The wind blew cold high upon the mountains, the last refuge of the few remaining ice hounds. For years, the other races have been eradicating the hounds, hunting them mercilessly, calling them a dangerous nemesis. The great hounds of the north now hid deep in the caves of the coldest regions of the world, hoping in vane that the extreme climate would deter their hunters. Sadly this hope was not to be.

As night fell upon the mountains, Eirik sat on the summit of Mt. Draecon, one of the highest peaks of all the northern territories. The hound was deep in thought, his breath visible in the frigid night air, trying to focus on his oath to their leader, Fenrir. But Eirik's thoughts had kept straying, focusing instead on his mate, Ulmer Skoll, son of Fenrir. Skoll had been missing for some days now, Eirik worried, not knowing what became of Skoll. The last he saw his mate, Skoll was pleading with his father, begging him to make peace with the other races. When Fenrir refused his son, and made clear his plans to make a final stand against the dastardly who hunted them mercilessly, Skoll stormed out. Before Eirik could chase after his mate, Fenrir stopped him for a moment. The mighty ice hound's words rang in Eirik's head as clearly as when he first heard them spoken to him.

"Eirik of cold fire, if I should fail, watch over my son. Promise me you will help him forget this place, forget this pain. I do not wish for Ulmer to remember the last days of our kind, but to recall the days we howled in glorious splendor! Promise me Eirik that you will do this, even if it means Ulmer must forget his mateship to you. Swear it, Frozen Tempest!" Fenrir roared to Eirik. Eirik remained quiet, recalling Fenrir's second request of him the day before as a long silence filled Fenrir's grand halls. Eirik replied with only two heart wrenching words before taking his leave, "I promise."

After that day, Skoll was nowhere to be found, Eirik had searched for days and it seemed his mate had just vanished without a trace. His heart ached, rage grew inside him, as did an adamant hatred. A hatred for all the other races that forced their kind to violence. Fenrir undoubtedly was engaged in combat now, throwing all his strength at those who now invaded the mountains. Deep down Eirik wished he was by Fenrir's side, rendering the soft flesh from hunter's bones, but always a hound of his word he remained upon the mountains. "If I should fail." He repeated Fenrir's words into the night. "Do not spare a single life save for our own kind."

Some minutes passed, the stars shining bright overhead, marching quietly across the night sky. However, that silence was broken with the unmistakable death cry of another hound. The howl rang through all the valleys and across the mountains, piercing Eirik's heart. Rage boiled inside Eirik, for the death howl belonged to the mighty Fenrir, who failed to stop the hunter's advances. Ice formed around his feet, cold fire swirling around his body taking the form of wolf spirits. His heart was aching and he was in so much pain. So much, that the skies filled with auroras all around the world. The other races would see this as beauty or as a triumphant sign that Fenrir had fallen, but hounds knew better. This was an omen and moments later, Eirik, tears in his eyes, let out a primal and hate filled howl. Cold fire burst forth from the mountain ranges, leveling everything in their path, freezing even the warmest regions of the world. In that moment, Eirik vowed to find his mate, even if he has to search for all time and across the very multiverse itself. Yet, to this day, the auroras still remain over the frozen lands that only spared the remaining hounds in a world that has long fell quiet and dark.

The art was made by
Eirik belongs to me.