Frost and Kiba both looked in pretty good condition- considering what they'd both been through- as they flew after Frostine and Valend.
During the past 90 minutes while the reinforcements gradually pushed back the stampede the two of them recuperated with the help of mid-level potions and a much needed break, moving only when absolutely necessary. They met face to face with General Anya during this time.
After getting Hamon and Maggie to safety, the man she left in charge of Furano's defence gave her a quick oral report of all that happened before he blacked out, his body too damaged to retain consciousness. He had mentioned Frost and asked the General to check on him, to make sure he made it through this ordeal.
Hamon held great expectations for the young dungeon core and sorely wished for the frost wolf battalion to make some moves in recruiting him or at the very least leave a favourable impression.
General Anya trusted in her Colonel's eyes and set off the moment the healers began seeing to him and Maggie. She was feeling especially guilty as she rode her prized battle mount Freya. So many of her loyal soldiers had died in this war and even Halgrave a high ranking Major lost his life....it was a dark day for the frost wolf battalion, she needed something positive.
Upon finding Frost she was greatly surprised. From Hamon's enthusiasm she expected to be greeted by a muscle bound giant not some pretty boy that looked to be in his early twenties, a rather refreshing reveal.
Several elite knights were guarding the area around Frost when she arrived with her naturally imposing presence. All of them instinctually trembled before vigorously saluting her arrival. Like Warik she was one of the few people in the empire that held the title of General, something that garnered a great deal respect.
Frost's skin grew goose bumps and Kiba began shivering the moment she approached. Though Anya was weaker than Warik she was still an A-rank combatant, someone far beyond the current Frost and Kiba. Even without releasing her aura she held a natural overwhelming disposition.
"Are you Frost?" Anya asked in an intimidating tone, she also infused some of her aura into her voice letting Frost feel a fraction of her power.
"Yes that's me ma'am, apologies I'm not from Northrend so I do not recognise you but from the reaction of this lot I'm guessing you're much higher ranked than Hamon." Frost gulped audibly before performing a polite military salute and responding in calm and clear voice.
Her power was certainly mighty but in regards to what he's faced with every day she wasn't much and even though her voice sounded intimidating he felt no malice in fact it even looked like she was hiding a smile.
"Hahahahahaha bold I like it hahahahaha just like Hamon described!" Anya bellowed before leaping from the back of Freya.
Now off the back of the massive wolf that dwarfed even Kiba, Frost was able to get a closer look at the imposing woman.
Many grey strands were present in her ruby red hair but her face sported very few wrinkles, it was clear that in her youth she must have been quite the beauty. She was likely in the same generation as Hamon perhaps a little older if he guessed solely by her looks. As far as he could see she was human and rather tall, about 6ft.
Once one reached A-rank their mastery over aura reached a much deeper level and, in many ways, transformed entirely. A-ranks had far more capabilities in regards to aura than simply empowering themselves and or their weapons.
Frostine turned his neck back forward after conjuring a quick ice shield and was about to inform Valend about the true threat of their little tail but before he could a massive foot headed his way.
Boof!
Without so much as a warning Valend, while Frostine was casting his magic and glaring at Frost leaped from his position and kicked the smaller Frostine in the face, halting his momentum instantly and even knocking him backwards.
"Valend you bastard!!!" The kick wasn't enough to cause any real damage, but Frostine was certainly displaced.
Valend didn't even dignify Frostine with a response nor did he even looked back his way, instead he kicked his retreat into overdrive, dashing faster through the forest and back towards the glacial mountains. The hounding of the stampede was still blaring in his mind, but it was weaker now that the head honcho had been taken out, thus allowing him to overcome it and flee.
He was a damn frost giant with limitless potential why the fuck should he die here. He had absolutely no qualms about sacrificing Frostine as he knew he'd do the exact same to him, he just simply acted first.
Frost frowned as he saw this, Valend was certainly crafty, and it was almost certain now that he'd be able to escape.
'Looks like the victim will be Frostine then.' He concluded internally before conjuring more and more balls of ice fire to help restrain the rampant frost monarch further.
"Valend!!!!!!" Frostine was racked with fury, his veins bulging as his blood pressure skyrocketed and the sudden balls of ice fire only served to exasperate his condition. The great frost monarch seemed to snap as he knew that his death was almost a certainty.
Bang!
Frostine viciously punched one the balls of ice fire coming his way causing it to explode around him, the silver like flame fragments slowly corroding his fingers until he waved them out. His anger towards Valend was thus redirected to Frost and Kiba.
He glanced at the approaching form of General Anya and concluded he only had a brief window to act unimpeded. A vicious expression then grew on his face as he glared up at Frost. His mind played some tricks on him making it look like Frost was smirking (which of course he wasn't...honest).
"So, you think this is funny do ya brat? Let's see who's laughing once I rip apart that smirking mouth of yours!" Frostine roared before launching himself at Frost, his arms tensing and thick ice chakra covering his fists to create fierce looking gauntlets.
He'd kill Frost before Anya had the chance to intervene. He was confident in that at least.