Frostbound

Nick

The smell of ozone, burnt hair, and roasting flesh assaulted his nose but he didn't shy away from it like he had in the past. When he first got his powers the smell had been overwhelming and completely debilitating, causing him to empty his stomach plenty of times in the midst of fighting, which he worked hard to overcome.

Now, it was a mild annoyance.

If someone had told the past him that he would get used to the smell of smoldering remains, he would have thought them mad, yet they would've been right. Even still, with repeated exposure, the smell got stuck and it took a long time for it to fade away.

Taking the City had been costly.

He had spent the better part of nearly two years building up his army since he had the chance. Only allowing certain people into the Dungeon. Outfitting them in gear made by his own Crafters. Handpicking who got what all to either indebt them or lead them toward him.

All of it was done with the assurance that they would fight for him when asked. The contract they signed made sure of that.

More than half of the people he had allowed the privilege to gain power now laid dead in the dirt. Those that survived were stronger for it but that didn't make up for the lost resources and time. Let alone the Dungeon Runs and essence they had wasted now that they could no longer fight for him.

Still, even with all of that, he couldn't keep the grin off his face.

They had marched to battle and won. The Pylon Owner of what used to be Chicago felled by his own hand. Similar to him, he was a Lightning Mage of considerable strength, but Storms would always be stronger than Lightning alone.

The man wasn't blessed enough to have the superior affinity.

Nick looked up to take in what was now his. The City itself was mostly in ruins still but that didn't matter much. His own home had been the same way. It had taken months to get Indianapolis back in working order.