Chapter 7 – The Frozen Gate
The world grew steadily colder with every step they took toward the east.
Tyler adjusted the straps on his tal armour as frost clung to his boots, crunching beneath each step. Even with his upgraded gear, the chill seeped through, crawling up his spine and biting at the back of his neck. Shindo, the snowbound kingdom nestled in the eastern peaks, lood just beyond the frosted horizon.
Milo walked beside him, unfazed, humming under his breath and kicking up snow with his webbed feet. “You cold?” he asked, grinning, his breath forming faint clouds in the air. “I guess being part yeti has its perks.”
“We’re not here to joke,” Tyler replied, his voice sharp. “This is a mission.”
Milo blinked, his grin fading. “Right. Mission. Got it.”
As they approached the looming, frost-covered gates of Shindo, two towering guards stepped forward. Hybrid warriors clad in jagged ice-forged armour—dwarf-wolf hybrids with icy beards and hardened expressions. They held enormous halberds that glinted like icicles.
“Halt. Purpose of visit?” one growled.
Tyler reached into his pouch and pulled out ten gold coins, casually slipping them into the outstretched paw of the guard. “We’re explorers. Heard about so issues in the area. Figured we could help.”
The guards exchanged glances.
“Stay out of trouble,” one muttered, stepping aside. The gates creaked open, revealing the snow-covered city within.
Shindo was unlike anything they’d seen. The ground shimred with permafrost, the rooftops thick with layers of untouched snow. Icy winds howled through narrow alleys, and steam curled from chimneys, mixing with the silvery light of the kingdom. In the distance, the grand cyan-coloured castle stood proudly, rging with the background like a phantom of the snow.
Tyler and Milo walked past small market stalls, where a few brave vendors kept their shops open despite the bitter cold.
The first was a bizarre sight—a banana with legs and sunglasses.
“Bongo Banana,” Milo whispered.
The banana-man hybrid leaned on a cane fashioned from bamboo. He wore a long silk scarf despite having no neck. Luxurious furniture lined his stall—velvet cushions, chandeliers, even gold-trimd bathtubs. There was sothing off about his appearance—the banana peel around his body had an oddly glossy sheen, as if it were painted or crafted. His movents were a little too jerky, like soone in a mascot costu doing an awkward dance.
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“Welco to Bongo Banana’s Boutique of Bougie! For kings, queens, and very rich beans!” he sang. “You look poor. Move along.”
Tyler rolled his eyes and moved on.
They arrived at another shop, this one run by Tweeto, a puffin-owl hybrid bundled in too many scarves for one creature. She squawked softly as she adjusted her music discs on display.
“Welco, strangers! The wind may freeze your toes, but my tunes will warm your soul. Buy one, get a free dance lesson.”
“We’re just looking,” Milo smiled, and Tweeto nodded, fluffing her feathers.
Near the alleyway behind the shop was the strangest encounter yet. A cloaked figure hunched beneath a crooked wooden stall. The pungent sll of old at and herbs filled the air.
It was the Bonejuice Seller—a cow-rhino hybrid with sunken eyes and a suspiciously clean apron.
“Bonejuice. Thirty XP per sip,” he rasped. “Guaranteed results. Or your bones back.”
[Acquired Item: Bonejuice]
[Description: A suspicious drink made from unknown bones. Grants 30 XP when consud. May be addictive.]
[Do you want to consu?] [Yes] | [No]
A faint flash of light shimred.
[Contract #$b%^* & on$?e ford…]
A ssage montarily appeared in front of his eyes, but disappeared imdiately.
What was that?
Tyler narrowed his eyes. “Where exactly do you even get all these bones?”
“Trade secret,” the hybrid replied with a crooked smile.
I don’t have ti for this.
He hesitated but paid the man. A sloshing bottle was handed to him. Tyler drank.
[ 30 XP]
Tyler exhaled. “It works… Sohow.”
Soon, they arrived at the massive double doors of Shindo Castle. Two guards flanked the entry, and one of them, taller than the rest and clad in shiny tal armour, stepped forward. His movents were crisp, calculated.
The Royal Guard—a gorilla-ninja hybrid. His crimson wizard hat marked his rank.
“You seek audience with the King?” he asked.
“Yes. We’re explorers. Hoping to offer our assistance,” Tyler replied.
The guard’s gaze lingered on them for a long second, then he nodded and stepped aside.
Inside, the warmth of torches did little to thaw the chill in the air. The throne room was grand but cold—icy blue stone, a stained-glass mural of battles past, and seated atop an elevated dais, draped in regal cyan silk, was King Wing.
A majestic eagle-samurai hybrid, feathers trimd with silver, his eyes sharp as daggers.
“Outsiders,” he said flatly. “You believe you can aid Shindo?”
“We’ve handled pests before. Give us a shot,” Tyler said, standing tall.
King Wing’s beak curved into a faint, cold smirk.
“Our warriors have failed. If you succeed, you may choose a reward from our treasury. Fail, and don’t bother returning.”
[Quest Assigned: Break the Bandits]
[Objective: Eliminate the Bandit Camp outside Shindo]
[Reward: Access to Shindo Treasury]
[Will you accept the quest?] [Yes] | [No]
As they turned to leave the chamber, Tyler accidentally bumped into soone carrying a stack of scrolls. The figure stumbled slightly, the scrolls wobbling in their arms.
“Ah! I’m so sorry,” ca a hurried voice.
Tyler stepped back. The figure looked up—a female ostrich-eagle hybrid with a rushed expression. She quickly gathered the scrolls and, in the sa motion, tucked a folded piece of paper into Tyler’s chestplate.
Then, without another word, she hurried up the stairs.
[Item Received: Folded Note]
[ssage: Don’t trust King Wing blindly.]
Tyler stared at the stairs. Milo raised an eyebrow. “What was that?”
“No idea.”
Outside, the Shindo guards watched their exit in silence. The wind howled louder than ever as they stepped into the frostbitten streets once more.
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