Il’tel

Wyrm Depths

City of Iron Ice

Afternoon

Kyle stepped out of the rift, having travelled through the Spirit Realm with Durin’s and Behemoth’s aid to find the exact location Elder Isaac had marked on the maps of the Frost Court cities he had obtained for them. Kyle found himself underground, as far as he knew the City of Iron Ice was an underground society like every other city these Tundra dwellers built.

From the little light emitted by his own blue flames, Kyle figured he was inside an abandoned warehouse. It wasn’t very large, maybe twenty meters by thirty. But it was enough.

Kyle looked around, the walls, floor and ceiling entirely made of metal seemingly carved with runes on the edges enchanting them. He only saw one way in or out, a large double doorway of dented iron. He stepped over to the large door and gripped the dented sides, infusing himself with Spirit as an aura-like blue energy engulfed his body.

Kyle slowly pulled, the doors were so encased in ice that it did not even creak but instead made cracking and shattering sounds as the ice broke between it and the doorway. Kyle could only slightly bend the metal inwards, the door opened outwards and unfortunately there was a cave-in of snow on that side which was slowly freezing over into solid ice.

He guessed that was why this place was abandoned.

“It’ll do fine.” He thought before pulling out a wooden ball with runes engraved over it, this was a replacement for them breaking VCDs as the Mage Guild was tired of replacing them. Kyle infused mana into the sphere and it floated in place, glowing a dim blue. As his Spirit engulfed fist approached the sphere he chanted “Dimensional Force.”

Quickly Kyle stepped back as the sphere shattered alongside reality around it, a rift collapsing on itself before taking spherical shape and suddenly expanding until finally settling as a white portal.

Through the now stable portal stepped out the rest of his guild, Lilior immediately going to work by summoning a Dungeon core at the corner of the warehouse.

“This will do nicely.” Mused Birse as he glanced around.

“Seriously?...Its still fucking freezing in here too!” exclaimed Skill as he shivered and hugged himself.

“Oh get over yourself and put on the fur!” said Soren as he threw a set of light fur armour to the freezing Elf who quickly replaced it with his thin leather equipment. Everyone else was also wearing dark blue fur clothing with chain-vests underneath and cloth keeping the cold chains from their skin.

All but Kyle who changed to his outfit and summoned his mask, Yokai.

“You really feel no cold at all?” asked Sparta with a frown.

“Nope, perk of having a half-blood Tundra Elf body and being a Spirit Beast of a dual element with Ice involved.” Responded Kyle as he watched Lilior work, spreading her mana throughout the warehouse and taking it over as her territory.

“Ha…Ha…Ha…Well g-good for y-you!” exclaimed Seren in annoyance as she also shuddered from the cold.

Birse clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention “Alright boys and girls gather up, let’s go over this one last time!” The guild gathered around him, some shivering and others shrugging it off due to passives. “Alright game-plan, Kyle as his…” he cringed briefly “’Villain’ persona Yokai, will approach the city gate from outside. He will be going through the first gate himself, it is the least defended one purposely-”

Author: …He…Hehehe~

Rock: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDgAPpgd7bA

Pop: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRqovf4lG-w

Listened to both ^ ^

Several hours later

A dark flame shone menacingly through the light snow fall, easily visible from the metallic structure acting as the entrance to the underground city of Iron Ice. A sloped building with a single massive gate on the only vertical side. The dozen or so guards outside immediately began to panic as they watched the aflame humanoid quickly approach them.

Surging from left to right like a phantom in the night, the masked creature suddenly appeared before them, smiling widely as a dreadfully cold chill crawled up their spines “Knock…Knock~” it viciously exclaimed, almost out in song as its eyes gazed into their very cores. As its fanged smile made their skin crawl.

Before suddenly slamming into the iron door, making the sound of bending metal reverberate in their heads. The sound screeching, agonizing metal as the black flames rusted the iron and the creature bent the doors open with its sheer strength.

And it entered, through the hole it made the flames flowed inside.

The creature cackled, a cruel laughter that echoed through the cold iron tunnel that lead downwards “Come out…come out…” almost continuously it cackled “For I shall find you anyway…”

As the creature flowed through the tunnel like an incorporeal ghost the crystals giving out a blue light inside the tunnel suddenly shone brighter before a blizzard was cast into the wide corridor of iron.

