Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!
As the clan chiefs and Akira exited they were able to hear someone shouting.
“FleurCarinaEldurWulkanDreki, where are you?” shouted the loud reverberating voice that echoed throughout the land.
“FleurCarinaEldurWulkanDreki, did someone capture you?”
“Who is that?” asked chief Max.
The other chiefs whispered among themselves trying to figure out what was going on while Akira and Mileena both were looking at the young girl that was holding onto Mileena’s hand.
“Where is my cute daughter!?”
“Chief! It’s that guy! What do we do?”
“Oh, It’s my dad. He’s always saying ‘I’ll eat anyone who tries to touch my precious cute daughter.’ and ‘I’ll poke their eyes out if they look at her.’ What an embarrassing father,” said Fleur.
The clan chiefs all looked at the young Fleur in shock not at her words but because of who she was.
“I have to go home now or my dad might blow up a few mountains while trying to look for me. Big sis, I had fun! I hope we can play again!” said Fleur as she jumped into the air.
Small red wings sprouted out from her back and in mere seconds she had already disappeared from their view.
“I knew I sensed that she smelled familiar! What is wrong with your brain bringing her here? We’re strong but not that strong,” said Chief Max pointing at the burns on his face and neck.
“I don’t know whether to be in awe at your bravery or stupidity,” said Chief Xend.
“I had no clue who she was and she just joined us on her own,” said Akira trying to explain the situation.
The shouting and rumbling only lasted for a few more minutes before stopping.
“It looks like we’re safe…” said Chief Nem as he paused to listen for any disturbance.
“let’s hurry up and work on the preparations needed for the three clans to travel north. We’ll have to make sure that everyone’s armor and weapons are taken care of before leaving,” said Chief Kip.
“Akira I’ll leave Chief Roc, Xend, and Nem with you to talk over your plans for heading north,” said Chief Max with a wave of the hand before he returned to the tunnels.
“Let’s talk while we head back,” said Chief Xend who had returned to his human form.
***
Akira and his fellow companions all sat inside one of the many crafting workrooms.
In front of each of them was a bunch of leather and metal that they were sewing together with special metal thread taken from a rare spider monster breed.
“Ow! This needle really hurts when it pokes you,” said Chack as he sucked on his finger for the 100th time.
“Quit lying, you have scales protecting your fingers,” said Mileena whose fingers were covered with bandages.
“Yes, you’re good at sewing… I lie! I am better than you at something,” said Chack.
“You’re not better, you just have a cheat!” said Mileena.
“Quiet down guys. We’re already on the last few saddles for the Gargs,” said Akira as skillfully threaded the needle through the tough leather.
The saddles were nothing fancy like the saddles that the knights of some human kingdoms used.
They were just enough to help keep the rider seated during a hectic ride that you would not normally experience while on a horse due to the Gargs being able to move in every way that a horse could not.
Before they had started this project Akira had helped the werewolf blacksmiths with repairing and readying the weapons and armor of the warriors that would be coming north with the three clans.
As a gesture of goodwill, he helped teach them a few tips that he had learned while working with the Dwarves in Kodria.
All thirteen clans had come together to help with the preparations so things that would have taken weeks were getting done in days.
“Lord, the preparations are almost ready and the three clans are starting to gather everyone,” said Dolph as he entered the room.
“We’re almost finished,” said Akira as he made the last few stitches on the saddle in front of him.
“Here finish this one,” said Mileena pushing her half-finished saddle over to Akira.
***
Akira and his guards sat on their Garg companion mounts at the front of the large caravan of sleds that were now heading north to the capital of IsKald.
The three clan chiefs and a few of their guards sat on their own smaller Gargs along with Akira.
Since a majority of their own guards did not have a Garg mount Akira had tasked a few of his own guards to help protect them as well.
The Kodria soldiers that had their own mounts were put in charge of the small number of other Garg riders from the three clans. He had given them the task of patrolling the long caravan line to make sure that everything was okay.
The clans 5000 warriors were stationed along the long caravan to take care of any problems that showed up.
“Does the snow and ice really melt at Kodria?” asked chief Nem whose clan was related to the madmane clan.
“Yes there are a few months known as the warm months but I think we will only be arriving at the end of it,” answered Akira.
“Your soldiers and guards all look sharp and well trained, are these your elites?” asked chief Xend who had a distant relation to the Darkmoon clan.
“I wouldn’t exactly say they are the elites, they are just well trained. Those who are part of my personal guard are among the top in the Kodria army and were picked for this duty so you could say that they are in a way elite but still young.”
