Major
*Charam Ta, an icey event that only occurs every few decades, has unfortunately occurred this year, coating the Salvanian empire with its frost. Out of all the places in the empire, it wouldn't not be a huge surprise to say the mountain range was hit the hardest, making it the coldest place within the empire. As such, it was no place for an ordinary man, with temperatures reaching -20 degrees, without including windchill, which unfortunately there was plenty of that up here in the mountains as well. One would arguably be insane to cross the mountain range at this time, but alas there is someone who has chosen to do such a thing.*
Shannon
Kohm sighed sedately as he rode on his camel through a path in the frosty mountains, keeping both eyes vigilant for what may lurk in the depths of the frozen landscape.

The Emperor's Storm had not been kind to his clothing, nor his camel's fur-coat, as frost and snow mottled both.

Even as a hardy Fire Macen, who had a more comfortable time in such cold temperature than most others did, the man would preferably not be here- while the weather was merely a mild inconvenience, the otherworldly invaders from Charam Ta were anything but that, and taking chances was how many a mercenary ended their career prematurely.

Still, he had an appointment to make, and he wasn't willing to reveal to his contact that he had actually set off much later than he should have- it would be reputation ruining regardless of the reasons, and most certainly put him a leg back in terms of his dream of adventuring in all the far lands- he didn't need to take up contracts to find adventures, yes, but it would be infinitely more inconvenient without leads and a *Somewhat* Assured income.

All he could hope for was that taking chances would, for once, not get him into trouble...
Major
*The whistling wind up in the mountain will have picked up in both speed and chill as you continued your trek, shivering you to the bone. The weather likely couldn't get any worse, but at least thus far you haven't encountered any of them rumored Yeti. At the same time though, you've been feeling that something has been following you. Your camel has been on edge for a while, and you can tell it's not merely due to the cold. Every now and then on your journey you would swear you saw movement, but looking over all you would see was snow. This had been going on for the past few days through the mountain and right now, you are confident that there is a creature tailing you and your camel. Looking out into the distance you would see patches of snow rise and fall as they slowly but surely head in your direction.*
Shannon
Looking around blankly for a moment, Kohm slowly blinked his eyes a few times, as if trying to clear his eyes from the frost, and then started grimacing.

A quick telepathic command later, the also apprehensive camel he had been riding stopped, it almost seeming to be relieved at the command.

For another moment, man and camel were silent, watching their rocky surroundings, before Kohm muttered to himself, in his native Siui tongue, with a slightly dry throat a few words of contemplation.

"...Even Jamal can feel the tension. Something is just waiting to go off... But for now, all I can do is continue..."

With a palpable thickness in the air that was more than the frost, the camel continued it's lethargic trot with just a hint of trepidation while Kohm did his best to keep his composure.
Major
*You continue your trek, well aware that the rising and falling of snow was only getting closer by the hour, till eventually you see two lumps of snow only 30 or so feet from you and Jamal. They seems to remain there for a few seconds before flattening out as two streamlines of snow quickly head toward Jamal, one aiming from the front legs and another aiming for the back.*
Shannon
"Son of a- RUN!"
Near forgetting he could just issue the command telepathically but not really caring at that point, Kohm cursed as Jamal immediately tried to turn to dodge the streams of snow.
Not knowing what opponent he was up against but coming to the conclusion that deterrence was the best strategy as of now, he immediately began his counter-move.

He just needed to land a large enough hit to prevent Jamal from being struck down, since otherwise he would be stranded on this cold mountain path, and he was banking on the fact that those streams of snow, regardless of whatever they were, would be easily stopped by fire...

With that in mind, Kohm pointed his index finger in their direction, aiming just a little downwards in order to account for their movement, a faint hint of mana glowing on its tip as he rune was crafted in midair with well-practised motions.

It read: 'firestorm'

