Chapter 107: Ice Wall (2)
FWOOSH.
My hands erupted in bright crimson flames.
I slammed my glowing palms directly into the thick chest of the towering ice beast.
HISSS.
The sudden heat clashed violently with the magical frost. Steam exploded into the freezing air and blinded us for a full second. The monster roared in pure agony. It stumbled backward and flailed its massive clawed hands wildly in the blizzard.
"Duck," Nea yelled over the howling wind.
I dropped into the deep snow just as her silver sword swung over my head.
SHING.
The heavy blade cut clean through the frozen knee joint of the beast. The monster collapsed onto the snow with a heavy thud. It tried to crawl forward and snap at my boots with its jagged icy teeth.
CLANG.
Keith stepped up and bashed his heavy metal shield right into the monster’s face. The sheer force of the blow sent the beast rolling into a nearby snowbank.
"Burn it all," Weiss shouted from the back.
She snapped her fingers with a sharp crack.
A jagged bolt of golden lightning shot down from the stormy clouds. It struck the beast directly on top of its head. The massive monster shattered into a thousand tiny pieces of harmless ice.
TINK TINK TINK.
The icy shards rained down on our heads like frozen glass.
We all stood panting in the freezing blizzard. The wind was still roaring in our ears.
"Well done," the Grimoire purred as it popped out of my pocket.
The floating book hovered next to my ear. Its pages fluttered happily.
"So hot and sweaty in the freezing snow. Master Phantom you should strip down and cool off immediately. Let the icy wind caress your bare skin while you embrace the beautiful knight. You could melt her frozen armor with your passionate body heat."
"Go back to sleep," I told the book and shoved it deep into my heavy coat.
I walked over to the smoking crater where the beast had just exploded.
Something dark rested in the center of the melted snow.
I crouched down and picked it up.
It was a thick collar made of jagged black iron.
"What is that," Keith asked while brushing fresh snow off his armor plates.
"A control ring," I said softly.
I turned the heavy metal over in my bare hands. Strange red runes pulsed weakly on the inner rim of the iron. I felt a very familiar and very disgusting magical residue clinging to the object. It smelled faintly of sulfur and rotting meat.
This was abyssal magic. The Empire was actively using demon technology to enslave the local wildlife. They were planting these monsters as automated guard dogs. And they were doing it right under the noses of the regular Imperial Knights.
I stored the collar deep in my pocket. We would definitely need that exact piece of evidence later. It connected the Emperor to the dark arts in a very undeniable way.
"Look over there," Livia pointed a pale finger at the ruined snowbank.
The beast had emerged from a large mound of loose rocks. The explosion of ice had cleared away a massive boulder. A dark and narrow cave entrance now sat completely exposed to the elements.
"The hidden path," Livia said flatly.
"Let us get out of this wind," I agreed quickly.
We hurried inside the jagged opening and escaped the terrible storm.
The temperature rose slightly the deeper we walked into the earth. The howling blizzard faded into a soft whistle far behind us.
DRIP.
Water fell from the stone ceiling and echoed loudly in the dark space.
I conjured a small ball of fire in my palm to light the way. The golden glow revealed a very wide and very unnatural tunnel. The walls were perfectly smooth. Someone had used highly concentrated heat magic to melt the stone and create a secret road.
We walked in complete silence for ten slow minutes.
The tunnel suddenly opened up into a massive underground cavern.
"By the gods," Nea whispered in pure shock.
Dozens of heavy wooden crates were stacked high against the stone walls. Large iron cages sat completely empty in the center of the room. The air smelled terrible down here. The stench of raw sulfur was overwhelmingly strong.
I walked up to the nearest wooden crate.
Someone had pried the heavy lid open.
I peeked inside and my stomach completely twisted in disgust.
The crate was packed tight with pale blue ice. And resting inside the thick frost was a severed hand. It had six long fingers and thick black claws. It was undeniably a demon appendage.
"They are smuggling body parts," Keith gasped from behind me.
He looked incredibly sick and covered his mouth with his metal gauntlet.
"They are harvesting demons," Weiss corrected him.
Her golden eyes narrowed aggressively at the wooden crates.
"The Empire is chopping them up and moving the pieces south. They are building a weapon."
I looked closely at the side of the wooden box. A distinct symbol was burned deeply into the wood. It was a silver serpent wrapping entirely around a cracked skull. I committed that exact symbol to my memory. The noble house tied to that crest was secretly funding a demonic black market. We would absolutely have to hunt them down once we returned to the capital. This was the first real clue to the grand conspiracy.
Livia walked slowly toward a large iron cage in the center of the room.
She gripped the metal bars and stared blankly into the empty space.
"The blood is still fresh here," Livia stated softly. "The spirits are screaming in agony. They dragged something massive through this room very recently."
"They must have an operation deeper in the caves," I told her. "We need to find out where these crates are going."
"Oh my," the Grimoire fluttered out of my pocket once again.
The glowing mouth stretched into a wildly inappropriate smile.
"So many strong and dominant hands in one box. Imagine the absolute pleasure of being held down by six long fingers at once. Master Phantom we should take one home for purely educational purposes. Or maybe stick it somewhere tight."
"I will literally throw you into a roaring campfire," I promised the cursed book.
"Kinky," the Grimoire gasped happily.
"You are a menace to society," Weiss told the floating book.
I shoved it back into the dark pocket and slapped the fabric for good measure.
CLACK.
A heavy boot stepped on a loose stone further down the dark cavern.
I instantly closed my fist and extinguished my glowing fireball. The massive cavern plunged into complete and utter darkness.
"Quiet," I whispered to the group.
We all quickly pressed our backs against the cold stone wall.
A soft orange light slowly flickered from the far end of the tunnel. Someone was carrying a bright torch. Low voices echoed off the damp walls and traveled straight to our ears.
"Hurry up and load the next cart," a gruff voice echoed through the dark. "The border patrol changes shifts in exactly one hour. We need these horns moved before the new captain arrives."
"I hate this freezing cold," another man complained loudly.
I peeked carefully around the tall stack of crates.
Five men walked confidently into the cavern. They wore heavy gray cloaks and carried thick iron crossbows. These were the exact smugglers we were looking for. And they had all the answers we desperately needed.
I looked over at Nea and nodded once in the shadows.
She drew her sword with zero sound. Her silver eyes glowed brightly in the dark.
Keith tightened his grip on his heavy shield and took a deep breath.
Weiss raised her delicate hand and little sparks of golden magic danced between her fingertips.
We were going to ask these men some very painful questions.