Chapter 11

There was no shortage of work made available for Walkers and Adventurers alike. With the appearance of more and more threats on the continent, it was easy enough for him to make a decent amount of ouran.

Granted, the money he needed was the result of two straight months of work, but ultimately the efforts did pay off.

Winter hired both miners and metalworkers to return with him. Helping to teach and work with the townspeople.

While word of the ashen serpent slayer reached East past the Glass Sea.

Alerting a clan of dragonkin who were familiar with the Pale Serpent.

Finding interest in the tales of the monster capable of handling their brethren, they travelled West to seek the Slayer.

While he tasked Kord to handle the finance that the work with the Mines brought in, Neya was responsible for continuing the management of the village.

However, looking at the condition of the village, Winter realized that they would need to find a way of repairing the majority of the town and find some way to feed the citizens.

'I don't blame them but it's clear there's a lot of work to be done. What metal hasn't rusted or timber that has fallen to rot seems to be all that's left to them. If more of them are to return, I doubt there will be any place for them unless we can get work done.' he thought.

Since the appearance of the Frost lung infection, very few places would trade with them out of fear, forcing them to hunt in the nearby Evergreen forest in order to survive, however, that brought great danger as the forest housed a lot of vicious beasts.

News of the town's continuity slowly brought the truth to the clan, who easily took interest in how they could have possibly survived against the Ashen Serpent.

While they travelled to Lacol, Winter went to take on a mission to make the money for the town though his true mission was looking for information.

Carrying out a guard detail in the city for an adventurer, Winter comes across a beggar.

Seeking a moment of his time, Winter aided the man with a quick offer of coin, an act that caught him off guard for a moment before he handed him the ouran and taking off.

Completing his quest before returning the Adventurer's Guild and asking for information on the girl that became a knight.

When he returned, he found out from a returning Gil that there was something advancing towards Wintermorne, something that warranted his warning.

To prepare, the villagers armed themselves while Gil tried to form a peace treaty, hoping to present it to them on their arrival, but Winter's thoughts of peace were shaken with their fire burning a good chunk of the village away, they were intrigued by the fleeing force's approach.

Striking at the few homes that stood and lighting the streets and razing the town in heat of frenzy.

Tall stacks of smoke pushed higher the cloudy veil and ash to the role of the snowy rains as townspeople flee...knowing that beyond their home, no one could hear their cries,

"All the elderly and younglings head to the caves of the lake. The rest of the able-bodied will move to extinguish the flames then proceed to join the village guarding them against the enemy."

"Gil, Elyssara follow me"

A strange as it felt to suddenly be issuing orders, stranger still was the lack of fear when surrounded by the flames...moving towards the noise of thrashing beasts, Winter stayed focused.

standing amongst the untouched land, he waited as the winged heralds of destruction drew near. Pushing past the cliffs and peaks before landing in a quiet storm that spurred the flames. the trio looked on at the draconic figures looking down on them.

And before either of them could reconsider, Winter asked for the treaty. And stepped up calling to speak with their leader.

"I stand here, to seek a single thing. Peace between our peoples??"

Presented with the treaty, they took interest in the challenge brought forth, since they couldn't defend against their numbers and preying on the dragon's arrogance, he appealed to them with a trial by combat of their strongest warriors.

Facing with their greatest adversaries.

Stepping up towards him, Winter asked that the villagers extinguish the flames and get the children to safety, while Gil cheered him on. Resting his hand on his Darkscale blade, he stood nervously waiting for the beast's champion to appear.

Stepping up as being quite large with a lean frame, he stood like a warrior amongst the clan, brandishing a glaive that carried a similar dark sheen to his scales.

He pulled in his wings, stepping up to the tiny looking Winter, he introduced himself as Bludfire Corona, wanting Winter's name. It stepped back and asked him to ready himself.

"Winter, the Ashblade"

"So you are the slayer? Then face me so I may witness your strength"

"Is this the only way to ensure peace? My home is fragile and my people and wounded and frail. A war we cannot handle nor is it something we seek"

"We didn't travel across the seas to feast on a worthless village. I seek a challenge that I haven't been able to experience since I faced that man. your village nor your people interest me. I seek only combat. Defeat me and I may consider your words..."

"Huh, that smell, are you...you don't look it but your scent is unmistakeable..." Bludfire mumbled.

