Echoes in the Snow

The wind cut across the northern wastes like knives, and the fortress walls were already a distant gray line behind them. Akari padded silently alongside Noel’s squad, her paws sinking slightly into fresh snow, ears twitching at the scrape of boots and the occasional whistle of wind. Every sound seemed sharper out here - the faint clatter of metal, the whisper of snow over stone, and the breathing of soldiers all around her.

"I'm so glad that Akari can keep us warm!" Lysandra exclaimed. "And she's a little cutie I want to cuddle with to boot!"

Akari was a bit flushed but puffed a little proudly. "Noel makes sure to keep my fur pretty!"

The little fox heard Noel cough in embarrassment.

Branek strode ahead, his armor clinking softly, eyes scanning the horizon. “Watch the snowbanks,” he murmured. “Wind can hide tracks, but it can’t hide a missing step. Don’t assume the first drift is empty.”

Akari followed, tail flicking, nose catching every scent. Lysandra skipped a pace beside her, twirling her staff like it was a toy instead of her lifeline. The mage said, grinning, “A little adventure pays well. My family would faint if they were in my place.”

“I guess so?” Akari muttered, unsure whether the feeling in her chest was excitement or nerves. She studied Lysandra: cheerful, joking, but something in the girl’s eyes flickered just for a moment before the smile returned. Akari filed it away in the back of her mind.

Ansel trudged behind them, prayer beads clenched tightly in one hand. “I… I just pray we don’t find anyone who won’t make it back,” he whispered. His voice wavered though his pace never faltered.

Noel walked at the front, wand and sword ready, eyes cold and precise. “Keep your spacing,” he said evenly. “Don’t clump together, don’t leave gaps. If anything moves, we need to see it before it sees us.” His voice held authority, calm and deliberate, the kind that made the others unconsciously fall into formation. Akari pressed closer, tail brushing against his boots for comfort.

The first strange sign appeared almost silently. Branek stopped, knee pressed into snow, tracing a half-buried trail. “Footprints,” he murmured. “Not from any of our men.” He traced them carefully. Smaller than a full soldier, irregular, and almost distorted.

“Could be those little spirit beasts?” Lysandra asked, tilting her head.

Branek shook his head. “No animal leaves marks like this, and the stride doesn’t match any known beast. Look at the melted snow around each step. It's scorched from the inside, not the top. Something unnatural.”

Akari’s chest tightened. She leaned forward, sniffing, her nose twitching at the faint smell of burnt frost. Every detail caught her attention: the way one boot imprint was angled slightly inward, the curve of the scorch marks, the flakes of ice clinging to melted metal. She committed each to memory.

Noel crouched to inspect the site. “Strange… like they vanished mid-step.” He ran a gloved hand over the snow, frowning. “Keep watch. Don’t let your guard down.”

Branek grunted and tapped the hilt of his spear. “If anything stirs, I’ll see it first.”

Lysandra twirled her staff again, trying to ease the tension. “We’re fine,” she said, though her knuckles whitened slightly around the shaft. “Snow, monsters, whatever comes. It’ll be a piece of cake!”

The fox’s ears twitched. The words were light, but the girl’s tone betrayed a slight unease. Akari padded closer, nose brushing against Lysandra’s arm. Lysandra smiled briefly, but it was fleeting. Akari understood: not everyone shares fear easily.

They pressed on, following the faint, distorted footprints. The snow stretched endlessly, unbroken except for their own tracks. Shadows lengthened as the sun dipped behind the ridges of ice-covered hills. Each step seemed heavier than the last.

Finally, the squad found the remains of the previous patrol’s campsite. Broken gear lay scattered: a helmet crushed under a snowdrift, a bent sword, and a half-broken shield. Melted ice pooled in unnatural patterns, and scorched wood littered the frozen ground.

Akari’s breath hitched. Her paws moved carefully, avoiding disturbing anything. She memorized everything - the angle of the sword, the depth of footprints in the snow, the direction of melted patterns - filing it away in a perfect mental picture.