Silhouettes moved through the blizzard, assaulting the black flames in droves. Screams of pain filled the tunnel, followed by shrieks of horror as the black flames continued to flow onwards, unstopped by the many defenders whose now skeletal bodies lay freezing in its wake.

The creature laughed, its voice suddenly deepening as its flames entered a crazed frenzy “Oh please keep hiding! Keep running! I like it when you run! I love it when you hide! THE HUNT ONLY EXCITES ME FURTHER!” it roared out like a beast before suddenly bursting forward like a maddened bison.

Through spreading frost and battering snow, through icy winds the black flames surged down the tunnel before suddenly stopping dead in front of the second gate. The blizzard abruptly disappeared, clearing the tunnel of the low vision and revealing the sneering masked invader.

It just stood there, staring down the continuously gathering guards as they surrounded it. Outnumbering the being one to a hundred.

“Your masquerade ends here, fool.” Exclaimed Lex as he appeared in a burst of cold, wearing full silver plate-armour and wielding a long metallic staff.

A hiss echoed through the tunnel as the creature slowly began to laugh once more “It does?...” it softly asked as its smile widened into a snarling grin “You’re wrong, Minister of Defence. My reign of terror begins with you.”

The sound of creaking metal reverberated from behind them as each turned to watched in bafflement, as the gate bent outwards before suddenly exploding in black-blue flames. Most shielded themselves from the blast, summoning barriers of mana to cover their rear but…

As the sound of tearing flesh and shattering bone upfront sounded off into their ears, each realised where the true danger lay.

The creature had grown three long dark-red claws and began tearing apart all that lay in its path, each time it collided with a shield or got parried by a sword the claws burst aflame rusting away the equipment before shredding them too like an axe going through soft wood.

It cackled and chuckled while surging from side to side, each step it tore through a guard, cleaving them aside before moving onto its next victim. As blood and gore filled the tunnel the air only got colder as the seconds went on.

Lex glanced around, his men standing frozen in horror as the beast sliced and diced their comrades “What are you standing about for!? Get him!” he exclaimed furiously, but what words reached them went unheard as picture perfect stares of terror played through their faces.

Then Lex felt it at last, the creeping unnatural cold that tickled his bones before suddenly spreading throughout his entire body like a shudder. He sensed it, the ghastly aura of wretched fear that engulfed them all. Lex felt his muscles lock up, he felt his body get colder, something Tundra Elves rarely ever felt.

And then it appeared before him, drenched in blood from head, claw to toe as its glowing blue eyes stared deep into his own. Lex couldn’t even shudder as the creature took a step closer, its cold breath escaping into his face.

It laughed before whispering into his ear “Do you feel it? The sinful chill that locks up your body, the primal sense that eerily warns you of danger.” It backed away and sneered “Wonderful is it not!?” the creature passionately exclaimed before opening its jaws wide and breathing out black flames which engulfed Lex whole.

The Elf didn’t even flinch, immediately brought into a screaming mess as his skin bubbled and burned up. As his flesh rotted and melted, as his organs spilled out onto the floor before shrivelling up and turning to ash. Until all that remained was a skeleton on the floor, frozen with an open screaming jaw and clenched hands around its chest.

On top of it the creature stood, madly staring down at the bones as it cackled.

“Wh-who…Wh-what are…” one brave guard began to ask, as she fell back on her ass once the creature turned towards her voice.

Its eyes widening with pleasure as its gaze fell upon her “You wish to know who and what I am?!” it exclaimed in excitement, slowly stepping towards the terrified guard with arms wide open. Now standing in front of the guard it stared down at her, even as another guard suddenly rushed at it.

In one impossibly quick movement the creature raised its right arm, bursting out a ball of black flames onto the oncoming guard which exploded into his raised shield before flowing over and around engulfing his body entirely.

The creature forwarded its hand to the sitting guard, as her comrade fell to his knees screaming in agony. Too terrified to deny the creature, the guard took its hand and it raised her back to her shaking feet. The creature stepped closer, the other guard’s screams and bursting flesh filling the tunnel with sound.

It held her close as she trembled, as it softly whispered into her ear “I am the darkness born from your kind’s sin. I am the plague created from your sickness. I am the monster that awakened from your shadow. I~ Am~ Yokai!” it snarled whilst baring its fangs.

The guard fainted where she stood, in the creature’s arms after which it let her fall to the ground.

