"Why do you refer to me as Prince then?" Asked Frost finding the title somewhat unsuitable.
Yule didn't reply immediately instead he gazed at Frost and blinked a few times as though confused by the question.
"Because that's what you are Prince Frost." He answered confidently only to be faced with a look of puzzlement by the young Dungeon core. That statement just wasn't going to cut it so after thinking for a couple seconds Yule started to explain.
"Anyone who is a direct descendant of the Gods like yourself can be considered natural royalty, especially in the eyes of individuals such as myself who closely serve those who exist above us…I refer to all of the Primordial Ice King's progeny in the same manner Prince Frost." Frost felt his skin shiver upon hearing the title of Prince but asking Yule to drop the title from his name seemed to be an impossible, abhorrent task given his current expression, so he did his best to accept it.
Frost couldn't exactly explain why the title of Prince conjured up bad feelings within him only that it did for some reason. He preferred the title of young master or Lord which the denizens of his city-state respectfully addressed him as whenever he made his presence known.
As Frost was talking with Yule and his body healed under the effects of the Yule's magic, Kiba arrived caked in cold sweat, his fur standing erect, his limbs trembling, panting and exhausted.
The young tiger warily eyed Yule as he forcibly dragged his wounded body over to Frost.
"Kiba!" Frost loudly shouted with a bright smile forming on his lips, he wanted to run over but his body was still in the process of healing.
"rawr." [W…who's that?]
Kiba released a quiet roar that was closer to a whimper in volume, asking Frost who the man standing or rather hovering by his side was.
"Hoh that's quite the loyal partner you've got Prince Frost…A Glacial Winged Tiger, with a powerful ancestry…how did he end up so far from home?" Upon recognising the bond between Frost and Kiba, Yule actively dismissed the threat his body posed to the young tiger.
It was rare almost impossible to see a Winged Glacial Tiger with such potential here in the inner regions thus he was quite intrigued, clearly there was a story there to be unearthed.
The moment Yule spoke Kiba's body stopped trembling, the danger surrounding Yule seemed to vanish like a puff of smoke. His presence now felt natural as though he was a part of the elements, powerful yet not threatening.
Still a little wary Kiba blinked in Yule's direction and only deigned to move forward when he received a nod from the oversized revenant.
"Garow." With the danger passed and his master still alive Kiba then started to cry.
With tears flowing down his cheeks he stumbled towards Frost, moaning about his injuries, especially his broken wing. How was he supposed to fly in the sky with a busted wing.
At this moment Frost didn't even care that Kiba had disobeyed his final order, he pulled the mewling tiger in close to his chest and loving scratched the back of his head, grateful that he could feel the softness of his fur against his fingers once again.
Yule didn't interrupt, he didn't mind waiting a few extra minutes.
As the wounds throughout Frost's body were repaired, revitalising him to about 60% capacity he put more strength into his petting and hugging before getting pushed. His hand touched an open wound on Kiba's back.
"Look at you, in such a state even though you didn't take part in the battle." Said Frost in a gentle loving manner before retrieving a mid-level health potion from his storage ring.
"Grrr." Frost's words filled Kiba with embarrassment, his cheeks even turned slightly pink as he averted his gaze.
[Yes, yes I'm weak and useless.] He thought internally, more determined than ever to become stronger.
"Oh!" Eventually Frost noticed something held by Kiba left back paw.
"Garow." [I found it after being knocked down from the sky.] Kiba chose not to mention the fact that he was also saved by it.
"Well done Kiba, I was worried I'd never get to wield Borris' masterpiece ever again." Frost tentatively took hold of the glaive, his fingers now able to grasp hold of it properly even if he couldn't exert much strength.
'Haaaaa its banged up pretty good.' The blade edge was chipped in several places and deep splintering cracks riddled the shaft where his hands once held it.
The [Wolf howling at the moon] was no longer safe to use in battle and unless he managed to get it to an accomplished smith, its days as a weapon were numbered.
Frost sighed and lamented the fate of his weapon, internally thanking it for its service before depositing it back into his storage ring, its likely home for the rest of the journey.
"Are you ready to enter now?" Asked Yule who had been patiently waiting by the side, his face now back to just three silver flaming eyes.
Frost looked himself over, finding that his wounds were manageable and that Kiba was no longer limping he nodded his head. "Yes please take us into Niflheim.
"Great let's get going." Yule slapped his armoured waist before placing his hands on the large, 'obelisk' probably being the correct term, that Frost crashed into earlier.
He injected some of his mana, activating the hundreds of runes that covered the obelisk's surface.
The intricate symbols hummed to life, shining brightly as they caused the large structure to vibrate.
Frost and Kiba both felt a strong and immensely dense power pulse from inside the obelisk. This power grew in strength with each beat, slowly expanding over the surface of the obelisk before finally establishing a connection to another realm.
Frost, Kiba and Yule were now staring into a dark portal that connected time and space, a magic so advanced that even the greatest of mages struggled to replicate it even on a small scale. This obelisk was truly the work of the Gods.
"Hmph there's just no comparison to the smell of home." Said Yule with a jubilant look in his eyes. Though Frost and Kiba couldn't see through the portal they could feel something from the other side. A sense of cold, so chilling that even ice would freeze and a pressure so immense that the mountains themselves would crumble before it.
This was a doorway to another world, a world of ice and snow, the domain of the Primordial Ice King, the realm of Niflheim.
"Oh!" The moment Yule was about to guide his guests through the portal he turned around and eyed Kiba.
"Prince Frost you should be fine with Niflheim's environment, but your tiger friend might struggle." Yule then patted his armour as if looking for something.
"Here." He tossed over what appeared to be a crystal necklace. "Put that around your neck, it should protect you from the extreme chill present inside."
Niflheim the realm of ice and snow, the home of the Primordial Ice King held an environment even more chilling and hazardous than the Glacial mountains. Unless one was born there, held a significant resistance to the ice element i.e. spirits or had at the very least B-rank strength it was impossible for one to survive there without specialised equipment.
The necklace Yule just handed to Kiba was one such piece of equipment, a device designed to ensure the safety of those visiting Niflheim who lacked the strength to endure it themselves.
The crystal necklace floated in front of Kiba and attached itself around his neck. The moment it did he felt a warm sensation flowing through his fur greatly reducing the rampant chill surrounding them.
This content is taken from freёwebnovel.com.
He felt warm and cosy as though he was on a sandy beach under the beating sun. Quite the foreign feeling given their current location.
"Purrr." Kiba even purred in comfort as the flecks of ice growing in between his hairs melted and fell from his body.
"Is the environment really that extreme?" Frost asked with a hint of wariness. A chill so cold that Kiba would be unable to bear it was difficult to imagine, uncomfortable and strenuous yes but unbearable.
"Yes it is, in fact there's even many areas in which even you would struggle to survive Prince Frost." Yule wasn't exaggerating, the environment of Niflheim was comparable to the core regions of the Glacial mountains and in multiple areas even worse.
"And a word of warning, don't enter or touch the waters that flow within….they are far colder than you could possibly imagine." Said Yule in a very serious manner.
"Understood." Frost was curious now, keen to know how cold these waters truly were but he wasn't foolish enough to risk his life over it.
'Water so cold that even I would die huh.' Within his Dungeon he also had areas with specialised water, even if it reached below freezing temperatures the streams and lakes would retain their liquid states.
"Let's go, the King awaits." Said Yule as he gestured for Frost and Kiba to step through the portal.
"Un I've unfortunately kept him waiting." Replied Frost as he bravely walked through the portal with a rather chipper Kiba by his side.
The young tiger found the effects of the crystal necklace quite comfortable.
