The gnoll chief led Mason through secret wall after secret wall, through a maze of ramps and misty barriers and staring gnolls. When they were finally high up and alone on a ramp colder than the rest, the chief turned.
"Thank you," he said, looking like he'd aged a decade since the start of the climb. "For destroying the insect plague. You have saved my people from certain destruction."
Mason blinked in surprise. "You're welco.” Then, after a pause. “How did they get in? Get so powerful?”
The chief shrugged. “They ca from the earth. By the ti we knew, they had bred a Mind Queen. My people are strong and brave, but…we cannot resist such a creature. We had no choice but to stay away.” The gnoll seed to shrink, staring at the wall. “We have failed Eabha so many tis.” Then, softer: “What will happen if you cleanse her?”
“I don’t know,” Mason said honestly.
“Will the endless winter go?”
“Possibly.” Mason quirked a brow. “Would that be…good for your people?”
The gnoll chief eventually nodded. “Yes. Difficult to change. But, yes. We lived once without it. We prospered.”
“I’m…not here to help you,” Mason said, feeling sowhat compelled to tell the truth. “I’m here for the tree. I would have killed you all if I had to.”
The gnoll...grinned? "My people have never seen a druid. But I learned their stories as a pup. Much knowledge is passed from chief to chief. Once I saw you, I knew you ca to help."
Mason blinked. "Then why did you try to stop ?"
"My people are alone," said the chief with a bit more fire. "They must be strong, and faithful. They must never believe so savior will co. For none ever has." He cald a little and took Mason the rest of the way up the ramp, the slight mist in the air thickening and turning colder.
"I did not exaggerate," he said as he stopped. "I can go no further. Beyond the mist there is a gate of ice guarded by frozen defenders. Survive that far, and inside you will find the heart." He sighed and t Mason's eyes.
"None have survived the Avatar’s wrath. She does not trust even us to co closer. But..." his eyes glistened and he looked even older, then. "She suffers. There is a wound in her heart. It drives her mad. If I can help you, druid, I will do it. Even if it ans my death. Call to , and I will co."
Mason was surprised by this, and felt strangely moved by the creature's words.
"You aren't the first gnolls I've t," he said with a wince. "We got off on the wrong foot. But, I respect your people, and you. I don't know if you can help , but thank you for bringing this far. I'm glad we didn't fight."
The chief nodded, then grinned. "That is because you know we would have slaughtered you."
Mason smiled and gave the chief a once over. "Oh. I've taken gnolls bigger and aner than you."
"But none as cunning," said the chief without missing a beat, and Mason laughed.
"No. Maybe not." He looked up at the magical energy swirling on the platform above and shivered at the cold. He said much more seriously: "There’s sothing you can do for , chief. If I die, promise to take my friends out. I don't know if you can leave, but if you can, they could use a guide through the ‘Evercold’, too."
The chief nodded. "I, Maoet, so swear."
Mason clutched his nymph charm and took a breath. After everything he'd been through, freezing to death would be a hell of a way to go.
“Thank you, Maoet,” he said. “Goodbye.”
With a final nod to the chief, he took the last few steps up the ramp, and vanished into the mist.
* * *
The gnoll really hadn't exaggerated. It felt a bit like the Evercold, just cranked up to eleven. With an extra helping of awful. It was like standing in a walk-in freezer with a hundred fans blowing at your face.
[Apex Predator activated: Affinity elental]
Mason breathed a sigh of relief. But not for long. The mont he stopped dying, a new and improved gale-force wind erupted and seed to center on him, blocking most of his vision with swirling snow. He trudged forward shivering, focusing on Transformation as it triggered to adapt him to the cold.
Then he almost slipped off the ramp and fell God knew how far down the tree.
His heart pounded as he caught himself, grasping with numb and slippery fingers at the icy floor. It woke him up, reminded him to pay attention and not just suffer. And it kind of pissed him off.
He scrambled onwards on all fours, using his slight claws to grip the ice. Whether he was getting slightly warr or just so cold he was going numb he wasn't sure, but he assud it was the latter.
Faster and faster he followed the platform, hardly able to see more than a foot or two beyond his grasp. All at once the mist and cold ended.
Mason dug in as he erged, gripping the floor in panic at the change before he realized it was a far more open platform covered in snow. At the far end was a huge double gate that looked like blue steel, with two statues of ice on either side, just as the chief said.
Neither moved or made any indication of life.
Mason stood and glanced at himself, seeing fur now covering most of his skin. His feet and hands were clawed, a bone spike still protruding from his elbow. He supposed he could have shifted into his more wolf form but still wasn’t all that comfortable with the form, and doubted it would help much anyway.
For a mont he regretted not arguing to bring Seamus, thinking the fire mage could likely survive the mist and help deal with the problems ahead. In fact Becky probably could have shielded herself and Phuong too, he decided, even if he'd had to drag them up the ramp with rope. He sighed.
Better not to kill the gnolls, he reminded himself. They didn't deserve death. This was the right path.
He walked towards the gate, eyes locked on the frozen guards. He considered Ranger Marking them, but feared the power might trigger them instantly. They didn't move even when he reached the gate, so he took the opportunity to examine the 'tal' and try and see through the gaps beyond.
A white sphere lay inside, surrounded in another layer of green mist, a sapling very much like the one in Mason's settlent growing from the sphere. A jagged streak of purple ran throughout the room, and Mason felt the unnatural aura of it even from outside the gate. This was certainly the heart.
"Don't suppose you gentlen will just let inside," he said to the frozen guards. "I'm a druid. Here to help. Cleared the bugs. Faced certain death. Et cetera. Et cetera."
They still didn't move, and Mason sighed as he rolled his shoulders.
"Alright. Fuck you, then. And you too, roboGod," he muttered, then glanced back at the snowy ground.
Unless there was sothing he didn't see, it looked like a straight fight without much room to maneuver. He'd get one Marked, then try his swords and spike and just do his best to fight one at a ti. But it wasn't the greatest plan he'd ever made.
"Alright boys," he said, summoning his Claws. "Let's get this over with." He took one last mont to enjoy the peaceful silence, then slashed the gate and backed away.
At least they didn’t make him wait.
He heard a cracking sound, first. Then the snowy floor trembled as the guards twitched and glowed with a dull blue light. All around him white powder erupted as smaller versions of the creatures burst up and erged from what looked like glowing blue symbols beneath the snow. All turned towards Mason and advanced.
He sighed, knowing it was never as simple as it looked. He scanned the rows of symbols, expecting it wouldn’t be much fun to step on them. Then he prepared to attack the closest creature.
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