Gloria screeched, alerting the Thawed of Terron someone was outside. Valentine sat tall over his beast, arms crossed and face covered by a mask.
Hizentre's figure emerged from a nearby home, the door swung open to make way for a small mountain. While Hizentre got out, Valentine noticed a smaller figure behind him.
"Mmm, you're back. Came to check on your Thawed?" Hizentre called out.
"You almost got it right. I want a count of every Thawed here, we need it for an attack against a Legion along the shore," Valentine replied in an equally loud voice.
Confusion spread across Hizentre's face, starting with his twisting eyebrows. "Thawed out in the warm! Are you trying to make us lose our cool?"
"There's a plan behind this, Hizentre. I am only acting on orders," Valentine kept his eyes on the doorway. "Make sure no icicles are included in the count."
Out of respect and loyalty, Hizentre ordered a nearby Thawed to start counting. Sending them across the streets and into homes for numbers of anyone open to fight.
By the end, the Thawed came back to Valentine with the exact number of active Thawed.
"Two-hundred and three."
Valentine drifted his pinky across his forearm, writing something in his own blood. Then leaned on Gloria, patting the side of her neck. Which caused her to erupt into the skies towards Krugi.
Hizentre watched their city return to normal, as if nothing happened. Thawed continued to rebuild their defenses along the gates and walls. Holding up metal obtained from a nearby cave system.
Others would hammer the fine pieces into place, making the place safer by the strike. While also sending out the repeated banging, making it the only idle noise as they moved along.
In that moment of isolation, Hizentre reflected on why he was there. He remembered Metrivious, the beautiful ash mountain.
Rumbling angrily as its guardian forced it to not explode. Ash fumes poured into the skies, darkening the world below. Preventing normal life to grow on the volcano.
Sending many to adopt strange diets and unique appearances to their original counterparts. Thawed, Ferals, and Threshers all looked drastically different.
Hizentre looked down at his snow-white hand, examining how smooth and reflecting it was. Bringing him back memories of staring down at his charred-black hand, piecing together his role on the mountain.
He then remembered his glacier, Niza'kii. The name sent chills down his spine, lingering on each letter as he thought about it.
"Burned," he would echo. "Burned Ones."
The doors behind him opened, revealing an icicle. His daughter stood around the frame, keeping a piece of his weapon's chains in hand.
"Blizzard, who was that Thawed?" she asked.
"Mmm," Hizentre turned to face her. "That was an elite of the Legion we're in. He wanted to know who could fight for an incoming siege."
She awed, stepping out from around the corner. "Did you tell him about me? Can I go to the siege and watch?"
Chains scraped against the floor, catching Hizentre's attention. He remembered the weapon, the flail. It was crafted by the hands of his sister to aid him in the prophecy he searched for.
Even now, Hizentre remembered being in the meeting with Niza'kii's Prophet. The tale of an incoming threat that could cease Continents if it happened.
In that tale, the Prophet detailed a sainted three and a deviled kin. Three good do-ers trying to bring peace, and three drops of blood from the same heart that stepped forward against them.
"Did you? Did you, blizzard?" she pushed.
"No, Hazen. I do not feel comfortable in letting you out there. Especially when we are under new orders. We don't fully understand these Variants, we have to play it safe," Hizentre answered.
Hazen sighed, frowning as she stepped back into the house. Dragging the chain along with her as she walked away.
"Do not let the chains scrape the floor too much. I am not allowed to return for any polishing, the Crimsonaity would have to stay damaged," Hizentre said.
In response, Hazen picked the flail up. Almost effortlessly carrying the medium-sized smooth sphere on her back. She felt the tug of the head, bringing her down.
As she moved across the empty home, Hizentre remembered his goal with the weapon. The use of Crimsonaity, a frowned upon metal, was to protest against the Nine. Going against their Will, but not for long.
Many Thawed disliked the metal, claiming it was a cheat. But Hizentre did not, he saw it as an opportunity to do the Nine's work more efficiently. So his sister made a flail from it and Adaturium.
Despite being powerful, Crimsonaity was not heavy. Some claimed it could float. Contrasting how durable it was but perfectly complimenting how flexible it could be.
Silence followed Hizentre as he stepped inside, looking along the walls at different markings along the wood. Portions of the logs were different from the rest, having odd dots and vivid faces on them.
"Do you still not know who the six we are looking for are?" Hazen came back into the room.
Hizentre shook his head. "All we know is they are somewhere in these regions."
Hazen sighed. "One day, we will return to Metrivious. I'll finally see my hail again and you will find your family waiting for you."
"Do you miss your hail?" Hizentre placed his hand on his daughter's shoulder. "She's..."
"I know how you feel about her. Even I am a bit worried about her safety, but you must try to support her treatment. Isn't that what partners do?" Hazen innocently replied.
"Not everything is like that. She is unstable, like a rogue boulder. Whatever she does could impact anyone and everyone. That's why I brought you along, because I do not trust her to take care of you."
Hazen situated her hand over her father's. "I at least hope she's okay. She may not have taken care of me properly, but that doesn't stop me from loving her."
"You've got a golden heart," Hizentre smiled. "How about I bring you to the Legion's heart someday?"
Utter excitement erupted out of Hazen's eyes. "For real?"
"Mmm, let's go and help our Thawed. They could use the hand in rebuilding," Hizentre concluded.