A storm hit the fourth day of the journey, stalling the caravan’s progress. The winds were so powerful, individuals without strength and toughness-enhancing abilities struggled to stand up straight or walk. And the giant woolly horned beasts—mostly some variety of bison, but there were also a couple of goats—refused to move, huddling with their partners or the vehicle they were pulling.

All noncombatants got under or inside the carriages and wagons while everyone else took up position on the roofs or just outside, ready to defend if and when the local fauna attacked. The magic in the air, thrown around by the storm, interfered with the diviners’ magic, rendering them just short of impotent.

Bass remained in his house cat form, sticking close to Penelope. She had conjured a trio of melon-sized fireballs that revolved around their carriage. They warmed the surroundings. Much to Lukas’s surprise, the powerful winds failed to overpower them. It seemed she had also erected an invisible dome that weakened gusts and filtered out all snow. Things got so warm, Lukas no longer needed to use his induction hand warmer.

Meanwhile, Shae lingered near the perimeter where it was warmest. The heat didn’t seem to bother him despite the several layers he wore. Lukas guessed Wyrmkin physiology did better with the heat than the cold. If all of their bodies contained some degree of dragonfire, it made sense that their kind all had some degree of fire and heat resistance, plus whatever element their ancestors were attuned to.

Shae knew little about his lineage and had willingly given Penelope a sample of his blood for study. The possibility of her discovering and activating his draconic magic excited him. It was apparently rare for low-ranking males like him to get such opportunities. He never expected to gain anything of the sort while under the old ‘Shamin’.

A few ritual spells cast on him prior to the morning departures had already started to take effect. The Elder Wyrmkin’s scales appeared more angular and thicker. He had also gained moderate muscle mass. The clone who sparred with him the previous evening reported his blows had more power and precision behind them. Bass had started to change his mind about Shae. A loyal bodyguard excelling in defence and melee combat would significantly increase her chances of survival and success.

Over the past couple of days, Shae had duelled with a couple of others, playing the role of the sorcerer’s mute valet. Despite not conversing with any of them, he somehow returned with a crossbow and a quiver of bolts. Now, he eagerly watched their surroundings, weapon raised and ready.

A biomancy clone added to the defender’s numbers. No one questioned his identity during the storm. He was just another blurry figure on the ground. Morph was shorter, beefier, and hairier. He had changed his face and also grown a mane of a beard. He stood among the caravan leader’s hired guards, carrying a stolen warhammer and shield.

Six-limbed mountain dwellers came for them as the storm intensified. Their white and grey fur made them impossible to see through the snow swirling in the heavy winds. By the time the lookouts and diviners detected them it was too late. One sped past the defensive circle of caravan vehicles, taking a panicking young woolly goat with it.

One got close enough for Lukas to get a clear look. It was what he would’ve imagined a yeti looked like, but with a pair of extra horns. It was humanoid with a stubby nose, animalistic eyes, pointed ears, and short black horns. It was leaner than the others, and instead of getting close, the creature flung a long spear like it was a javelin. It shot forth like a ballista bolt, but a stone wall rose to block its path before striking the targeted bison.

The defenders launched a barrage of long-range attacks. It was impossible to tell how many of them hit their mark. There was no telling what was a snow dune and a furry hostile. Lukas attempted to track them using his arcane senses, but the dense environmental magic continued to provide interference. He had no choice but to manifest Shade’s Mantle, partially harden it, and create several electrified Shadowsteel spikes. It wasn’t long before they came into use.

The snowmen, as the locals settled on calling them, proved smarter than they appeared. It wasn’t just thrown spears that threatened them. The creatures seemed to have realized that Penelope had started casting a massive spell as soon as they appeared. Projectiles—giant javelins, rocks, and blocks of ice—came for her. Bass multiplied in size and warded them off. Lukas lacked the necessary power to stop them in their tracks and resorted to obscuring the space around her by flaring Shade’s Mantle to its maximum. Spellweaver helped merge it with Silencing Shadows. It hid their location and blurred arcane presences, making Penelope harder to pin down.

The journal vibrated, but Lukas ignored it for the time being.

A spear got past Bass and struck the carriage, just missing Penelope. The vehicle almost tipped over, and the jerk sent the attached goats into a panic. A worker rushed out of cover to soothe them and almost succeeded before another projectile got through. The giant block of ice came from above. It crushed one goat and the young woman trying to calm it. The other beast of burden broke free of its bindings and fled, barrelling toward the center of the formation and toward the huddling non-combatants. The pair shielding them had no choice but to put it down.

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Melee broke out all around the ring as the monsters closed in, revealing their massive numbers and prowess. Weapons clashed. Defenders and attackers roared. Abilities activated. The new chaos threatened to drown out the storm.

A quartet of slender snowmen carrying giant round shields and long clubs rushed Penelope. Bass successfully blocked a pair, and Shae assaulted another from behind, drawing its attention. Locked in her complex casting, the sorceress couldn’t defend herself, forcing Lukas to get involved. Except he didn’t do so personally, not straight away, anyway. He summoned a Shock Trooper clone with Altered Metal Mass. Lukas didn’t bother setting its mass or granting it Steel Weave. El-Two had the power to do so himself.

