Coldsnap: Harbinger of Ice

Chapter 46: Clash of the Aspects

While Flamestar's personal guards worked to forcibly open the portal and clear the way for the Seared Hand's attack, another group of mages approached the pedestal, parading numerous prisoners behind them, all of whom had been clamped with wrist devices against their will that rendered them unable to use their powers. Alpin and the others readied their weapons to attack, ready to swiftly cut the rebels down in an instant, but the Fire Sect leader ordered them to stand down instead.

"Greetings, master," said the party leader. "I do realize your orders were to dispose of every Aspect we saw during our conquest.....but we thought we might bring some back alive to you, that they may serve as an example to any other survivors who remain."

".....Prisoners?" Flamestar asked. "......You're all keeping captives? No. You and the others need to teach them respect. Show them that they'll pay for their continued resistance towards us. At first, this was all just business, but it became personal the moment Coldsnap and her friends killed Leo. I will say it again; you are to leave no one alive, do you understand me?"

The mage leading the platoon chuckled darkly. "Understood, Flamestar. There shall be no hostages. Just trophies."

Two members of his retinue grabbed one of the captives—another ice mage—by both shoulders and slashed him across the back with a flame whip, causing him to scream out in pain and fall to his knees as the other victims looked on, devastated. "W-wait! Can't we talk about this?!" he cried.

But the Seared Hand did not lend an ear to his pleas, or even bother to reply with a single word. Instead, a third foe fatally stabbed him through the heart with their heat spear, his limp body quickly falling face-down onto the ground, much to the grief and sorrow of the spectators.

"Now that was satisfying," the Frost King commented. "Perhaps it is better that you held me back; I likely would've killed him too quickly."

"Death should only come at the end, Your Majesty," Flamestar said. "After all.....how can someone feel pain after they've already passed on? I shall make every single one of these.....Aspects.....suffer, in return for the pain I have known since Leo's death. Unlike Firebird.....he was actually loyal to me." He then paused briefly. "Focus on securing the perimeter around the portal network; ensure that no bystanders get too close. I will worry about anyone who somehow miraculously manages to get through our defenses. With Ignicion and the other elemental constructs spreading mayhem throughout the rest of the city, though.....I doubt that will be a problem.

"Sire!" one of the mages at the Earth portal called. "Seal integrity is at 50%!"

"Yes......" the Fire Sect leader mused. "Soon, we claim this planet!" He turned to the soon-to-be dead captives. "Your 'heroes' could not save you.....I have already disposed of them personally. You relied too much on a single person rather than taking action yourself......and where did that get you?"

This utterly broke the prisoners. After all.....there was some truth to his words. Perhaps they had leaned too much on the influence of Coldsnap and her friends.....so much so that they lost sight of what they themselves could do. Now, as far as they knew, all of them had perished, and no one was coming to rescue them. Now at their lowest point, all they could do was lower their heads and prepare for their inevitable demise.

Alpin and his team were about to depart the immediate area, when all of a sudden, a cold, biting wind blew though the air, even making the Frost King and the other ice mages shiver.

"No......" Alpin whispered, already beginning to panic. "No.....it can't be!"

Flamestar turned around and looked to the sky, seeing a massive ice dragon flying into the city square. On its back was none other than Coldsnap, the Harbinger of Ice herself.