“You must have some amazing training if your regular soldiers perform like that,” said chief Roc whose clan was related to the longtails clan.
“If you would allow it I can also have your soldiers undergo the same training,” said Akira.
“Would it help them? They are already strong warriors,” asked Xend.
“It would make them even more deadly,” said Akira full of certainty.
“Then I think it is a must for them to receive the training. Being strong is what we of the Braveclaw strive for.”
“We should be reaching the capital by tomorrow,” said Klyn as he looked at the map that Akira had improved when they had first gone south.
“If you say so,” said chief Roc who was looking at the crude map.
“You get used to it after a while,” said Klyn.
“Good, we can trade the furs and other items we gained from monsters to resupply,” said Nem.
***
“Akira, you really are something,” said Yuki as she pat Grarr on the head. Grarr gave an unsatisfied growl and shook his head.
“You managed to gain Garg mounts as well as convince three of the 13 southern clans to head north with you. It seems you are both blessed and cursed,” said Yuki as she looked out the window of the royal stables at the large caravan that was camped outside the ice city walls.
“You should keep the furs as we do not need them. I’m sure that they will sell for a lot farther north. You can help fund Kodria with their sale if you hold onto them,” said Yuki.
“So about the matter of sending merchants to your city to drop off the items for the southern tribes. Is that okay?” asked Akira.
“It’s fine with me since it will also bring more business our way as well, is that all?” asked Yuki.
“Yes,” said Akira nodding.
“In exchange for the other items, we will have the food and water prepared for you. Also, the representatives I talked about when you were here last time will be joining you on the trip north to Kodria. They will have a few of their own guards with them.”
***
Many days later the caravan was well north of the Ice forest.
“Lord! The scouts have spotted two Demigods fighting with talking bears!” said a soldier who had just run up to Akira and the other clan chiefs on his own Garg mount.
“Were they wearing armor?” asked Ieec the head representative of the Yuki onna.
“They didn’t say,” said the soldier.
“They could be one of our allies, the [Armored Polar Bear],” said Ieec.
“Are you sure there are only 2 of them?” asked Akira.
“Multiple people reported the same thing. Two demigods are fighting a large group of talking bears,” said the soldier.
“Awooooo!” Akira let out a howl calling for all the mounted soldiers of the three clans as well his guards to assemble.
***
“What was that?” asked a fully armored knight who was blocking several attacks from the multiple armored bears that he and his friend were attacking.
There were already several dead or dying bears slumped on the ground, their blood dying the snow a deep red.
“Ineda, stop daydreaming, and stay focused. If you slip up we could both die and then all our gains will be lost,” said a wild barbaric looking man who had long unkempt green hair and beard. He wore a dirty leather fur armor and was currently hopping around throwing hand axes as well as smashing open the bear’s armor with his spiked mace.
“Stop nagging me, Hary. I thought I heard some sort of howl just a moment ago,” said Ineda as he used a skill to pierce his sword through one of the Armored bears.
The two continued fighting with the numerous armored bears fully focused on gaining all that they could from the fight.
Rumble…the ground started to shake for some reason. The armored bears who had been fighting them fiercely just seconds before started to quickly retreat causing the two demigods to be confused as they tried chasing after them.
“Wait Hary, somethings not right,” said Ineda as he started to look around and froze in place when he found the source of his doubts.
“Why did you sto…”
Over 50 large monstrous giant wolves with furry humanoids as well as shiny metal humanoids riding on top of them were charging straight towards them.
On the largest of the giant wolves there sat a large person in all dark blue armor that stood out from the rest. His sword was pointed right at them!
“It’s the were…” before Hary could finish his sentence he lost his head to a blue light that flew out from the sword of the dark armored man. His body was bit in half by the large giant wolf seconds later.
The armored Ineda was more study and was able to withstand the blue slash attack. But staying alive was not possible as he was smashed into, trampled, and stabbed by all the passing large mounts and their riders.
He died an even more horrible way than Hary. He laid on the ground his body in a grotesque mess as all his bones had been broken and his armor turned into crumpled tatters.
The two demigods’ bodies disappeared into light particles while the large mounted knights halted their charge several yards in front of the armored bears who were huddled together in a defensive stance.
The largest of the giant wolves moved forward and the dark armored man pulled off his helmet.
“Hello friends, we bring greetings from a mutual friend, Princess Yuki. I am Akira lord and commander of Kodria.”
