The First Legendary Beast Master novel Chapter 275

Chapter 275 Ice Front

?Everyone rested in the cave for the morning as they listened to the reports from the main lines, which were becoming even more dire by the minute. The Frost Giants were not just waiting at their lines, they were working together to launch ice magic, and enchanted boulders at the defenders.

While it was crude, with the strength of Giants operating the mechanisms, the Frost Giant Catapults were proving to be incredibly effective. The ice boulders exploded on impact, causing every bit as much damage as any artillery round, even against armoured targets.

The main lines sounded like they were in the midst of a disaster, and at one point Karl was reasonably certain that he heard Jodi's voice announcing a unit retreat for heavy casualties.

The line was moving back again, and sometime around mid-afternoon, High Priest George and the remainder of his team were rescued by scouts after being attacked by a Frost Giant patrol. The Cleric was heavily injured, and both teams were airlifted out with unstated casualties in an emergency rescue that couldn't have been easy that far behind the main line.

Hawk still hadn't seen anything coming up the road toward them, and the whole region appeared to be deserted.

Rae thought the same thing. There was simply nothing left here, and the temperature was dropping fast. Whatever the Frost Giants were doing, it was turning what should have been a tropical area into a frozen wasteland, where none of the native creatures could survive.

[It's too cold to fly, even with Flames. We need to leave this place.] Hawk informed them not long after.

[It's almost dark. Should we move out immediately, or will you return to the cave, and we will leave in the morning?] Karl asked.

It took a moment for Hawk to answer, but his decision was firm.

[There is a ridgeline behind these clouds, and the wind is even colder there. I think that we should move this afternoon and go further east. If we keep staying here, we're going to freeze.]

Surprisingly, Remi was with him on that decision. She poked her head out of her space to see what was going on, then promptly returned to her swamp.

[There is strong shaman magic coming.] She announced.

Well, that was something. If she could sense the magic, then they had their answer to why everything was freezing, just not where the effect was coming from, other than somewhere deeper into the Frost Giant nation.

"Everyone, pack up, we need to move. There is a wave of ice magic coming our way, and it's not suitable for any living creature, according to Hawk. That could explain why they're not sending anyone to look for the missing animals. They don't expect anything to remain alive after that wave of cold passes over us." Karl explained.

"Where are we headed?" Lotus asked.

"The nearest edge of the wave is southeast of here, so we're going to head that way and hope that we can properly outrun it. If we can't, we will have to find a cave or make a strong fort to hole up in until it has passed, and the temperature is back to just cold." Karl explained.

They were getting very well practised with loading their packs, and only the hammocks and sleeping bags had come out, other than the cooking utensils. Within minutes, they were loaded up, and Karl called Thor and Rae to give everyone a ride, while Hawk came down to land on his backpack and warm up.

[The temperature up high is so cold that the Ice Magic is wearing down my flames.] Hawk explained.

[I will report it to the others.]

[Urgent Message for the Command Group and all Mobile Units. This is Team 95988. There is a wave of Ice Magic behind the incoming storm, powerful enough to snuff out fire magic barriers.

We are relocating outside the designated zone to escape the path of the magic, and I recommend that all units unable to reach a secured camp seek immediate shelter, as the storm will be at the main lines within the next two hours.]