591 Veiled in Frost
Back in the game, Ren found himself in the same spot from where he was forced to log out.
Isolde was there too, and she immediately went to him, overshadowing Princess Elena's queries.
"Ren! I heard you were hospitalized. Are you sure you should be playing the game right now?" Isolde asked, her voice filled with worry.
"I'm fine. It's just a simple of taking my meal and vitamins. Nothing serious," Ren reassured her, trying to downplay the situation. He quickly changed the subject, eager to catch up on the game's progress. "Anyway, did the story advance while I was away?"
Isolde fixed a serious gaze on Ren, fully aware of his stubborn nature. She knew that pushing him further on the topic would only make him more stubborn, so she decided to let go of the matter with a wry sigh.
"Ah . . . that." Isolde scratched her head, recalling what happened. "When I got here and spoke with the Princess and the Prince, all they said was that we should wait for you, and that's it."
". . ." Ren thought as much.
"Looks like you're needed to advance the storyline."
"Then, let's not waste time and get this quest done and over with."
Ren went to Elena next, and the latter said, "You sure took your time. Let's go. The Queen of Air and Darkness's castle is just miles from here. Let's get my sister and put a stop to whatever she planned on doing."
Ren nodded, and the group moved into the snow-covered forest.
The Queen's domain put a rift in the fey realm that spread a supernatural winter over the land. Through these fissures, beautiful and horrible creatures leap into being.
"Let's be careful. The feys in the area became corrupted and are very aggressive," said the Prince.
A prompt appeared on Ren's screen.
[The Queen ends her banishment with a destructive ritual that bonds her demiplane with the fey realm.
The merging of the demiplane and the fey realm happens very quickly. It sends powerful shockwaves that are felt far and wide. The Queen wastes no time and immediately moves on to her next plan.
Fey creatures on the material plane feel a strong urge to go back to the fey realm. The Seelie fey thinks their Queen is in trouble, and the Unseelie fey sense a big chance for something advantageous.
In an instant, her Unseelie court replaces a section of the temperate forests with an unforgiving wasteland. Dark, twisted beasts pour out, and the Queen takes her first steps toward raising an army.]
"Unseelie . . . ," Ren muttered without thought.
"Ah. It seemed that you're not familiar with the Seelie and Unseelie courts." Prince Zeroth said.
Before Ren could reply, the Prince's voice resonated with the forest as they ventured deeper into it.
"Seelie, also known as light fey, are friendly towards mortals and are willing to seek their assistance when needed. They have a forgiving nature and easily let go of past grievances. When someone helps them, they are inclined to return the favor in kind. However, being fey, they can still be mischievous and occasionally exhibit vengeful anger. But generally, if you encounter a Seelie fey, you're more likely to become the target of a playful prank rather than face any serious harm from them.
"The Seelie fey have a strict rule when it comes to accepting new members. They only consider individuals with pure fey bloodlines. Others, even elves, are not given much respect in the Seelie court and are not granted any power or authority. They may be allowed to visit as guests or entertainers, but they are not considered as important as the pureblooded fey."
Ren wanted to say that he wasn't interested to know, but the Prince kept talking about the courts.
"The Unseelie fey are not very nice. They don't need a reason to harm mortals and often believe that mortals will eventually offend them, so they act first. While they can be kind to mortals, it's more like the way a person treats a beloved pet. They easily forget favors and take a long time to forgive any mistakes or wrongdoings.
"Unlike the Seelie, the Unseelie fey are open to accepting individuals with even a small amount of fey bloodline. Elves, half-elves, and even unusual hybrids and mutants with fey ancestry can find a place among the Unseelie. However, it's important to note that interactions with the Unseelie can be dangerous for mortals. For instance, a favorite musician of an Unseelie noble may receive abundant rewards and desires fulfilled, as long as they never attempt to leave or betray the fey."
As the Prince spoke, they were suddenly ambushed by a horde of creatures from the Queen's domain. Elena swiftly drew her bow, shooting arrows with precise aim.
Isolde unleashed the rapid-fire bursts of her rattling gun, spraying bullets at the approaching creatures.
Prince Zeroth engaged in close combat, swinging his sword with skill and precision, all of this while he spoke without catching his breath.
Meanwhile, Ren found himself in a fortunate position where he didn't need to lift a finger as his companions fought off the attackers.
The clash was short, filled with the sounds of weapons clashing, arrows whizzing through the air, and the rattling gunfire echoing in the surroundings. But despite all of this, Prices Zeroth's voice rang in his ears, clear and soothing.
Eventually, the party managed to push through the foggy forest, and now they were in the heart of the place, just a few kilometers more, until they would reach the Queen's castle.
The trees, adorned with frost-covered branches, stood tall and stark against the pale gray sky. The ground was blanketed in a thick layer of glistening snow, softening their footsteps as they trudged through the frozen landscape.
The air was cold and biting, causing their breath to form small clouds of mist with every exhale. The silence was eerie, broken only by the occasional creaking of branches under the weight of ice or the distant howl of a chilling wind.
The forest was veiled in an ethereal stillness as if time itself had frozen along with the surroundings. The icy crystals on the ground sparkled like scattered diamonds, reflecting the faint light that filtered through the overcast sky.
The path ahead was treacherous, with icy patches making footing precarious. This was a difficult terrain, and they had to be cautious with every step lest they slip and lose their balance.
