Chapter 28: 28. North forest of dangerous temperatures
A FEW HOURS LATER
ALEXANDER
Five hours from the Frostheart bloom location, we stopped, not because we wanted to, but because the temperature was becoming ridiculous. The sun had vanished hours ago behind thick gray clouds. The forest looked completely different at night. The snow reflected faint moonlight, turning everything pale and ghostlike. Every tree looked like a frozen skeleton standing watch over the forest, our camp was small and tightly organized: two insulated tents, a reinforced wind barrier, three portable heaters, emergency thermal stones. Enough winter equipment to survive conditions that should have been illegal, and somehow it still felt freezing. I sat beside the largest heater, wrapped in enough layers to qualify as furniture.
"This thing is useless." I complained.
The heater hummed loudly.
"It is functioning correctly." Aiko said.
"Then the forest is cheating."I groaned.
"That is a reasonable conclusion."Aiko nodded.
Scarlet extended her hands toward the heater. Tiny crystals of frost had formed along her sleeves.
"It is getting colder."She said.
"How much colder?" Isabella asked nervously.
"-38 degrees."Aiko checked a measuring crystal then he checked it again. "-39."
"That is not how numbers are supposed to work." I said.
Rosalia adjusted her coat.
"The wind is increasing."Aiko said calmly.
"The temperature is still dropping."Noa nodded.
That was bad, very bad. The mission briefing said -34. The forest had apparently decided that wasn’t enough. A distant crack echoed through the darkness, and everyone immediately became alert.
"What was that?" Isabella whispered.
Nobody answered as another crack echoed far away. Like ice breaking, or something very large walking through frozen ground. Scarlet’s light brightened slightly, Rosalia picked up her weapon, Noa slowly stood. The forest became silent, too silent. No birds, no insects. Only wind, snow and darkness.
"We are being observed."Aiko adjusted his glasses.
I immediately hated that sentence.
"Observed by what?"I asked.
"Unknown."Aiko said.
"That is not helpful."I groaned.
"It is accurate."Aiko said.
I looked beyond the campfire, the darkness between the trees felt wrong, not empty, but occupied. Like something was standing there watching and waiting. Then a shadow moved just for a second. Gone immediately afterward.
"You saw that too?"Isabella grabbed Scarlet’s arm.
"Yes."Scarlet said.
Rosalia aimed toward the tree line. Nothing was there as another shape appeared farther away. Tall, thin, motionless and then it vanished behind drifting snow. Even Noa looked uncomfortable. I checked my gloves as frost had formed on them.
While sitting beside the heater.
"No." I stared. "No, absolutely not."
"The cold is overwhelming the thermal field."Aiko examined the frost.
"That sentence should not exist."I said.
"Unfortunately it does."Aiko said and nodded.
The wind suddenly howled through the forest, the tents shook violently. Snow blasted across the camp and the temperature crystal flashed -40°C. Even Aiko paused.
"That seems problematic." He admitted.
"YOU THINK?"I asked.
Nobody slept much after that. Scarlet maintained light barriers, Noa monitored the perimeter. Rosalia watched the darkness while Aiko continuously checked temperatures as I sat beside the heater, wondering why a flower needed to grow in a place that clearly hated life itself. The forest somehow became even colder, I didn’t know how, I didn’t want to know how. The temperature crystal sitting beside the heater suddenly flashed again. -41°C. Nobody said anything, and then five minutes later it changed again to -42°C.
"This forest is cheating." I declared.
"Agreed." Noa replied immediately.
That was how bad things had become. Noa agreed without argument. The wind slammed into the camp hard enough to shake both tents. Snow blasted over the barrier Scarlet had created and piled against the outer walls. The heaters were running at maximum output and they were losing. That was the terrifying part. Three expensive guild grade heaters, thermal stones, magic barriers. Winter survival equipment and the cold was still winning. Scarlet sat beside the largest heater with both hands extended toward it.
"I can still feel my fingers."She said.
The fact she sounded relieved scared me. Rosalia was wearing every layer she owned and still looked unhappy. Isabella had wrapped herself in two blankets. Noa was continuously checking the equipment for frost damage. Aiko was preparing dinner, or trying to. The pot hanging above the heater wasn’t boiling, it wasn’t even simmering, it was fighting for its life.
"Aiko." I stared at the pot.
"Yes, Master?"Aiko asked.
"Why isn’t the soup cooking?"I asked.
"The soup is freezing faster than the heater can warm it."Aiko looked at the thermometer.
Nobody knew how to respond to that.
"The soup is WHAT?" Isabella finally asked.
"It is losing the battle."Aiko nodded.
The surface of the soup literally had ice forming on it while sitting above a heat source. I looked at the forest and the forest looked back. Rosalia poked the frozen soup and the spoon got stuck.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"We are eating ice stew." Rosalia concluded.
"No." I said.
"It appears we are." Aiko replied.
"No."I groaned.
Aiko slowly held up the spoon, the spoon remained standing upright inside the frozen meal. Scarlet covered her face, Noa looked offended by reality.
"That is unfortunate."Aiko nodded.
"UNFORTUNATE?" I nearly shouted.
A distant howl echoed through the darkness. The tents shook again as another wave of freezing wind slammed into camp. Crack. One of the smaller thermal stones split apart. Immediately, the temperature dropped further and the camp suddenly felt colder.
"That is bad." Scarlet whispered.
Aiko checked the readings, then checked them again, then looked slightly concerned. That terrified me because Aiko never looked concerned.
"Master."Aiko said.
"What?"I asked.
"The emergency thermal reserves have fallen below recommended levels."Aiko explained.
"How bad?"I asked.
"If conditions continue, we may wake up buried under snow."Aiko adjusted his glasses.
Nobody liked that answer, then the communication crystal crackled.
"Status report."Michael’s voice appeared.
I stared into the darkness, then at the frozen soup, then at the broken thermal stone and then at the snow piling against our tents, lastly at the temperature crystal showing -43°C.
"Michael."I picked up the communication crystal.
"Yes?"He asked.
"I would like to file a formal complaint against this forest."I said plainly.
"I understand." Michael sighed.
That was somehow worse because he sounded sincere. Outside the barrier, something moved between the trees, huge, tall, watching. The shape vanished before anyone could identify it, nobody slept comfortably after that, and tomorrow morning we still had five hours left before reaching the Frostheart bloom. Five hours inside a forest actively trying to freeze us to death.
