Icebound Lake

Our progress is slow despite all the equipment we have. We walk in single file and 10 paces apart to maintain the standard safety distance. The men are nervous, and for good reason. We're crossing a frozen lake, and bioluminescent activity is clearly visible in the depths below through the pale turquoise surface. What strange forms of life are hiding down there? I'd love to stop for a minute to get a better look at the colorful swarms drifting beneath our feet, but my troops are so restless that we'd best just keep moving, especially because there's still a long way to go to reach the opposite shore. We probably won't get there until nightfall, and making camp on the ice is totally out of the question. Still, I can't stop looking at the activity beneath me, even though it makes my head spin a little. The ice is so crystal clear, it's like we're walking in mid-air. And in those unfathomable depths, I seem to see massive silhouettes gliding past like shadows in the darkness.

Shouts ring out from up ahead! I look up and see that the scouts are agitated. But I can't make out what they're doing or saying. Forget caution – a commander must be willing to take risks. I run towards them, making my way up the column and passing my men one by one as they stare at me, each with the same silent questions in their eyes: What's going on? Are we in danger? I don't have time to reassure them. Nina is right behind me. And I realize that the light is coming up towards the surface, winding along under the ice, growing larger and larger beneath our feet. Could it be some kind of creature… or creatures? The vanguard I'm trying to reach suddenly scatters in all directions. I see the ice start to crack as the beast pushes up from below. And the surface explodes!

SIGISMAR

393 AC