The entire village was covered in a thick layer of ice, and the healer used her last strength to protect herself from the raging elements with magic.
Changes were taking place inside Kailen's body. His heart slowed, beating very slowly. Magic permeated every cell in his body.
The metamorphosis was complete and nature calmed down.
"What do you want to do, Kailen?" the healer asked.
"Kailen is no more, I am Sub-Zero. They will all pay for what they have done," he said.
"Do you want to destroy them all? Stop, there are many innocent people. Maybe someone from your clan survived! Try to find them," she tried to appeal to his reason.
"I have seen the villages they have left behind. I see my home looted and destroyed. There are no innocents," Sub-Zero said.
Summoning the elements, the snow began to envelop Kailen's body, and with each passing moment, it became harder to see him until he disappeared from sight. The swirl stopped and the snow settled, leaving no one behind.
"Why do I have to face these trials at the end of my life? Do not let your revenge be the end of all Freljordians," the healer said and went to her home. She would stay here until she had seen them all off to the afterlife. Every day she built a funeral pyre and sent the dead to their new lives. But her body was too weak from all the turmoil, and she hoped she would be able to finish her task in time.
While some suffered, others celebrated their victory to the fullest. The alliance of clans returned with their booty; even after dividing the spoils, there was still plenty to go around. Bear's Fang had managed to trade a great deal, as they were the only ones capable of organizing caravans. One of these clans was the Northern Stag, and now there was a full-blown celebration. All the warriors were relaxed, and there were only a few guards on duty.
A warrior was on duty at one of the watchtowers. Recently, the weather had turned cold, and it was difficult to stand outside for long. But no one was in a hurry to relieve him, and he shivered.
Cold air hit his face, burning his cheek.
"Why is it so cold? It shouldn't be this cold at this time of year. It's bad luck to be standing here while others are drinking beer and celebrating in the warmth," the guard muttered.
In the dark forest, he noticed a silhouette approaching the village.
"Hmm, they weren't expecting anyone. Who could that be?" the guard thought as he felt a sharp pain in his right arm.
Lifting it to eye level, he saw it turn to ice. He tried to scream, but his mouth wouldn't open and only a faint groan escaped. The guard panicked as he felt the cold spread through his body. His eyes froze in horror until his entire body turned to ice.
Kailen approached the gates, and at that moment, all the guards turned into ice statues. With a mighty leap, he soared into the sky and flew over the gates, landing inside. His eyes glowed with a blue light, and a fierce snowstorm began. All the villagers outside froze in agony. The houses were covered with a thick layer of ice.
The Northern Stag Clan was quickly dying. They were among those who had plundered his home, and he felt no compassion. There were no emotions now, only cold calculation. As he approached the longhouse, he could feel the remaining people huddled inside. Standing before the door, he tried to open it, but it was locked. True ice emanated from his hand, freezing the door, and in an instant it shattered into millions of icy grains. The warriors rushed at him in desperation, but were frozen in their attempt. Only the clan leader remained, pressing his back against the wall in fear and trying to disappear from sight.
"Please, don't kill me. I have gold and jewels, take them all," the clan leader pleaded.
"Don't be afraid, you won't die. I will send you to Bjogrulf so he can wait in fear for his hour of death, for Sub-Zero will come for him," Kailen said.
"Thank you, thank you," the leader said, believing the words of death and bowing at his feet.
"Thank me later," Kailen said, grabbing his hands and beginning to turn them to ice. "I will take your limbs, those who dared to steal the riches of my home. With them, you killed my brothers and sisters, with them, you destroyed my home," Sub-Zero said hatefully, ripping off his hands with a sharp jerk.
The clan leader groaned and rolled on the ground in terrible pain. Kailen made sure no blood flowed from the stumps.
"Run while you still can," he said.
Whimpering, Bodvar got to his feet and ran quickly out of the house to reach the Konung. Left alone, Kailen surveyed the place where the bandits had celebrated their victory. He saw the tools their clan had learned to make and trade, the heritage of his homeland. Now it was the ashes of a once great clan.