The common but reliable battle spell that had roasted so much flesh before, whether by his hands or that of another, quickly took shape as a massive ball of fire erupted from his hand, burning a trail that parted the frosted air is it barrelled towards the oncoming snow streams...

```Kohm used Firestorm (15 Mana); 85/100 Mana remaining```
Major
*Thankfully it would seem Jamal was faster than the streamlines of snow heading toward him, giving you enough time to launch firestorm and intercept the movement of these 'things'. As expected the massive ball of fire upon making contact with the snow expands into an even larger wall of flame. It would be a very strange reaction with the flames existing, melting the snow, only to have the snow quickly freeze over a couple seconds later due to how cold it was, only for the cycle to repeat over and over again. However, this burst of flame with block the streamlines path. You would hear loud shrieks of pain as two two pale white reptilian creatures burst out of the snow. They would start hissing at the wall of flames you've summoned before opening their mouths as 2 massive cones of frost wash over your flames, putting them out instantly. They then turn their attention back at you and hiss menacingly.*
Shannon
Having managed to dodge and even interrupt them, Kohm released a breath of relief, before he turned his attention back onto the situation.

Clearly, these were wolf-drakes, and while they might be wild , the 'pack' seemed a little small at first glance. Add knowledge of recent circumstances and he was leaning more towards 'tamed' or 'summoned'...By a Charam Ta raiding band, of course.

He certainly hoped it was the former, but while he could hope for the best, it was only wise to assume the worst.

Kohm immediately sent a mental order for Jamel to start making distance- nothing too rigorous, just a steady sprint in order to maintain some distance, in order to prevent himself from walking from the frying pan to the fire, just in case there were other Wolf Drakes lying in wait, or perhaps an actual raiding band lying ahead, attempting to corner him.

At the same another flurry of gestures sent another Firestorm flying straight towards the two reptilians- even if it may not maim them on the spot as he would have wished, he knew this would at least be troublesome for them to deal with.

```Kohm cast Firestorm (15 Mana) and regenerated 10 Mana. 80/100 Mana remaining```
Major
*The lizard-like creatures would see you shoot another ball of fire at them, causing them to shriek in terror as they dive head first into the snow, barely making it in time to dodge the fiery blast. You would once more see the two streamlines of snow moving around Jamal in an attempt to encircle him. At this Kohm would be able to safely assume that the streamlines are merely the lizard-like creatures burrowing beneath the snow.*
Shannon
Kohm missed, but he had seen it coming- it was a common sight as a battlemage when you had opponents who could actually dodge, and wolf drakes were not to be underestimated with their borrowing ability, as well as being deceptively fast as a whole despite their large sizes.

Thus, when they dodged and came towards him again, he already had a plan.
As the wolf-drakes attempted to encircle him, a Firestorm blasted off towards the one on his left, and then hefting his spear with his right hand, he immediately ordered his camel to turn and charge directly at it as well, just to the left side of the fireblast he knew was coming.

He intended to smoke the wolf-drake out- even if it had managed to avoid being completely roasted by the blast, a good poke with his spear was sure to inflict some real damage.
```Kohm casts Firestorm(15 Mana), 65/100 Mana```
Major
*Your blast would aim at the one on the right as with last time, these relatively unintelligent creatures would leap out in pain and fear as the flames made contact with it. It would dive to your right in an attempt to get out of the way, only to be met face to face with your spear. It quickly opens its mouth and its eyes glow white as a frosty air is blasted out in an attempt to intercept with your thrust.* 
*However, as Kohm had solely been focusing on one of the drakes, the other one would approach closer from under the snow and pop its head out and clamp down on Jamal's leg and then quickly attempt to pull at it in an attempt to sink his hoof into the snow.*
Shannon
Now, what Kohm *Was* Annoyed with was the fact that the other managed to intercept in time- if he failed, then he would be in a much more precarious scenario with Jamal potentially being momentarily incapacitated to various degrees- while as a summon animal, neither of them had to worry about overly bothersome injuries or a tragically permanent demise, that would leave Kohm to deal with the two wolf-drakes at once alone, and unlike Jamal, Kohm's own injuries would be a bigger issue to deal with, while his case of termination would be irreversible, as with all mortal beings.

Letting mana course through his veins in familiar patterns as he activated the steel skin spell, Kohm continued his thrust into the Wolf Drake's maw, heedless of the frosty breath building up and merely trying to compensate for the sudden loss of stability from the other Wolf Drake trying to pull Jamal down.

As long as he managed to strike true and take his target down, the remaining wolf drake would be a much easier picking.
```Kohm casts Steel Skin (20 Mana), regens 10, 55/100 Mana.
Steel Skin (4 turns)```
Major
*The Drake wasn't too intelligent when it decided to open its mouth to blast you, as while it would freeze you over and slow your body down tremendously, it provided clear entrance to the softer tissue within its body as your spear thrust impales it through the head. It coughs up blood as it flails on your spear for a bit before eventually going completely limp. That being said, your body now nearly frozen is unable to effectively coordinate to remain on your camel, causing you to fall of and land in the snow.* 
*As for Jamal, the Wolf Drake succeeds in pulling its legs completely under the snow, pinning it in place. It then leaps up and bites into Jamal's neck, but is surprised to be greeted with nothing but frosty air as Jamal's form is no longer able to maintain its integrity and disperses into mana particles. The Wolf Drake looks upset about the sudden lost of its prey, but instead of looking you you see it eyeing the dead Wolf Drake on your spear.*
Shannon
Kohm shivered as his body suddenly took on an unnatural rigidity, reducing any satisfaction he might have had of his successful gambit. Knowing that he wouldn't be able to pull out his spear in time to counter the attack of the already swifter wolf drake, spells were his only option. Another Firestorm would be satisfying but would be near suicidal at such a range, so he had to look to his other spells. After only a brief moment of thought, he forced the mana in his rigid body to a fingertip, using purely his muscle memory of the countless runes he has ever written and his body's natural resilience to override the numbness preventing him from feeling much at all.

