Kael chewed on the strip of preserved meat. It was tough, leathery jerky from a Frost-Horned Grazer, its nutrient density just enough to sustain a body perpetually battling the deep chill of Aethelfrost. Raw, biting air clawed at his lungs. The glacial plains, vast and white, offered little reprieve from the constant cold, and even less in the way of liquid water. Kael had learned to ration every drop of melted frost, savouring the ephemeral moisture that condensed on his tongue each frigid morning. The rest of the day, his throat remained parched, a constant ache beneath the surface of his awareness. Initially, the thirst had been an agonizing torment, a frantic internal battle. Now, it was a dull thrum, a familiar companion. He moved with an almost unnatural economy, each step carefully measured, every breath shallow. Even words were a luxury, their expulsion releasing precious moisture. His movements through the endless snow became fluid, almost spectral. From a distance, one might imagine the very blizzards carried him, a silent, ice-bound phantom. Borin, striding ahead, offered a rare comment. “The brat has learned a useful trick. While others freeze, he drifts.” Indeed, Kael's nascent command over Cryosynapse had begun to extend beyond explicit ice manipulation, subtly reshaping his very metabolism. His adaptation to Aethelfrost was absolute. Still, his power paled before Borin’s. That truth settled heavy in his gut. Kael lifted his gaze to the swirling, grey-white sky. A faint, almost imperceptible warmth pricked at his heightened senses. A thermal anomaly. Water? Before his awakening, before Borin, he would have missed such a subtle shift. Now, every minute variation in the desolate landscape spoke volumes. His sharpened perception registered the ethereal trace of heat carried on the wind, a whisper of thaw in a world of ice. Borin, without a word, veered. His trajectory aimed true, directly towards the rising warmth. Kael felt a bitter smile touch his lips. It couldn’t be coincidence. Borin, that incomprehensible force of nature, would surely perceive what Kael did, and infinitely more. Borin defied easy categorization. ‘Monster’ felt too small, too human for the raw, elemental power he wielded. Kael wondered how deep that well of strength ran, how much of his displayed might was merely the barest ripple on an unfathomable ocean. Limits. Borin seemed to possess none. A colossal ridge of fractured ice loomed ahead, its jagged peaks scraping the low-hanging clouds. The wind howled through its fissures, a mournful dirge. Climbing it proved a laborious ascent, each footfall a struggle against the slick, ancient ice. Beyond the ridge, a sight unfolded that stole Kael’s breath. A vast, steaming pool of water, nestled deep within a colossal caldera. Sulphurous vapors rose in ghostly columns, dissipating into the frosty air. It was an oasis, a liquid heart beating in the frozen wastes. The sight of so much open water shattered Kael’s carefully constructed composure. His thirst, a suppressed beast, roared to life. He stumbled forward, abandoning caution, abandoning the measured pace he had painstakingly cultivated. He ran. The ice cracked underfoot, the steam hot on his face. Without hesitation, Kael plunged his head into the steaming water, drinking deeply, frantically. The pure, unadulterated liquid sluiced down his parched throat, a wave of overwhelming relief washing over him. As he drank, his eyes, still submerged, caught a faint luminescence. A spherical light, soft and inviting, pulsed from the depths. Like a lamp, it glowed, drawing his focus. Kael stared, mesmerized. The light began to ascend, growing larger, brighter. He felt a strange lethargy, a dreamy surrender. His vision blurred, eyes fixed on the approaching orb. Then, Borin’s voice ripped through the trance, sharp as splintered ice. “Snap out of it, boy, you fool!” A powerful grip seized Kael’s pack, yanking him backward. He tumbled onto the icy bank, water streaming from his hair and clothes. Just as he landed, something enormous erupted from the pool. A creature of nightmare, vast and grotesque, its body easily capable of engulfing a Glacier Hound. An oversized maw consumed more than half its frame, studded with rows of obsidian teeth. From its forehead, a thick, antenna-like barb jutted out, tipped with a round, fleshy lure – the very light that had mesmerized Kael. It was a Rime Angler. “It lures prey with that warmth, then devours them whole,” Borin stated, his voice devoid of emotion, as the monstrous head crashed back into the steaming water, sending scalding spray across the ice. Kael, soaked and gasping, stared at the retreating monstrosity, his heart hammering against his ribs. He had been moments from oblivion, mere seconds from being swallowed alive. Borin extended a hand, and from the air, a blade of pure, obsidian ice coalesced, humming with dormant power. “Fools grow reckless the moment they taste comfort. Understand, boy?” Borin didn’t wait for an answer. He moved, a blur across the icy surface of the pool. The ice blade descended. A column of water, steam, and fractured ice erupted upwards as if a geyser had exploded. The Rime Angler thrashed, trying to flee deeper into the scalding depths. Borin granted no such escape. He plunged into the steaming water, a spear of concentrated frigidity. Like a torpedo, he shot through the viscous warmth, pursuing the monster with terrifying speed. The Rime Angler, realizing escape was futile, wheeled its enormous body, jaws unhinging, attempting to engulf Borin. It was a fatal miscalculation. Borin and his ice blade pierced through the monstrous form. A grotesque gash opened, steaming blood clouding the water. The colossal beast convulsed once, then ceased its struggles, floating lifelessly to the surface. Borin emerged, dragging the Rime Angler by its thick tail. He hauled the behemoth onto the ice, then dropped it at Kael’s feet with a heavy thud. Kael recoiled. Even in death, the creature exuded an aura of primeval menace. It was unbelievable, a thing of such immense scale thriving in this hidden pool. Borin’s voice cut through the silence. “Remember this. These things inhabit the rare thermal pools of Aethelfrost. They lure the unwary, the thirsty, with their light, then swallow them whole. Never approach an open pool heedlessly. You empty-headed child.” Guilt tightened Kael's jaw. “I… understand.” “Are you deaf?” Borin’s gaze was sharp. “Skin it. The Rime Angler is a potent creature. Its hide is supple, yet incredibly insulating, perfect for a warming mantle. Begin.” Borin gestured with a dismissive flick of his hand. Kael moved to obey. The monster’s back was a landscape of brownish, uneven protrusions, its belly a sleek, dark expanse. The hide proved astonishingly tough; his standard ice-knife scraped uselessly against it. He concentrated, channeling his Cryosynapse. A faint blue glow enveloped the blade, sharpening its edge to an impossible keenness. With renewed effort, he finally began to cut. The work was arduous, demanding precision and strength. Kael’s muscles ached, sweat beading on his brow despite the frigid air. The massive hide slowly peeled away, revealing layers of muscle and sinew. The job wasn’t finished with skinning. He needed to fashion a garment. No needle existed here. Even if it did, it would be too small for such a colossal hide. After a moment of contemplation, Kael fashioned a needle-like tool from one of the Rime Angler’s smaller bones, its tip honed with Cryosynapse. For thread, he meticulously shredded thin, resilient fibers from the beast’s carapace. Kael possessed a quiet, unexpected dexterity. Despite never attempting such a craft, he worked with grim determination. Half a day later, a rough but functional mantle lay on the ice, stitched together with surprisingly even seams. While Kael toiled, Borin began to dismantle the rest of the Rime Angler’s carcass. Every part, he declared, was useful. The meat, Borin explained, contained barely any toxins and possessed a surprisingly palatable flavor. The most potent part, the creature’s immense cryo-sac, Borin plucked from the monster’s cavity. Borin tossed the palm-sized, glowing sac to Kael. It thrummed with a strange, cool energy. “Huh? Eat it raw?” Kael stared at the pulsating organ. “Yes. It’s the best thing for weaklings like you. Consume every bit,” Borin commanded, his voice edged with an unwavering finality. “Refuse, and I will force it down myself.” “I’ll eat,” Kael responded, his voice barely a whisper. “I’ll eat it.” Borin’s threats were never idle. With a deeply furrowed brow, Kael bit into the Rime Angler’s cryo-sac. The translucent membrane ruptured, releasing a cool, viscous fluid into his mouth. He swallowed, forcing it down, every fiber of his being resisting the unpalatable task. Miraculously, the sac seemed to melt on his tongue, vanishing down his throat without the need for chewing. Yet, he felt no sense of satiation, only a faint, lingering chill. Then, a profound heat ignited within his stomach. It surged, intense and agonizing, spreading through his core like molten metal. Kael gasped, dropping to the ice. Unbearable agony ripped through him. He writhed, clutching his abdomen, a guttural cry escaping his lips. Borin ignored Kael’s torment. With a flick of his wrist, flames erupted from his palm, superheating a chunk of Rime Angler meat. The rich aroma of cooked flesh filled the air, a strange contrast to Kael’s desperate cries. Borin chewed on the perfectly cooked meat, his gaze drifting towards the steaming pool. “This, too, will vanish soon.” These thermal oases were ephemeral illusions in Aethelfrost, appearing and receding with the glacial shifts. Their existence was transient, unpredictable. While this Rime Angler, the pool’s formidable ruler, had perished, another would inevitably rise. They laid their eggs within the depths, ensuring the cycle of life continued. But to attain such monstrous size would take centuries. Meanwhile, Kael still screamed, writhing on the ice. Borin watched his pitiful state, a faint sneer touching his lips. Dawn painted the eastern sky in hues of frigid violet when Kael finally regained consciousness. His body felt like a battlefield, bruised and aching, yet profoundly different. He opened his eyes, surprised by a surge of vitality he had never before experienced. A raw, potent energy coursed through every vein, every sinew. His frame, once slender, now felt solid, dense with newly forged muscle. Not bulky, but lean and resilient, as though woven from hardened rime. Kael stared at his hands, clenching and unclenching his fists. The change was profound, almost alien. His very bones felt stronger, denser. Borin sat nearby, calmly devouring another piece of Rime Angler meat. “What happened to me?” Kael’s voice was hoarse. “Your body accepted the medicine,” Borin replied, without looking up. “The Rime Angler’s cryo-sac… it was medicine?” “A rare and valuable one. Nothing better for hardening bone and sinew. It rime-forges the weak.” Borin tossed a piece of meat towards Kael. “Hmph. Carrying a frail thing like you, what else could I do? Eat, and prepare to move.” Kael picked up the meat, then donned the mantle he had crafted. The moment the hide settled over his shoulders, a deep, pervasive warmth enveloped him. The Rime Angler’s skin, despite its initial cold feel, was a perfect insulator, radiating warmth against Aethelfrost’s relentless chill. He felt a surge of unexpected efficacy. “We remain here until the meat is gone,” Borin announced. “All of it?” Kael glanced at the massive carcass. “Meat with this much vital essence is a rare find in these wastes. We consume everything.” Kael no longer questioned Borin. If Borin declared a blizzard would yield fresh spring water, Kael would believe him. They ate, a silent, grim communion. Four days passed. The enormous Rime Angler disappeared, leaving only its skeletal frame. Not a scrap remained. Then, as if it had never been, the steaming pool vanished. The ice shifted, reclaiming the fleeting warmth, leaving no trace of the oasis behind. Without regret, the two turned their backs on the empty caldera, pressing onward into the boundless expanse of Aethelfrost. --- [Translator – Frostbound Scrivener]

The Rime-Gland's Embrace