"Soon they will pay the full price."
*********************
The Fierce Wolf Clan returned to their settlement in victory, celebrating their greatness. Bjogrulf was more pleased than ever; rumors spread among the people, and he was given the second name Conqueror. It symbolized power and strength. In contrast to the past, the Iceborn clans that had remained neutral had already sent envoys to negotiate. He would unite the lands of Freljord under his fist, something even the Three Sisters couldn't do. In his dreams, he saw himself sitting on the throne in Frost Stronghold, with many subjects at his feet.
But he brought himself back to reality, knowing that there were still many problems that needed his attention.
He had to organize a great feast so that everyone could enjoy the victory and rest after the battle. Now he sat and watched as the people celebrated and enjoyed themselves.
"To our glorious king!" one of the people stood up and raised his mug, spilling beer.
"To Bjogrulf!" the crowd echoed.
He raised his cup and noticed how they worshiped him. Enjoying the celebration, one of his men suddenly appeared at the entrance, dragging a ragged figure. His face was deathly pale, his lips chapped, and he had no hands.
"Why did you bring him here? Throw him out somewhere else," someone said, displeased at the sight of the newcomer.
"He claims to be the leader of the Northern Stags," the guard said doubtfully.
"Ha, you're completely out of your mind," his companion replied.
Bjogrulf decided to take a look at the newcomer. He raised his hand, called for silence, and waved for the stranger to come closer. When they brought him closer and he looked into his face, he recognized him, though he seemed to have aged several years and his eyes showed complete terror.
"Bodvar, what has happened to you?" Bjogrulf asked.
"Ice Death came to us, he's alive... My... clan is destroyed," Bodvar murmured, barely moving his lips.
"How? He's supposed to be dead, that can't be. Have you lost your mind?" Bjogrulf asked, coming closer.
"He came, no one survived, my hands... he took them," Bodvar muttered.
"No, that can't be. Take him away," Bjogrulf said, clutching his head and sinking into his throne.
"How did he survive? I saw with my own eyes how his body drew its last breath. Perhaps a goddess saved him? No, Anivia is not known for healing, only the Frostguard can heal death. We should have killed the old woman, but then we would have lost our healers. He destroyed the Northern Stags Clan; if we remain isolated, he will defeat us all. These thoughts raced through Bjogrulf's mind.
"Send messengers to everyone, I am calling a meeting of all the clans," he ordered.
Bjogrulf hoped that Sub-Zero would not dare attack with so many warriors gathered, and that the villages emptied of troops would be vulnerable, but he didn't care. He just needed to buy some time and find a way to deal with the problem.
As Bjogrulf panicked, his army quickly dwindled. Sub-Zero had destroyed three clans, leaving them frozen in statues as a warning. The remaining clans managed to reach the settlement of the Fierce Wolf and were actively preparing their defenses. There were hardly any Frostborn left. The Ursine didn't care, and neither did Volibear.
Civilians, hearing about the villages falling one by one with no one to stop him, flocked to the Fierce Wolf settlement, adding to the numbers.
The Konung did not look like himself. His tired eyes and disheveled hair showed that he hadn't slept and was constantly on edge. He had secured partial support from mages who wielded wild magic, but the good news ended there. The situation was getting worse; reports said the Ice Death was unbeatable and his magic incredibly powerful. As he sat at the table, drowning his sorrows in mead, someone burst in.
"Konung, he is here," said the newcomer.
"Sound the alarm, everyone to the walls," Bjogrulf ordered. As soon as the subordinate left, he grabbed a mug of mead and threw it against the wall with all his strength. His last hope that Sub-Zero would not come had been destroyed. "Victory was so close, why didn't you die?" he said sadly, and composed himself to face death.
Sub-Zero stood outside the gates, unafraid of the arrows. He saw the troops Bjogrulf had gathered from the remnants; nearly a hundred were at the wall, but even with their renewed strength, they posed little problem. It was only a matter of time before his clan would be avenged. He allowed them a brief moment to enjoy their lives before taking them away.