'Snapping vine seed'.

As those runes were completed, a brief moment later a large seed the size of a pebble fell from the light yellow runic circle that had taken the place of the runes.

Usually, he would catch and throw it, but this time there was little need. Snapping Vine targetted beings with the highest temperature in its vicinity, and while wolf drakes were arctic animals, he was the one that just got half-frozen by a breath of truly chilling air.

Kohm couldn't resist a grin, although it was awkwardly stiff and looked as if he had facial paralysis, which wasn't surprising considering his face was literally frozen, or rather, freezing. While he couldn't speak properly at that moment, he would probably have said something appropriately cheesy, along the lines of:

"Try vegan."

```Kohm casts Snapping Vine (20 Mana), 35 Mana. 
Steel Skin (3 turns)```
Major
*The Wolf Drake at this point had learned that anything that came out of your hands was not good to it, and would attempt to burrow into the ground as you throw your spell at it, summoning a massive vine that lunges at the Wolf Drake. The drake would attempt to swerve to avoid the grab, but would be surprised to find that it follows him and succeeds in grabbing the drake by the tail. The wolf drake let's out a yelp of surprise, and looks at the vine in confusion having never seen a plant before. It attempts to pull its tail free by chomping down on the vine with its strong jaws. However, as fast as it bites into the vine, it lets go right after, seemingly spitting whatever bits it got into its mouth. It would appear it was not happy with the vines flavor. For now it would appear the vine was successful in trapping and distracting the wolf drake.*
Shannon
As Kohm felt his body began to warm up a little more, his grin also eased up in terms of rigidity, although it might also be the additional relief from seeing that his spell had worked, the wolf not open for attack.

However, he still was feeling extremely sluggish, so it would not be optimal to attempt to take a stab at the wolf drake in his current state. 

Thus, he utilised another spell to capitalise on his newfound advantage, this time given a bit of leeway to write his runes without forcing his arm through those motions.

'Clawed chain'.

The sound of iron chains clicking against each other drifted into his ears as above his head, a clawed chain shot towards the wolf drake, aiming for its neck.

If it succeeded, the full strength of a normal adult Macen channelled into an iron claw would not be comfortable, and would likely result in demise. Even if it didn't, having yet another spell grappling part of its body would buy enough time for him to fully recover, as well as further weakening the drake wolf.
```Kohm casts Clawed Chain (20 Mana), 25/150 Mana
Steel Skin (2 turns)```
Major
*The wolf drake would be too busy attempting to free itself of your vines that it fails to notice you launch yet another spell. The chains would launch toward the drake and grab it by the nook of its neck. It would screech out in surprise and pain and immediately begin thrashing about, but to no avail as its tail is still held securely by the vines.* 
*The drake's body would then slowly rise as the chains pull it toward the portal, slowly stretching its body out till it is full elongated with the underside of its head being above yours and its tail being held down to the ground by the vines. It would screech and squirm all the while, clearly not enjoying the fact that its body has become a tug of war rope*
Shannon
Kohm's eyes widened in surprise. Now, that he wasn't expecting- a spray of blood from a gored neck yes, more tugging yes, but that? No.
The scene was quite comical and Kohm wished for a moment there was a way to preserve this moment in a painting or such, but he would have to make do with this amusing memory.

Grunting as he dislodged his spear from the maw of the rapidly cooling wolf drake corpse, Kohm staggered towards the side of the still struggling wolf drake. 

Well, it wouldn't be struggling for much longer, as Kohm took a deep breath, allowing a bit more frost to make it's way out of his system as he readied himself for the final blow.

Unconsciously though, he just wanted to watch a little longer.
```25/150 Mana, Steel Skin (1 turn)```
Major
*The Drake would continue to be pulled apart by the vine and chains. