Chapter 41- Ice Bound

The wind screamed like a living thing as Outreach Group One trudged through the frozen wasteland north of Rhiannans kingdoms borders, wrapped in furs and fortified with layered spells against the cold. The snow here didn't fall. It attacked. Sharp, sideways, and angry.

There were fifty of them, bundled in enchanted coats provided by Sasha's winter armor unit. At the lead was Commander Maelra, a flame haired dwarven scout with ice pick axes strapped to her back and zero tolerance for bullshit.

"Eyes sharp," she barked over the wind. "This blizzard ain't normal."

They were near Frosthaven Cradle, a collapsed fae dwarven settlement long believed abandoned. Sasha's satellite orbs had picked up flickers of life, possibly survivors, possibly magic flares from old enchantments.

"Keep the signal flares ready," called Jaq, the lean elf mage behind her. "If we lose comms, don't wait. Light it."

The group pressed on.

Then....movement.

At first it was just shadows behind a jagged curtain of icicles. Then came a low, feral growl that didn't match anything in their bestiary.

"Blades out," Maelra muttered.

But instead of an attack, the blizzard peeled open....like a curtain being pulled by invisible fingers.....and revealed a small group of people.

Huddled. Frostbitten. Barely alive.

Children. Elderly. A few fighters holding handmade spears with bloodied tips. The look in their eyes wasn't fear.

It was relief.

Maelra stepped forward slowly, raising one gloved hand.

"We were sent by Goddess Rhiannan" she said gently. "We came to bring you home."

One of the older fae, a tall male with cracked horns and a baby slung across his back, fell to his knees in the snow, tears freezing on his cheeks.

"You're real," he choked out.

Behind him, more survivors emerged from the ruins of a shattered village half buried in ice. Over a hundred in total. Survivors who had been fighting off frost wraiths, starvation, and worse for months, maybe years.

The Outreach crew went into full action mode.

Blankets distributed.

Healing spells cast.

Children hoisted onto shoulders and given warm fruit leather strips and hot tea from thermos flasks.

A flare lit high into the sky.

The sky above shimmered violet as Sasha's voice rang out from the orb hovering beside Maelra's head.

"Confirmed rescue. Teleportation circle en route. Standby for extraction."

A collective sob of relief echoed across the snowfield.

And as the circle began to hum and glow with magic, the rescued souls clung to their Outreach heroes.

The courtyard of the Dragon Castle was silent.

Not quiet....silent.

Every citizen. Every guard. Every mage. Every fae. Everyone stood frozen in anticipation, eyes fixed on the glowing arch of the teleportation circle Sasha had activated near the eastern gate.

Even the wind held its breath.

Rhiannan stood at the front, flanked by all six of her mates, her belly now noticeably larger than it had been just the day before. Her skin shimmered faintly, a glow of divine energy rippling beneath the surface. The babies were surging, growing fast...responding to the faith, to the power, to the world their mother was remaking.

Her hands clutched her chest, heart pounding so hard she thought it might break free.

And then, the portal flared.

A roar of blue violet light. A sharp hum that split the air.

And out of it, they came.

The survivors.

The lost.

The first group from the outreach missions.

Over a hundred fae, dwarves, and magic touched mortals stumbled through the circle, wrapped in furs and frost, many leaning on each other, some carrying children or holding the hands of the weak.

They were starving. Frostbitten. Hollow eyed. Bones showing. Scars fresh.

But they were alive.

Rhiannan let out a raw sob, falling to her knees on the hard earth.

"Healers! NOW!" she barked.

A blur of movement behind her....her medics and magic born healers rushed forward with stretchers and healing kits. Spells lit up like a constellation of hope as the crowd surged into action.

Elisha stepped up beside her and touched her shoulder gently. "The strong ones… they're coming with me. MoonHollow is ready."

He turned, cloak billowing behind him, and began leading a line of stunned survivors toward the newly constructed village beyond the forest line, a village just for them. With homes. With food. With peace.

