into the air while flapping its enormous wings.
Despite its huge body, it was a dragon with a long and somewhat flat body. It had four thin wings and a short neck, but this didn't make it seem any less terrifying.
Looking closer, Haldor noticed that the dragon's wings were large, and they were also covered with thorns similar to those on its face. Its long, bare tail ended in two curved and thin peaks, resembling a pair of fins for swimming.
Its scales, on the other hand, were black with white tips, a very exotic color to Haldor's eyes.
Of course, if this isn't a dragon, what is it? Haldor didn't have time to review the biology, mythology, and folklore knowledge he hadn't touched for many years in his memories.
"Incredible..."
The next moment, the dragon opened its eyes, and its enormous double wings flapped. In an instant, it soared into the sky.
At one point, fist-sized stones fell from the sky one after another, letting Haldor know he had to run.
But before Haldor could get up from the ground, a huge stone hit his head, causing him to fall unconscious while a massive amount of blood poured from the side of his face.
Without Haldor realizing it, a luminous little thing came out of his chest and began licking the wound on his head. In an instant, the blood froze, preventing him from losing even more blood from the wound on his head.
That little thing, as blue as it was, shook its body, and four wings emerged from its small body. Its little head looked at Haldor, who didn't move, and it chirped loudly.
Chirp!