The clone called forth Shade’s Mantle, solidified it into an arm, and shaped a giant gauntlet and cleaver-like sword as he rushed in. El-Two met the snowman’s charge. Despite the superior size, it failed to knock him aside. However, its additional arms granted him superiority. It pummelled the clone with giant fists. The greyed skin born of the heavy Steel Weave did its job, keeping El-Two alive long enough to slow the beast and grant Lukas a clear line of sight.

Electrified Shadowsteel spikes shot forth, peppering the snow-man. It released a deafening roar, spasming. El-Two recovered just in time to swing his cleaver through the creature’s neck, putting it down and then rushing off to assist Shae. The weapon came away dripping blood and lightning dancing along the edge.

More snowmen had joined the fight. They swarmed Bass, trying to overwhelm him. Lukas didn’t have the time to think. He summoned two more clones. One was another Shock Trooper with Altered Metal Mass, and the other a mage with Spellweaver. They got to work straight away while Lukas created more electrified spikes. He attached a pair of them to shadow sashes and kept them attached to Shade’s Mantle.

His preparations couldn’t have come at a better time, as more snowmen attempted to rush Penelope. Lukas blocked its path, peppering it with spikes. The creature caught most on its shield, but one got its shoulder, forcing it to slow. Then the Shocktrooper closed in and released a point-blank sonic blast. The beast stumbled, falling on its face. Lukas closed the dozen feet between them and got it in the neck with a spike. It ceased moving soon after.

A giant spear shot past Lukas, almost grazing him. It struck the carriage, sending it tumbling. He had no choice but to lower himself and erect a Shadowsteel barrier. It blocked an incoming barrage and held strong. However, Lukas’s magic dropped dangerously low. His eyes watered from the strain. He glanced at Penelope; she wasn’t yet ready. Lukas rushed to her side and condensed Shade’s Mantle, erecting a mass of pikes that pointed outwards. It was significantly larger and more expansive than what the clones had erected while covering his final escape from the undercity.

Projectiles struck in rapid succession. The melee attackers came next. The Shadowsteel spikes buckled, twisted, and warped, but also trapped several snowmen, giving the clones ample time to take them out. He sensed all of them, including Morph, perish one at a time. Memories of their deaths flooded Lukas, but he didn’t have the time to think about it. Lukas held on, gritting teeth and struggling to stay focused as darkness encroached on the edges of his vision.

“I’ve got this, Lukas,” Penelope whispered, and he finally let go. The Shadowsteel spikes lost their tangibility and dropped to the ground, becoming two-dimensional as they retreated. Consciousness threatened to leave him, and everything hurt, but Lukas remained stubborn. He refused to go down without witnessing the fruits of their labors. “Take a break.”

The sorcerer stepped forward. Blinding white motes of light revolved around her. Looking at them hurt Lukas’s eyes. They were like miniature suns. One shot up into the storm and disappeared. A monstrous boom followed. Visibility normalized seconds later as a shockwave shook everyone and everything. A circle of blue expanded above as the storm dispersed. The remaining two motes joined the fireballs that warmed their surroundings. The orbit expanded until it encompassed the entire caravan. Then they detonated and pulses of energy shot outwards, melting the piled high snow and incinerating all hiding within.

Grey rock littered with countless dozens of scorched corpses remained. It looked like they had spontaneously combusted. The snowmen who were within the scorching ring almost immediately lost their fighting spirit. Some continued to struggle, but they went down swiftly. Bass took out almost half, while the remaining defenders eliminated the rest. It was swift and brutal.

Meanwhile, Shae and Lukas tended to Penelope. She had collapsed after casting her spell. Her skin was paler than usual and wrinkled. All luster had left her hair. She appeared significantly older—not her suggested age, but like a woman approaching their sixties. Her neck and the back of her hands appeared scaly.

“She’ll be fine,” Bass told the pair, returning to them in his housecat form. Blood caked his face and wings. It looked like he had devoured a punnet of especially juicy strawberries. “Penny used up most of her magic and her dragonfire. She must’ve reverted her beauty and anti-aging spells for extra fuel.”

“Permanent?” Shae asked, his voice barely a whisper.

“No. Things will revert as soon as she has recovered.” The familiar’s eyes scanned their surroundings. Most were still dealing with the aftermath of the attack. “It’s best if we get her somewhere covered and private. She’ll freeze without her dragon magic.”

“I’ll get on it,” Lukas said.

Thanks to Penelope’s spell, there were only four casualties. The caravan had lost one other vehicle and a bison. Because of the minimal loss, everyone looked at her and her party as heroes. One of the guild parties volunteered their carriage. Shae and Lukas swiftly carried the sorcerer inside. They used whatever blankets they could gather to wrap her up. The Elder Wyrmkin rushed away to find her some soup. Penelope’s eyes fluttered. She appeared to gain consciousness for a moment before fading again. Lukas stayed close, warming the bits of iron in his pockets and stuffing them within the blankets. Her familiar stayed close, supervising. Bass said nothing. Instead, he settled on her chest, curled into a tight ball, and closed his eyes.

Color returned to her cheeks almost instantly. Her skin appeared to tighten, and her hair regained some of its sheen. Meanwhile, Bass seemed to age.

They’re sharing their magic.