Yokai chuckled as it joyfully stepped away from the guard, turning to the rest as they shakily held their weapons towards him “Haha! Well I really must go! The main scene awaits its protagonist!” it bowed before suddenly bursting aflame and rushing through the blown open gate and into the city proper.

The entire city was a cavern of iron, the ceiling and the floor being large metal plates held up by the buildings themselves as they stood like pillars connecting the floor and it. Like bulging pillars the buildings got thicker until reaching the middle and then thinning out again.

Blue glowing crystals lit up the entire city, giving it a cold blue shine as the light reflected off the metal. Yokai’s laughter easily echoed throughout the entire city, bringing a chill to all who heard his wicked cackle.

It strolled through the chilly streets, lit up by crystal lanterns throughout. Casually walking as it surged forwards with every second step, the crowd of Tundra Elves shrieking and rushing aside as the malevolent creature walked among them.

It only took a single glimpse of its fanged grin, its maddened eyes and menacing mask to turn surprise into horror and confusion into terror.

“Shrouded in darkness it creeps in the light, among you it walks smiling wide and sincere as its laughter reaches all! Who am I!?” It riddled before suddenly stopping and glancing around, its smile curving downwards as fury filled its eyes “I am Yokai, and I claim this city for my feasting grounds.” It licked its upper fangs voraciously.

Suddenly several dozen buildings exploded into black flames, the fire corroding and rusting the iron before collapsing the whole pillar down onto the crowded streets. Elves ran left and right but what the falling debris did not squash the flames dissolved.

Everyone still alive ran, screaming and shrieking, trampling over one another as all beelined for the busted gate. All the while Yokai laughed, a forced laughter as its anger grew clear in tone. It sounded absolutely bonkers.

“Well!? Where are you?! Come out come out little piggy! I’VE COME FOR YOU! No?...Oh you’ll hide?...Haha! That’s fine too! I’LL JUST SNIFF YOU OUT!” Yokai exclaimed loudly, its voice speaking over even the stampede.

Suddenly four Elves appeared surrounding it, wearing dark blue cloth with metal sheeting the four mages wielded long staffs of iron ending in a wide curved blade. Their eyes glowed with power as they faced off with the monster before them.

Yokai chuckled “Ah…The royal guard…Shouldn’t you be…protecting someone!?” it exclaimed before suddenly surging at one, its long red claws clashing with the mage’s staff as a cold blue aura engulfed the weapon keeping the flames at bay and away.

Two of the other mages surged towards Yokai, spinning in place as frost gushed out of their blades before slashing into its position. Yet Yokai had disappeared, they only cut through empty space before suddenly…

The sound of a blade stabbing through skin then flesh crawled into their ears as they turned to find the fourth dropping his staff, three long red claws having stabbed through his back and out of his stomach. Yokai chuckled as it suddenly clenched its hand creating the sound of cracking bones, cleaving the man’s upper body into four.

It was followed by the squelching of blood and flesh as the ripped man’s corpse fell to the bloody floor, the red liquid pooling all around him.

The three stared on-guard at the creature, as it raised its claws and licked the fresh blood off the middle tip “Mhm, how do you like your dinner? I like mine fresh, juicy and chopped up nicely.” A glint of madness in its eyes before it suddenly disappeared.

Reappearing before them as all three had to parry its sudden flurry of slashes, clawing away at them as black flames burst and flared out of each strike. Before just as suddenly sweeping both sets of claws forwards, the attack exploding out with Spirit and blasting each mage aside.

One of the mages crashed straight into a half collapsed building, the force of the impact causing a dent in the solid iron. As the mage slowly pulled herself up, she looked up to find Yokai staring into her eyes, both his and hers widened in pleasure and horror separately. As he held a croaking mage skewered on either set of claws, grabbing away at the long blades that pierced into their chest. With each movement they fell lower, being slowly opened up by their own gravity.

Yokai stepped closer, inches away from the mage’s face as it asked “Yet do you know what is absolutely my favourite state of flesh to be devoured?...” Both mages burst aflame “Charred black.” Slowly, slicing through the rotting flesh and bubbling skin, Yokai arched down his claws and let the screaming, burning mages drop to the floor.

The last mage clenched her staff and stabbed forwards, the blade clashing with Yokai’s claws as he parried her attack. Holding the staff’s blade firmly stuck within his claws as they lit up with black flames, cracking away at the barrier that covered the weapon until finally it shattered. The weapon’s material began to deteriorate to the flames, rusting away as at the same time it melted and corroded.