Several of the refugees dropped to their knees mid step, overwhelmed.

"We get to live here?" one whispered.

"We don't have to fight anymore?"

A child asked, "Is that our queen? She's real?"

Faenet caught it all. Thousands of comments poured in in real time,

💬"They made it."

💬"This is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

💬"Our Queen doesn't just fight. She saves."

💬"RHIANNAN STRONG, BABY."

💬"Rhiannan for fucking eternity."

As the rescued were embraced, healed, and guided toward their new lives, a pulse of energy surged through the courtyard.

Rhiannan gasped, arching slightly, as her body lit up with golden white light. Her triplets stirred like wild magic inside her, and her power cracked through the ground like lightning, not dangerous, but blessing every soul nearby.

The divine mark on her collarbone burned bright.

It wasn't just magic.

It was faith.

Belief.

The people believed in her.

And the goddess within her heard it.

Veena stepped forward, jaw slack, eyes wide. "That wasn't just energy," she whispered. "That was worship. You're growing stronger."

Rhiannan nodded slowly, wiping her tears. "Then we'll save them all. One soul at a time."

The sun filtered softly through the canopy above, casting dappled gold light on cobblestone paths and moss covered bridges. Birds chirped like they were celebrating. The waterfall that marked the heart of the new village roared with clean, sparkling life, cascading down into a crescent shaped lagoon surrounded by benches, lanterns, and wildflowers that somehow bloomed out of season, enchanted by the goddess's lingering touch.

MoonHollow had been born.

And Elisha was glowing.

He stood at the front of the main path, hands on his hips, watching the refugees step into their new world with stunned awe on their faces.

"Alright," he called out, voice like honeyed thunder, "let me give you the grand fucking tour."

The crowd followed, wide eyed and trailing behind like ducklings.

"To your left," he gestured, "we've got the Marketplace Row. Shops, bakeries, smiths. Every single one is open for you to fill. Got a skill? Want to make soap, build blades, sell magic maps? Register with Sasha. She'll hook you up with a royal loan and a business permit."

A murmur of surprise and disbelief rolled through the crowd.

"You mean... we can open our own shops?" a young dwarven girl asked.

Elisha grinned. "You can build a whole ass empire, baby girl."

They passed the training grounds, filled with obstacle courses, sparring rings, archery lanes, and a section for enchanted weapon testing.

"For those of you still wanting to fight, train here. Compete. Rise in rank. We've got open dueling once a week. Winner gets free beer and a magic trinket."

That got actual cheers.

They walked past a town center with an amphitheater style plaza for gatherings, weddings, announcements, even concerts if the musicians got their shit together.

Then came the school, a stunning wooden structure wrapped in vines and built into the side of a hill, with its own playground, enchanted library, and teachers already assigned.

"We've already hired fae tutors, witchcraft mentors, and combat instructors," Elisha explained. "Every kid gets a chance to learn, no matter their background or ability."

Past that, the housing district, a mix of cozy forest cottages and multi level apartments built into trees, each one warm, dry, and fully stocked with starter kits.

Tears fell freely now from more than a few faces in the crowd.

Rhiannan stood a few feet back, watching Elisha show off the sanctuary he built. Her chest ached, in the best way.

She'd seen war. Blood. Pain.

But this...this was healing.

This was fucking hope.

When Elisha turned and caught her gaze, something inside her cracked wide open.

He walked back to her without a word, scooped her up into his arms, and whispered low in her ear.

"I built this for you, moonfire. For our people. For the future you believed in before the rest of us could even see it."

She clutched his collar, her voice thick. "Take me to our room."

His dragon eyes gleamed. "You sure?"

"I need you," she breathed. "Right now. Take me home."

He didn't hesitate.

Elisha carried her through the winding streets, past lanterns that flickered on one by one, through a private path only Sasha had coded into the forest grid, partially shifted his wings and launched into the sky. They landed softly on the balcony of their room and embraced, Rhiannans tears falling freely.