"Hogun, did you find anything?" The commander asked, his voice rough and harsh, as he approached Hogun, who was crouched, his eyes fixed on the frozen horizon. Snow fell slowly around him, covering everything in an unrelenting white cloak.
Hogun didn't answer immediately, his eyes still lost in the vast whiteness before him. He was immersed in the silence of the environment, the biting wind like blades of ice against his face. Finally, he stood, muscles tense beneath his heavy cloak, and looked back at the commander with a grim expression. "There's nothing here. We need to head north. That's where His Majesty ordered us to investigate. We need to find out why the Blood King's soldiers passed through this region."
The commander grumbled, a look of frustration spreading across his hardened face. "Damn! These cursed creatures, who knows where they came from... What the hell do they want with us? Don't they have anything better to do?" Bjornek, the man with hard features and a thick beard, rubbed his hands in the frigid air, trying to generate some warmth, his breath condensing in the frozen mist that formed around him.
Hogun watched him for a moment, his dark eyes narrowing. "Wars... often are driven by nothing more than foolishness and senselessness. It's not always something grand or an epic struggle for power. Sometimes, all it takes is a small, petty reason... or even something as simple as a territorial dispute," he said, his voice growing darker as he spoke. The seriousness of his words seemed to weigh even heavier in the freezing air surrounding them.
Unbeknownst to them, a colossal shadow stretched above them, moving almost imperceptibly through the icy sky. A dragon, 12 meters long, with deep blue scales like the starless night, glided silently, its massive wings cutting through the air without making a sound. Its body was a masterpiece of strength and mystery, but it was its gaze that captured all attention. One eye shone in an intense blue, like a frozen sun in the heart of winter, while the other remained closed in complete stillness. It didn't need to move to listen; it was paying attention to every word exchanged below, absorbing everything as if part of the landscape.
"Odin... so he felt when the Blood King's soldiers came here?" Uriel's voice escaped softly, laced with worry. "Did he sense me too?" he murmured to himself, feeling a knot tighten in his stomach. He didn't want to be detected by Odin so soon. Despite now seeming like a weakened old man, Odin was still a dangerous figure and shouldn't be underestimated. Uriel knew that Odin's power might be even more formidable than when he was at the height of his strength. And the last thing Uriel wanted was to be seen as a threat or, worse yet, treated as a mere pet by that immense being.
He pondered, restless. "If I eliminate these bastards, will Odin still be able to sense my presence? Or not?" he wondered, trying to calculate the consequences of his actions. But either way, he knew he couldn't stay here much longer. The risk of being discovered was too great. "I have no idea how I'd face Thor, but against Odin, in my current state, I wouldn't stand a chance. I can't risk my life like this." Uriel found himself forced to make a decision. With a heavy sigh, he beat his powerful wings, preparing to leave, flying quickly back to his fortress, a safer place where he could plan his next steps.
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"Did you see how I looked?" Eskandor exclaimed with a proud smile, his laughter vibrating in his throat. "Hahahaha, my majesty likes me very much. You could say I'm no longer just a simple ice giant. I'm becoming something much... grander. A being like His Majesty!" he said, displaying his new form with a theatrical gesture. His long white hair fluttered in the wind, and the two horns, which had once been simple protrusions on his forehead, now curved backward with such grandeur that his appearance almost seemed mystical. His long and imposing tail moved with an unexpected grace, while his skin, once rough as ice, now appeared covered in hard scales that reflected the light with a peculiar shine.
"Was all of this because of your flattery?" One of the ice giants, with narrow eyes and a voice full of skepticism, asked, trying to hide his discomfort. "Then I can acquire this form too? Hahahaha, stop thinking too highly of yourself, Eskandor. You'll see what a truly strong form looks like!" The giant spoke, a dismissive tone in his voice, while the others watched from a certain distance.
"Eskandor, you're still an ice giant. Since when did you lose your pride?" Another ice giant retorted, his voice filled with contempt. "Our species is already superior. Of course, His Majesty is different... That's why don't compare yourself to him. And, by the way, I'm going to tell him everything." He paused, the provocation in his words evident.
"Rubbish!" Eskandor laughed loudly, without a care. "You're just jealous. I see it in all of your eyes. I'm no longer one of them, I'm beyond that. And if you want to tell him, go ahead! Let's see who he'll believe... Hahahah!" he said, his laughter echoing with a tone of defiance. He was confident, perhaps even arrogant, in the belief that the loyalty he had earned with his change was more valuable than any empty words from other giants.
From high in the cloudy skies, a powerful figure plunged toward the frozen ground with the grace of a winged predator. The air split with the beat of immense wings, and snow was thrown around like a white curtain at the impact. Uriel landed with authority, his claws leaving deep marks in the frozen ground. His dark blue scales glittered under the pale light of the northern sky, and his single open eye—intense like a frozen sun—watched the field with a threatening calm. His presence was so overwhelming that silence immediately fell among the ice giants.
Eskandor dropped to his knees, his eyes wide at the appearance. His face showed almost comical devotion, yet at the same time, a reverent fear. With tears about to fall, he held them back with effort.
"Your Majesty! Your landing is so beautiful that I am moved to tears... But your presence is so grand, so sacred, that letting them fall would be an unforgivable offense!" he said, his voice trembling with emotion, as if standing before an incarnate god.
Uriel looked at him without showing any reaction. His voice, when it spoke, was like contained thunder, cold and direct.
"Eskandor, you mentioned traveling between realms when you go in search of food, right?"
Eskandor nodded quickly, not understanding the reason for the question.
"Then listen well. All ice giants, prepare yourselves. We leave immediately. Eskandor, you will guide us. Show us the way."
A murmur of confusion began to spread among the giants, but it was silenced when Eskandor, his expression now filled with surprise, asked hesitantly:
"W-what? Your Majesty... What happened? Why so suddenly?"
Uriel turned his gaze toward him. The cold light in his single eye intensified for a moment.
"Just do as I have commanded."
Then he fell silent, imposing, watching in silence as the giants began to move hastily, gathering their weapons, cloaks, and supplies, still casting uneasy glances at each other.