"Bail out! Bail out!! " James ordered the Strays and the gang to get out of the cave immediately. The people immediately dash out of the only opening of the cave, and the cave collapse just blocks away from them. "Keep the ice crystal out of its reach! Run over the mountains towards the jungle beneath it!! It can't leave Howling Peaks!!! Without the crystal he would be dead within minutes!!!! " James shouted as he threw it towards Hero. "If not all of us will die!!!"
Hero catch the crystal and stuffed it into his backpack before running down the mountain immediately with the rest without even turning back. The strays try to keep it down with it's arrow but it seems to do no harm, as it bounces like nothing. With a huge side swept, he manage to swipe off the archer Stray like nothing as he continue his pursuit. A few armored stray equipped with sword tried to fend it off, but were knocked away easily, he is way too strong.
Hero didn't even dare to turn his head around. He could hear the roar and sound of the beast stomping, but then it all went silent. He turn his head and take a peek, but the beast is nowhere to be seen. Just when he is a middle of confusion, he heard Norman shouting his name, pointing above him. He lift his head up, and beast was right on top of him. With the little time he could react, he threw the ice crystal towards Rose who was not far away from him before the beast smashes onto him, luckily the ground beneath him is soft, luckily he has is shield on guard, if not he would've been flatten like pan cakes.
Rose get hold of the ice crystal, pop open the bottle holding the swiftness potion and drank it down the moment she got. She felt an urge of energy speeding up her veins as things beside her slow down drastically, she speed down the mountain immediately as the potion only last for a minute. The moment the effect wear off, she was completely worn off as she panted, stumbling her way down the mountain. The beast is coming closer and closer, the minute it almost caught her, she threw the ice crystal once again, this time to Brine.
Brine may be blind but she is small, she is swift as she glide her way down the mountains. They are now not far away from the jungle, the exit is just within their reach, almost a hundred blocks away. Upon knowing this, Brine speed up her pace, the Frostmaw grew even more ferocious as it hauls huge chunks of ice towards her like a catapult, each chunk dealing enormous amount of destruction. The first few misses, but the fourth chunk impact right beside her, sending her flying before landing down on one of the rocky surface at the mountain foot. For a split second everyone could heard the sound of her bone breaking, a light crack that struck everyone's heart, the beast was just a few blocks away from her, they are not going to make it.
The beast approaches, with a gigantic leap, it landed right beside her. She took her arrow and let out a shot, but it was useless as the arrow bounces back. The beast held its hands together up high as he was about to smash down, just in time James created an ice dome surrounding her, blocking the attack.
The beast hit the dome once, twice, thrice and it was seconds before it shatter into pieces. "Lunge me over to it!!" Hero shouted at James. "Huh?" "Just do it!" He crouched down the floor with his shield beneath his feet. James seems to know what he is about to do as he nodded, he concentrate for a while and stomped his feet as a huge chunk of ice shoot out from the ground, sending hero flying right towards the beast as hero flashes out his saber, held it high.
And slashes towards it.
The Frostmaw turn around and was hit square in the face with Hero's shield as he slashes. The cut was not deep enough to kill it, but the impact was enough to keep it stunned, frozen on spot. Hero take the chance as he dashes towards Brine carry her up. "You got the crystal?" Her shouted as he panted, Brine nodded as she open her palm, the crystal is still in her hand. "Great, keep it that wa-" Before he could even finish, he was sent flying into midair by the Frostmaw as the beast smashes the ground so hard, sending shockwaves that create a gust of wind enough to lunge Hero into the air. He hugged Brine as tight as possible as he raise his shield to minimize the impact of the fall, luckily he fell into a patch of soft snow, and both of them was unscratched. But that's not even the worse part, when Hero manage to stand up from the fall, something a thousand time terrible, a thousand time worse was coming.
All the people, humans or Strays alike turn their head at the same time and stop whatever they are doing, their expression were frozen in fear, terror flashes in their eyes,. As the ground rumbles and the sky shook, their doomsday is approaching.
An avalanche is coming.