Return

Everyone waited below. Even Astnar—who must've realized how late to everything he was.

It didn't matter, in the end, which Cael ruefully told everyone. It didn't matter, because the Ice Flower of the North Pole was stolen before Cael, Dieter and Astnar even climbed the spire.

Their initial reactions weren't much different from those of Cael and Dieter themselves. Disbelief, anger, confusion.

"We can't let this setback stop us. There are still things to do, and enemies to be defeated," Cael said grimly, addressing his part of the group. He turned to the pair of angry jotuns that stood aside from the humans. "Jarl Astnar. From the very start… The entire reason you sought the Ice Flower was to win the upcoming war against Freistaat."

"And you were seeking it for yourself, vampire," Astnar spat out icily. "Did that spawn of Ludwig offer you a bigger reward than I did? Did you decide that kinship with humans is more important than any of your promises?"