Frozen Flame of Dawn - Chapter 39

Chapter 39: Chapter 19: Defending the Village–The Ice Fortress_1

There was chaos and destruction in the streets. Several homes were on fire, sending thick clouds of smoke into the sky. The air smelled of burned wood and something stronger, like burning fur.

Everywhere people in the town could be heard screaming, and many of them were running quickly, some carrying elderly people on their backs and others holding on tight to their children.

Not everyone was running, though. There were individuals who were fighting for their lives.

“Get them moving! Push them toward the east side!” Amira shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos like a blade. Her voice was sharp, commanding, unyielding. “Three-man teams—two at the front, one in the rear for support. I want coordination, not chaos!”

Her team moved in sync, boots thudding against dirt and broken cobblestone as they swept through the village. Three-man teams, just as she’d ordered earlier. Two at the front, one at the rear.

Team 1: Fighting Mutated Hares

“BEHIND YOU, KAI!” Isha’s shout was sharp, and it came just in time.

Kai spun, his body reacting faster than his mind. A beast lunged at him—a mutated hare, easily five feet tall, its claws swiping at his head. He ducked low, adrenaline surging through him, feeling the air shift above as the claw barely missed.

“Leila, now!” he barked.

Leila didn’t hesitate. She rushed in from the side, spear in hand, thrusting it forward in a brutal, precise jab. It punched through the hare’s ribs with a sickening crunch. Blood sprayed her armor, but she didn’t flinch. Her eyes stayed locked on it, watching it twist in agony.

“Hold it! Hold it!” Isha called from behind, raising her rifle.

One shot. Clean. The hare’s head snapped back as a single shot pierced its skull. Silence.

“Clear! Clear! Move! Move!” Kai shouted, pulling Leila to her feet as Isha reloaded. They didn’t stop to celebrate. The sound of more screams echoed from the west, and their heads turned in unison.

“Three more coming from the well! Move!” Leila barked, pointing toward the village square.

Their legs moved before their minds could catch up. There was no hesitation.

Team 2: Fighting Mutated Goats

Near the southern end of the village, Selena, Yara, and Drevin were locked in battle with three mutated goats. These weren’t farm animals anymore. Their horns were jagged, their eyes glowed a faint yellow, and their hooves shattered the stone beneath them with every step.

“These things hit harder than my old instructor!” Drevin growled, rolling to the side as one of the goats’ horns smashed into the dirt where he’d been standing.

“Keep it on your left! Don’t let it flank!” Drevin yelled, keeping his spear between him and the goat.

“Focus, Drevin, keep it on your left! You don’t have to dodge if you take it down first!” Selena’s voice was sharp as she darted in from the side, her blade flashing in a silver arc.

She felt the surge of energy in her legs and leaned into it, using her newfound speed to get behind the goat. Her feet moved faster than she intended, and she almost stumbled, but she corrected herself mid-stride.

“Okay, not used to that yet,” she muttered, eyes wide, heart racing. But she used the momentum to drive her blade deep into the goat’s hind leg. It screamed, kicking wildly, but Selena was already gone, her body moving with an agility that she hadn’t mastered yet but was clearly improving.

The beast snorted, pawing the ground like it was ready to charge.

“Clean hit, Selena!” Yara barked as she raised her rifle, but she didn’t fire. Not yet.

Blue sparks danced on her fingertips. It wasn’t intentional. Her fingers buzzed with that strange electric charge that had been following her since the surge. She felt it surge into her hand, her eyes narrowing as she willed it to stop.

“Alright, alright. You wanna play, fine. Let’s play.” She gripped her rifle tight and let the energy build. Her finger hovered over the trigger. She felt it hum inside the barrel.

When the mutated goat staggered, still focused on Selena , Yara squeezed the trigger.

BANG—CRACK! The shot wasn’t just a bullet. It had something more. A surge of energy sparked from the muzzle, and when the shot hit the beast’s head, the impact was far stronger than expected. The beast’s head snapped back like it had been hit by a sledgehammer.

“DID YOU SEE THAT?!” Yara shouted, his grin wild.

“Focus, Yara! I swear, if I get killed by a goat, I’m haunting you both,” Drevin growled, keeping his spear between him and the goat.

“If you get killed by a goat, we’re not telling anyone,” Yara said, her eyes again focused as she tracked the movement of a second goat.

The beast charged. Drevin pivoted hard, jamming his spear into its side. It bellowed, twisting to swing its horns at him, but Selena was already there. Her blades flashed like silver lightning, carving deep cuts along its legs.

