Into the Frost

Hestia wasted no time. The weight of the cold pressed against her even before she stepped outside her cottage, seeping into her bones. She knew this journey would be far more perilous than her last. Facing the Forgotten Fire had been a test of her strength, but this... this was different. The Frostborne were not just one ancient force but an entire race of beings, as old as winter itself, who could freeze the very breath in her lungs. She had no idea what they were truly capable of.

The village of Eldermist quickly disappeared behind her as she made her way north, into the unforgiving wilderness that separated the world of men from the frozen lands of myth. Each step she took felt heavier, the frost deepening with every mile she traveled. The trees that had once stood tall and proud were now brittle and white, their bark covered in a layer of frost so thick that their branches groaned under the weight. She could hear them cracking in the wind, shattering like fragile glass.

The sky above turned from its usual wintry blue to a pale, suffocating gray, as if the very atmosphere was thickening with ice. The sun, normally a distant source of comfort, became little more than a faint glow behind the heavy clouds. It offered no warmth, and its light seemed incapable of cutting through the growing gloom that enveloped her.

On the second day of her journey, Hestia felt the weight of the cold more intensely than before. Her breath came out in thick, white clouds that hung in the air longer than they should have. She pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders, but it did little to keep out the biting wind that seemed to pierce her from every angle. Her body was weary, and the fire she had summoned within herself burned low, as if the cold had begun to smother even that.

Then, through the swirling snow, she saw it.

At first, it appeared as a shadow—an indistinct form in the blizzard, standing perfectly still amidst the chaos of the wind. As Hestia drew closer, the figure became clearer, taking the shape of a tall, thin being made entirely of shimmering ice. Its face was angular, its features sharp, as if carved from a frozen mountain. Its eyes—glowing an ethereal blue—were ancient, filled with a knowledge that spanned millennia. It radiated cold, a chill so deep that Hestia instinctively took a step back.

The Frostborne stood directly in her path, silent and unmoving. Its presence alone seemed to sap the warmth from the air, causing the temperature to plummet even further. The snow beneath its feet didn't crunch—it was too cold for that. It was as if the very ground had been turned into solid ice, frozen beneath the weight of its existence.

Hestia knew she couldn't turn back. This was just the beginning of the Frostborne's resistance, a mere sentinel of what awaited her deeper in the north. She summoned the fire within her, pulling from the deep well of warmth she had carried her whole life. The flames flickered to life in her palms, but before they could even fully form, the Frostborne raised one hand, and in an instant, a wall of frost shot up between them.

The cold was unlike anything Hestia had ever encountered. It wasn't the natural cold of winter, but something far more ancient, more deliberate. It was as if the very essence of warmth was being leached from the air. The flames in her hands flickered weakly, sputtering against the frost that sought to extinguish them. For the first time, Hestia wondered if her fire, her magic, could survive in this frozen land. Could she, as the Hearthkeeper, stand against an ancient force designed to snuff out all warmth?

But she had no choice.

Summoning every ounce of willpower, Hestia reached deep into her soul, concentrating on the warmth that lived there. She thought of her village, of the hearths she had protected all her life, of her grandmother's stories of flame and warmth. The flames sparked again, this time stronger, burning brighter. She shaped them into a glowing orb that hovered above her palm, flickering with life, a beacon of warmth in the desolate cold.

The Frostborne watched, its icy blue eyes narrowing as if it could feel the heat emanating from her. Without warning, it moved, fast as a winter wind. One moment it stood still, the next it was a blur of frost and snow, circling her in the storm, the cold intensifying with every step it took.

Hestia raised her flames in defense, but the Frostborne was elusive, darting in and out of her sight, using the storm as cover. Each time she tried to track it, it vanished, leaving only the biting cold in its wake. The frost it conjured began to creep up her legs, numbing her feet and threatening to climb higher.

She gritted her teeth, focusing on the warmth deep within her. The fire was small, but it was hers. And she would not let the Frostborne smother it.

Drawing on the memories of Eldermist—of the dancing flames in every hearth, of the stories told around the fire—Hestia felt the flames in her hand flare to life. They grew hotter, brighter, melting the frost at her feet and pushing back against the biting cold. The orb of fire pulsed, growing larger, and she threw it forward with all her strength.

The ball of fire collided with the Frostborne, and for a moment, the world exploded in light and heat. The icy figure let out a shriek—a sound like cracking ice—and staggered backward as the flames licked at its frozen body. Hestia seized the opportunity, sending another burst of flame toward it. This time, the fire engulfed the Frostborne entirely, and its icy form began to crack and splinter under the heat.

With one final burst of energy, Hestia pushed the flames even further, watching as the Frostborne's body shattered into a thousand glittering shards, which disappeared into the snow like they had never existed.

Panting, exhausted, but victorious, Hestia stood in the aftermath. The cold remained, but the oppressive presence of the Frostborne had faded. She could still feel its eyes watching her from the storm, but for now, she had won.

But this was only the first of many. She had no doubt there would be more, and each one would be stronger than the last. The journey ahead stretched on, and the true test was yet to come.

With a deep breath, Hestia pressed on, her fire burning brighter in the freezing world around her.