Part 1: The First Hunt
Elias woke to the soft crunch of snow beneath heavy paws. His body felt both foreign and painfully alive, every nerve tingling as though it had been jolted awake. For a moment, he forgot where he was—the frozen clearing, the wolf, the bond. Then Fenraen's voice rumbled through his mind, sharp and unyielding.
"Get up."
Elias groaned, pushing himself upright. His muscles ached as though he had been dragged for miles. The wolf stood a few feet away, its massive form outlined against the faint light of dawn.
"I can barely move," Elias muttered, rubbing at his arms.
Fenraen snorted, a plume of frost escaping its nostrils. "The bond is still new. Your body is adjusting to my presence. If you stay still, it will devour you."
"Devour me?" Elias repeated, his voice rising.
The wolf's gaze was unflinching. "The power of the Frostborn is not meant for the weak. You are a vessel, hunter. If you do not act, you will break."
Elias clenched his fists, the memory of the searing pain from the bond flashing through his mind. He didn't want to believe Fenraen, but the raw, burning energy coursing through his veins was impossible to ignore.
"What do you expect me to do?" he asked, his voice bitter. "I don't even know what this… bond means."
Fenraen's ears twitched. "Then I will teach you. Follow."
The wolf turned, padding silently toward the edge of the clearing.
Part 2: A Taste of Power
The forest was a different beast in daylight. The frost still clung to the trees, but the sunlight scattered across the ice in a dazzling display, as though the forest had been dipped in silver. Elias followed Fenraen in silence, his breath coming in sharp puffs of steam.
The wolf moved with unnerving grace, its paws leaving no trace in the snow. Elias struggled to keep up, his legs burning as he trudged through the thick drifts.
After what felt like hours, Fenraen stopped abruptly. It lifted its head, sniffing the air, its golden eyes narrowing.
Elias stumbled to a halt beside it, panting. "What is it?"
Fenraen growled low in its throat. "A lesser beast. Close."
Before Elias could ask what that meant, the wolf turned to him, its eyes blazing with an intensity that made his stomach knot. "You will take it down."
"Take it down?" Elias echoed. "I don't even know what I'm looking for!"
Fenraen bared its teeth. "The bond has awakened more than just your senses. Close your eyes. Listen."
Elias hesitated, but the wolf's growl left no room for argument. He closed his eyes, his heart pounding. At first, he heard nothing but the wind and the distant creak of tree branches. But then, beneath it all, there was something else—a rhythmic crunch, soft and deliberate.
He opened his eyes, his pulse quickening. "There's something moving."
Fenraen's lips curled into something resembling a grin. "Good. Now prove you are not entirely useless."
Elias glared at the wolf, but before he could respond, the beast turned and melted into the shadows.
"Great," Elias muttered. "Abandoned in the middle of nowhere."
But the sound was still there, growing louder. Elias tightened his grip on the dagger at his side, his fingers numb from the cold. He moved slowly, his steps deliberate, mimicking the way Fenraen had walked.
The trees parted into a smaller clearing, where the creature stood. It was unlike anything Elias had ever seen—a hulking mass of fur and muscle, its face twisted into something that was neither wolf nor bear. Its breath came in visible puffs, its claws carving deep grooves into the snow as it rooted through the ground.
Elias's grip on the dagger faltered. He had hunted before—boars, deer, even the occasional wolf—but this was something else entirely.
"Hesitate, and it will kill you." Fenraen's voice echoed in his mind, sharp and cold.
Elias gritted his teeth, the weight of the wolf's words pressing down on him. He crept forward, his heart hammering in his chest. Each step felt like an eternity, the snow crunching beneath his boots louder than it should have been.
The creature's head snapped up, its glowing red eyes locking onto him.
Part 3: A Predator's Instinct
The beast let out a guttural roar, its muscles coiling as it charged. Elias barely had time to react. He dove to the side, the creature's claws ripping through the air where he had just stood.
"Damn it!" he hissed, scrambling to his feet.
The beast turned, its eyes blazing with fury. It lunged again, its movements surprisingly quick for its size. Elias raised his dagger instinctively, the blade catching on the creature's shoulder.
The strike barely slowed it.
Elias stumbled back, his mind racing. He was no match for this thing—at least, not as he was.
"Draw on the bond," Fenraen's voice commanded, sudden and urgent.
Elias didn't know what that meant. "How?!" he shouted, dodging another swipe of the beast's claws.
"Feel it. The frost. The fire. It is yours now. Use it."
The creature roared again, its claws slamming into the ground as it lunged. Elias's instincts took over. He thrust his hand out, a desperate attempt to shield himself.
The air around him shifted. The frost on the ground surged upward, forming jagged spikes of ice that tore into the beast's side. The creature howled, rearing back as blood splattered across the snow.
Elias stared at his hand, his breath coming in ragged gasps. The ice melted almost immediately, but the memory of its sharp, biting cold lingered in his veins.
"Again," Fenraen growled.
The beast lunged once more, but this time, Elias was ready. The frost answered his call, jagged shards erupting from the ground to meet the creature's charge. The beast fell, its massive body collapsing into the snow.
Elias stood over it, his chest heaving, his dagger still clenched in his trembling hand.
Part 4: The Weight of Power
The clearing was silent, save for Elias's labored breathing. The creature lay still, its blood seeping into the snow, staining it a vivid crimson.
Fenraen emerged from the shadows, its golden eyes gleaming with approval. "You are not entirely hopeless."
Elias turned to the wolf, his hands still shaking. "What… what was that?"
"A lesser beast," Fenraen replied, its tone dismissive. "You will face worse."
Elias stared at the wolf, his mind reeling. The frost, the power—it had felt as though it had been a part of him, waiting to be unleashed. But it also felt… wrong.
"This bond," he said, his voice unsteady. "It's changing me, isn't it?"
Fenraen's gaze was unreadable. "You are no longer merely human, hunter. The sooner you accept that, the stronger you will become."
Elias swallowed hard, the weight of the wolf's words settling heavily on his shoulders.
Part 5: The Path Ahead
They left the clearing behind, the forest growing darker as the sun dipped below the horizon. Elias walked in silence, his mind racing with questions.
At last, he spoke. "Where are we going?"
Fenraen glanced back at him, its eyes glowing faintly in the dim light. "To find allies. The old world is awakening, and not all of its creatures will accept what you have become. If you wish to survive, you will need more than just me."
Elias frowned. "Allies? What kind of allies?"
The wolf's lips curled into a faint snarl. "The kind that will not kill you on sight. If we are lucky."
Elias sighed, the knot in his stomach tightening. "Great. No pressure."
Fenraen didn't respond, its focus fixed on the path ahead.
In the distance, the sound of howling echoed through the forest, sending a chill down Elias's spine. Whatever lay ahead, he knew it would test him in ways he couldn't yet comprehend.