The beast stumbled, blood pouring from its limbs, and just as it tried to rise, Drevin shouted as he charged in, his spear crackling with faint golden sparks. His strikes were heavier now, his muscles surging with unnatural strength. The spear hit like a battering ram, breaking bones with every swing.

Team 3: Fighting Wild Hounds

On the north end, Quinn, Jared, and Voss faced off against a pack of wild hounds. Their bodies were leaner than wolves, but their eyes glowed red, their jaws snapping with unhinged, wild hunger. Three of them circled the three soldiers.

“Voss, rear support! You shoot, we slash!” Quinn snapped, his eyes flicking from hound to hound. He pressed his palms together, his breath steady as heat pooled in his chest. His heart pulsed, and with each pulse, he felt the flicker of warmth in his hands.

“Come on, come on,” he muttered.

One of the hounds lunged.

Quinn’s eyes snapped open. His fingers flicked forward, and a small burst of flame shot from his hand, barely more than a flash of heat, but it struck the hound’s eyes. It yelped, its momentum thrown off as it stumbled into the dirt.

“Yes!” Quinn grinned. “I told you I could do it!”

“You’re still sloppy!” Jared shouted as moved he wasn’t faster, but he was stronger. Far stronger. He gripped the hounds that stumbled on the ground by the neck, twisting its head as it clawed at his armor.

“NOT TODAY!” he roared, planting a foot into its chest and tossing it into a second hound. Both hit the dirt, stunned.

Quinn stepped in, blade slicing upward, cutting across the throat of the first hounds. Blood splattered his armor, but he didn’t flinch. Jared spun, his spear crashing down on the other hound’s spine with a sickening crack. It hit the ground hard, yelping before going still.

“Jared, behind you!” Quinn shouted.

Jared turned too slowly. The hound’s jaws opened wide—

CRACK.

“I know, I know! Just make it three!” Voss who was already bracing his rifle fired, his breathing slow as he already tracked the third hound’s movements.

Fire flickered around the bullet. It wasn’t a flame—it was a spark. It zapped the hound on its side, sending it into a wild spasm as it hit the ground.

“You’re welcome, big guy,” Voss said to Jared, grinning.

The Village Square

As everyone team were fighting and saving lives, Amira stood at the center of the village square, her eyes scanning everything like a hawk. She was calm, but her presence radiated control. Her breath came out in frosty puffs, her body thrumming with energy as she focused on her task.

“This spot. Right here.” she muttered, gaze sharp as she took in the layout of the square. It was the best place to hold. Four open paths leading in, clear vantage points, and enough space to fit every villager still alive.

“This is where we make our stand.” Her voice rang with authority as she tapped her comm. “All units, shift your priorities. Get every villager you can to the village square. It’s our stronghold. No exceptions. No one gets left behind. Move!”

“Yes, Captain!” came the chorus of responses.

Her gaze snapped to her people closest to her. Asher, Sophie, and Sam stood ready.

“We’re turning this square into a fortress,” she told them, her eyes as cold as her breath. “I’m going to seal it. You three are my vanguard. Take a team to those paths—east, west, north. Nothing gets through.”

“Got it, Cap,” Asher said, as they discussed with each other and also selected their team for the task.

Amira ignored their discussing. Her eyes shifted to the ground as she flexed her fingers while cold mist curling from her fingertips. Her heart slowed, each breath a steady as she circulated the energy inside her body. Her pulse synced with the rhythm of the energy inside her, like a thread she could pull.

“Time to work.”

Her eyes shut briefly, her breath slow. Then, with a sharp, controlled exhale, she slammed both hands to the ground.

A sudden roar echoed from beneath her feet. It wasn’t a sound, not really. It was the cracking and snapping of freezing water vapor pulled from the air itself. Frost spread like wildfire, crawling in every direction. The ground shook as sharp, jagged ice walls shot up, encircling the square with thick walls of frost-blue ice.

Villagers and her team stumbled backward, gasping in awe and terror. The sheer brilliance of the ice reflected the fiery glow of the distant flames, turning it into a wall of fiery blue and orange. Thick. Strong. Unyielding.

“She just made a fortress out of ice…” someone muttered from the crowd.

Amira stood on top of the ice wall, arms folded, her breath still frosting the air. Her eyes scanned the village from her high vantage point. She had eyes on everything now. She could see the battles her teams were fighting in the distance.