Kailen waited for the one responsible for all of this to appear. Finally, the soldiers parted and Bjogrulf appeared on the wall.
"There you are. Your death will not be quick; you will die in agony for weeks," Sub-Zero declared.
"Ha, I have a whole army here, and you are alone. Run while you can, or I will leave your body next to your village," Bjogrulf replied, trying to sound brave, but his voice wavered slightly.
"You will pay for this," Kailen said. His eyes glowed, and a snowstorm began.
"Do it, what are you waiting for?" Bjogrulf shouted to his men.
Many arrows flew at him, but before they could reach him, they were covered in ice and stopped in mid-air. Raising a hand, Kailen twisted it, and the arrows reversed direction. With a sweeping motion, he sent them flying back toward the soldiers. In an instant, the troops were cut in half.
The temperature dropped rapidly, and the soldiers' hands began to shake, unable to hold their bows as the arrows slipped from their grasp. Seeing the futility, Bjogrulf dismounted in horror and fled, hearing panicked cries and shouts of his name. Now that he was at the top, he didn't want to die. Losing his courage and dignity to fight, he decided to flee.
His desperate sprint ended abruptly when he stumbled over an icy protrusion that appeared out of nowhere and fell face first into the snow.
"When I'm done with you, I will destroy all Ursine, and after them, Volibear," Sub-Zero said, approaching him with slow, deliberate steps.
"Wait, I acted on his orders, I didn't want your clan to die, he forced me to," Bjogrulf began to plead, but behind his back he tried to reach for a dagger.
"Your words are full of lies, I know you wanted this war yourself," Kailen said, approaching him and staring into his eyes.
"AAAAH!" Bjogrulf screamed, trying to thrust the dagger into Kailen's heart, but it only struck his hand. The blade pierced his palm and should have spilled blood, but not a drop came out. "What kind of monster are you?"
"I am Sub-Zero," he replied in a ghostly voice, and with a jerk he crushed Bjogrulf's hand, seemingly ignoring the dagger in his palm.
"Stop!" a thunderous scream echoed through the surrounding area.
A giant shadow of a bird emerged from the blizzard cloud. The goddess Anivia could no longer stand by and watch the Freljordians die.
"You came to protect those who killed my clan, but you didn't intervene when they destroyed my people," Sub-Zero roared.
"I fought Volibear and couldn't help, and after that it was too late, but if you'd only listen..." the goddess began to speak, but her words were cut short by an icy blast emanating from Kailen.
"Your words are empty, do not interfere or I will have to use force," he said, pointing at her.
"I know your mind is filled with anger, cleanse it and think, your s..." The Goddess tried to speak again, but her words were cut off by Sub-Zero's attack, which slammed her into a wall of ice.
"Leave," he shouted.
"This is your last warning, I have a favorable disposition towards you, but I won't tolerate insults," Anivia pronounced firmly.
"You are not my master, I will kill everyone without mercy," Kailen said, directing the power of his magic at her.
His eyes glowed even brighter and he began to destroy the settlement, killing everyone. When she saw that Kailen had gone mad with rage, she realized that he would destroy everyone he could reach. The people of Freljord had suffered enough; too many had died in the ongoing wars.
"Forgive me, but I cannot allow this," divine power began to enter Kailen's body, and the magic within her began to fade. She turned again to her brother Ornn for help in creating a vessel that would contain Kailen's power should he lose control. "I hope you understand, and when your anger subsides, you may return home."
Kailen felt his power leaving him. His rage began to subside, and he fought fiercely, attacking with all his might, but the elements were weakening. His attacks became less frequent and weaker until his eyesight began to fail. His gaze fell into darkness, and the gift did not answer his call.
"What have you done?" he asked in disbelief.
"I have taken your power and banished you from Freljord. Until your mind returns, there is no way back," she replied, emitting a magical sound; snow began to surround him, and in an instant he found himself on warm ground, the blazing sun scorching his skin.
"No, where am I? Is this Demacia? Noooo. Gods, the day will come when I return, and you will all perish," Sab-Zero vowed. But now, without his gift, he was Kailen again.