Branek knelt, examining the scene. “No bodies. Nothing. Just this mess.” His jaw tightened. “Whatever did this… it’s not human, and it’s not a beast we’ve ever fought.”

Lysandra swallowed, attempting levity. “Well, if it isn’t human, at least it won’t get a meal from me,” she joked, but the tremor in her voice betrayed her nerves.

Ansel muttered prayers under his breath. “Bless them… whoever they were.”

Noel’s eyes scanned the ruins. “This is worse than I expected. Keep alert. The snow could hide their approach.”

Akari felt a protective heat coil in her chest. She looked at each member of Noel’s squad: Branek, seasoned and steady; Lysandra, cheerful but fragile; Ansel, timid yet brave. She wanted them safe. She would protect them, whatever it took.

The sky darkened suddenly, clouds thickening. A windstorm rose, carrying distant howls. The squad stiffened. Branek grunted and drew his sword. “Here we go.”

Noel lifted his wand, eyes narrowing. “Form up. Don’t scatter. Stay with me, all of you.”

Shadows in the snow twisted into grotesque forms. Twisted, malformed corrupted spirits surged forward, their jagged bodies slicing the air with unnatural motion. Some skittered on spindly, frost-coated limbs that cracked sharply with every step, others seemed to flicker in and out of solidity, like icy mirages that could strike from any angle. Skeletal fragments jutted from their torsos, and shards of blackened ice glimmered in the dimming light. They hissed and spat fragments of frost that exploded against the squad’s gear.

Branek swung his sword in a wide arc, cutting through a spirit that lunged at Lysandra. The impact splintered the frost-crusted limbs, spraying shards into the air. Lysandra fired a blast of controlled flame from her focus, igniting a spirit mid-leap and melting it into a sizzling puddle of icy sludge.

Ansel flinched but didn't run. He waved his hands, a halo of gentle light spreading to shield Lysandra from another blow. He muttered rapid prayers, forming protective wards that shimmered against the dark forms.

Noel had grabbed the little fox and threw her onto his shoulder. Akari's bright glow made her a moving distraction, drawing attention away from the squad.

“Eternal flame, guide our bond!”

Noel and Akari created a large enough fire to surround the squad in a protective ring while picking off any corrupted spirits who dared to come close.

The spirits swarmed from multiple directions, jerking unnaturally, trying to catch them off-guard. Noel shouted orders, his wand sweeping in precise lines, releasing controlled bursts of frost-shattering energy that scattered the approaching shapes. He moved fluidly, blocking and striking simultaneously, keeping the group coordinated.

The fox's flames danced, scorching the creature’s frozen skin and forcing it to recoil. Every instinct, every memory of the battlefield, guided her.

Minutes passed, snow whipping into a blizzard. The squad moved as a single unit, every strike and spell synchronized despite knowing each other in such a short time. Lysandra’s flames sparked against icy limbs, Branek’s sword rang with precise swings, and Ansel’s wards repelled the cold darkness. Akari’s heat pulsed like a heartbeat, illuminating the chaos just enough to give her squad the edge they needed.

Gradually, the corrupted spirits began to falter, their jerky motions slowing, eyes dimming, until they retreated into the shadows and snow from which they came. The air settled, sharp and cold, carrying the echoes of hissing and shattered ice.

Noel exhaled, voice low but steady. “Good work. Everyone's alive and accounted for. Minimal injuries.”

Branek sheathed his sword, nodding to Noel. “We survived this time. Keep your eyes open; next time may not be so forgiving.”

Lysandra twirled her staff in a looser flourish. “We made it… mostly unscathed. That counts as a win, right? What an easy job today!”

Ansel’s hands shook slightly, but he nodded. “We lived… thanks to everyone.”

Akari padded close to Noel, tail brushing his leg. She pressed her nose lightly against him, silent. She didn’t speak. She didn’t have to. He glanced down, eyes softening for a brief instant, and she understood. Together, they would see this through.

The snowstorm howled around them, and the distant fortress walls glimmered faintly. The threat outside had been met for now, but Akari’s heart tightened. She had memorized everything, every mark, every shadow. She knew, deep down, this was only the beginning.