Yokai ran his claws across the entire staff’s length as he approached the now trembling royal guard once more. As her weapon melted within his grasp, until it was too hot for her to hold and she let go.

He instantly shred the metal rod apart, opening his arms and grin wide. The air thinned out, freezing and turning to frost as his claws enclosed onto the mage, as her expression drained of all emotion. As she gave up on life itself, abandoning herself to the monster’s jaws.

“Halt!” Exclaimed a voice from behind them as a hissing roar shook the ground.

Yokai’s claws stopped while upon the mage, the blades sinking an inch into her skin as she stared up at his cold blue eyes entranced by fear. He pulled back his claws, stepping away and turning to face the voice’s source.

King Freiz Oswold the third sat above his Frost Drake as it fiercely glared at the Spirit Beast.

Yokai laughed “And the main course finally decides to show itself!” he exclaimed while walking towards the Drake, the giant creature barely fitting inbetween buildings.

Freiz nocked his long bow, seemingly both bow and arrow made of ice itself “This ends tonight! Your kind! Your entire damn race has plagued my dreams for centuries! Tonight I defeat my fears! Tonight I end your race!” he announced before chanting “Frostborn Arrow!”

The arrow turned into a whirlwind of frost as Freiz let go, the spell rushed at Yokai turning everything in its path frost-covered and freezing. It grew and it grew until it covered the street from side to side.

Yokai chuckled coldly, as he rushed straight towards the incoming blizzard. Bursting into black hellfire as his form grew to ten times his size. The two tailed blazing fox of black flames crashed into the whirling frost briefly exploding and covering the street in a mist before imploding.

The frost, snow and ice all converged onto the fox as the beast sucked the sheer coldness into itself. Freiz could only watch in utter bafflement as the creature breathed out a cold breath while staring at him and his Drake, its eyes glowing a bright cold blue. Suddenly the flames on its body expanded briefly before calming and revealing an entire suit of black-red carapace armour covering the fox.

With helmet, gauntlets and all the beast was ready for war. Its long black-red claws aflame black-blue grinding against the metallic floor as it rushed forth.

In response, the Frost Drake snarled and leaped forward too.

The two beasts clashed amidst the buildings of metal, grappling and biting at each other as they pushed the other into the pillars. The Drake breathed out rays of Frost which the Fox suffered through before breathing out its own black breath of fire. The two elements clashed as they continued to push and pull at each other, Freiz barely holding on as the two monstrosities fought.

Suddenly Yokai’s two tails replaced his hind legs in grappling the Drake’s and with his hind legs he pushed down the Drake’s front, slamming the beast down onto the cold iron floor. They continued to clash breathes until Yokai grasped the Drake’s open jaws, ending its breath whilst moving its own head out of the way of the Drake’s frost.

The Drake continued to breathe out its icy breath until the very end, right up until Yokai snapped its neck aside with his sheer strength. Freiz’s eyes widened as he screamed out in emotional agony, falling off the Drake as his Soul Wail filled the street.

Freiz shouted and wept as he felt his chest shrinking on itself, as he felt himself lose utter control of his own mana. The King glanced up at the monster that loomed over him, its snarling smile filling him with dread.

“Tonight, your majesty. It is your life which ends…right after I feast!” Yokai exclaimed as its jaws suddenly snapped closed around the Elf. The crunching of bone and ripping of flesh coloured by the bursting blood that spilled out of Yokai’s vulpine lips. But Yokai suddenly stopped munching, growling before spitting out the mangled corpse that was once Freiz “Bleh, old meat.”

Yokai turned to the mage he had left alive mere moments before, now hugging herself while on her knees as she watched, laughing madly out of the sheer terror that filled her. As she saw the fox turned towards her right after spitting out Freiz, her laughter froze, her eyes widened as tears began to stream down.

“Princess Sion, royalty shouldn’t weep before mere commoners!” Yokai exclaimed with a wide sneer as he approached her, leaning down as she froze in absolute fear. “It only makes you seem more delicious!” Yokai shrieked in excitement, as its black tongue licked Sion’s entire front making her tremble from end to end before passing out.

Yokai snorted in amusement as his form shrunk down, wiping the blood off his lips as he strolled off towards the exit “Hah…What to taste next…”