The first crack of frozen earth split the courtyard like thunder, and I knew this was no ordinary threat. My breath caught when I saw it—antlers made of jagged obsidian ice, eyes glowing with a chilling crimson hue, and every step leaving behind black frost that spread like rot across the stone.
The Black Frost Stag.
The name alone made my chest tighten. Beasts were dangerous enough, but when corrupted by demon influence, they became catastrophes.
---
Shellia's POV
I forced my legs to move forward, gripping my staff tightly. "Everyone, stay behind me!" My voice echoed, and flames flickered instinctively along my hands.
The knights of the Emerald Dukedom had already rushed out, forming a defensive formation. Their commander, clad in silver armor marked with green filigree, stood at the front, greatsword glowing faintly with enchantments.
"Lady Shellia," he called, voice calm despite the chaos. "We stand with you. The Dukedom will not fall."
I nodded once, swallowing the lump in my throat. "Then let's bring it down together."
The stag's breath clouded the air with shards of frost, each one writhing with darkness. When they touched the walls of the estate, the stone cracked instantly.
"Stay sharp!" I shouted again.
The stag roared, a deep guttural sound that rattled my bones, and then charged.
---
Third-person (Battlefield view)
The Emerald Knights raised their shields in perfect unison, their training shining through even under the crushing aura of the beast. The first impact was devastating—black frost slammed into their shield wall, splintering the ground beneath them. Cracks spread like spiderwebs, but the wall held.
At the center, the commander braced, greatsword planted in the ground like an anchor. His presence steadied his men, their breaths forming mist in the frigid air.
Behind them, Shellia raised her staff. A circle of crimson-gold flame unfurled above her, expanding into a barrier that clashed with the frost. Sparks hissed in the cold, fire refusing to yield.
Orielle's voice rang inside Shellia's mind. [Push it back, Shellia! This frost reeks of corruption. My flames can burn it away if you channel me fully.]
"I know," Shellia whispered, breath fogging. She thrust her staff forward. A torrent of purifying fire roared across the courtyard, clashing with the stag's black frost in a storm of hissing steam.
The battlefield became a dance of light and shadow—fire and frost colliding so violently that the air warped.
---
Shellia's POV
The heat from Orielle's flame surged up my arm, but it wasn't enough. The stag's corruption pressed harder, spreading along the ground, crawling up the walls like an infection.
"Damn it," I muttered.
The commander's voice cut through. "Lady Shellia! Strike with me!"
He lunged forward, greatsword blazing with white light, and I followed, heart pounding. Together, our blows met the stag's antlers in a deafening clash. My flame seared across its hide while his blade carved into its frozen armor.
The stag shrieked, black frost exploding outward. I felt the sting against my cheek, the cold biting deep, and staggered.
Before I could fall, a shield of light snapped around me.
"Hold steady," the commander growled, standing tall, bracing against the wave. "Your fire is hurting it. Don't stop."
I bit my lip and forced myself upright. My legs trembled, but I raised my staff again.
---
Third-person (Emerald Knights' actions)
The stag's rampage threw several knights to the ground, their armor coated in rime. Yet not one of them broke rank. They shouted their oaths in unison, voices cutting through the roar:
"For the Emerald Dukedom!"
Arrows infused with light magic rained down, striking at the stag's shoulders and joints. Mages among the knights chanted quickly, weaving barriers of shimmering green to shield the front line.
The commander swung his greatsword with unrelenting ferocity, blows heavy enough to split icebergs. He fought not only as a knight, but as the anchor of his soldiers, his every strike drawing the stag's attention away from the weaker lines.
And through it all, Shellia burned with Orielle's fire, each flame strike lancing into the corruption. Steam and sparks rose like a storm above the battlefield.
---
Shellia's POV
The stag's crimson eyes locked onto me. I shivered despite the fire at my fingertips.
"It's targeting me," I breathed.
["Of course it is,"] Sylas's voice slipped coldly into my mind. ["Your flames threaten its corruption. Stand your ground. I'll reinforce you."]
Ice—not black and corrupted, but pale blue and pure—surged up beside me, forming a crystalline wall that absorbed the next wave of frost. Sylas's magic glimmered, and for a moment, the stag staggered, surprised.
I took the opening. "Now!"
I hurled a column of flame, Orielle's power flooding through me. It struck the stag square in the chest, burning away layers of black frost.
The beast screamed, stumbling back.
The commander wasted no moment—he charged, leaping high, greatsword descending in a brilliant arc. With a crash, the blade struck one of the stag's antlers, shattering half of it into obsidian shards.
---
Third-person (Climax of battle)
The courtyard shook under the combined might of fire and steel. Knights rallied, pressing the attack. The stag staggered, its corruption burning away in patches, revealing raw muscle beneath.
But it wasn't finished. With one violent heave, it stomped the ground. Black frost erupted like spikes, skewering stone, throwing knights aside. The commander raised his sword, deflecting a strike meant to pierce Shellia, but the shock sent him to one knee.
"Commander!" shouted one knight.
He forced himself up again, armor battered, refusing to yield.
Shellia, breathing hard, planted her staff into the ground.
Her flame circle expanded once more, fire surging skyward before crashing down like a wave, engulfing the stag. Its black frost hissed and melted under the assault, and finally—finally—the beast buckled.
With one last bellow, the Black Frost Stag collapsed, shaking the earth as it fell.
---
Shellia's POV
The silence afterward felt deafening. My hands were shaking, my chest burning with every breath. I stared at the fallen beast, its crimson eyes dimming.
We'd done it.
But my knees nearly gave out. I had to lean on my staff to stay standing. Around me, the Emerald Knights shouted in triumph, their voices echoing off the walls.
"We won!"
"For the Dukedom!"
The commander turned to me, sweat dripping beneath his helm, and his expression softened. "Lady Shellia… without your flames, we would not have held the line."
I shook my head, still panting. "No… we fought together. That's why we won."
Behind me, Orielle whispered proudly. [You're getting stronger, Shellia.]
Sylas smirked faintly, his cool tone cutting in. [Next time, let me have the first strike. I've been waiting for a fight like this.]
I couldn't help it—I laughed, even as my legs trembled. "You're impossible."
For the first time in hours, the frost stopped spreading. The courtyard, though scarred and broken, was safe.
---