"While care not for combat, But ill be damned if I let you burn my town and people to the ground"

While both sides looked on, they charged. Trying to block a sweeping blow, he was knocked back into one of the buildings with Bludifre leaping into the air and descending on the on him kicking dust and snow about before he raised his hand and let out a belch of fire into the rumble.

Elyssara tried to intervene, however, Gil stopped her, telling her she couldn't interfere or risk the village, but this just made her more enraged, stating that she wouldn't watch as her leader was murdered.

But just as she was about to act, the crowd's attention was caught by the sudden blast of the chilling wind.

Stopping Bludfire's flames, Winter reached out of the rubble and grasped his arm, causing a cold sensation to overcome him, trying to shoot out his flames, a snowflake-shaped structure appeared between them shielding him and blast them apart.

But they quickly recovered, With bolts of flames being blocked by his frost shield.

Luring him to let loose a fearsome strike rocking and upheaving the earth, Winter froze the land stiffly, sliding towards him at such a speed that he was able to knock him off his feet, and using his immense speed.

As kept moving around the flaming glaive, more and more frozen patterns appeared around them, growing in size and varying in patterns.

Each shimmering and creaking as the chilling sound filled everyone's ears, the draconic foe cracked the icy path around him before anchoring himself in a powerful stance as he prepared to swing against the approaching Ashbalde.

Facing the staunch figure, Winter turned his gaze upwards before Bludfire's swing could claim his head leaving little more than a misty silhouette as he did before pushing off the tundral pattern towards the next.

Noting the switching direction, the warrior shifted to prepare for the attack, but each time Winter would move onto the next, granting him nought a moment to follow his path.

"Vanishing Blade-Variant Step. Frozen Storm of a Thousand Blades"

Letting out a haughty breath that chilled into a misty trail, Winter formed more and more in a mirage as each step sent him to another platform, taking the moment offered each time to cleave at his opponent as his blade's icy touch bit deep into the flesh.

With the mirage drawing the chilling around him into a storm that granted him no sight, the warrior found now way to stave off the unseen attacks and fight off the growing chilly.

Gripping his glaive tightly, the figure buried the blade into the ground before letting out a powerful cry...that rumbled the town bearing witness to the battle...before an intense light began to shine out of the storm.

Glowing brighter and brighter with the storm grow in size, pulling in nearby homes and lashing out violent wisps of ice as the swell grew to be far too much for the frost to contain, blasting the sight of the battle with a spectacular display that silence the wailing town as a singular column of dust and smoke rose into the skies, capturing the silence of all who watched...waiting with bated breath.

Amongst the debris and raining shards of earth and ice, a single Vanishing strike pierces through, revealing a cratered heath where two figures stood.

The blow was barely blocked by one of them as the force knocked the wind out of him.

Before he could get back up, he held the glaive and his sword against his throat.

"The title you possess, what is it?"

"...title...As far as I know, by my enemies I am and will be known as the Ashen Blade"

"Well then, Winter of the Ashen Blade, the defeat is mine. You have my blade, and there is not enough me that was left untouched by your cold to resist. I only ask..."

"That the only head you claim, is my own. A leader that guides others to ruin, should succumb to his own folly first and only"

Winter claimed victory. After the declaration, he got off Bludfire planting his spear into the dirt beside him.

Defeated and sparred, with their pride wounded, they asked him what he requested. Wishing the beasts to pay, they were shocked when he swore them to be the protectors of the town. Guarding the citizens and helping the rebuilding efforts.

Winter did this, believing that he would not be around to always defend the place.

Dubbing the clans of the town under his name as per the suggestion of Gil, the White Wolves became the Winter Wolves and the dragonkin clan became the Winter Drakes of Wintermorne.

With the village number having grown, he held a meeting with the leader of the clans. Renaming the groups like the Winter Wolves and Winter Drake's would not be something everyone took lightly and so a show of support from their leaders would go very far in making everything official.

Ruling that those that carried his name were under his protection and so was the village. In fighting was not permitted and there was no one race above another.

The final rule was the avoidance of conflict as their village would not handle the attack as well as the protection of all its citizens.

Though the dragons brought an issue, the cold temperatures made it incredibly difficult for them to live in those conditions, and the increased population would make feeding everyone a hassle.

While Bludfire continued to wonder on his face, Winter asked him to hand over his spear. Kneeling and presenting it to him, he rested his hand on his shoulder.

Telling him to stand and that from today onwards he would be his guard, working to defend the village leaders.

Hearing his new task, he asked if he could continue to spar with him if he served him and Winter assured him that as long as no one is harmed, then they could.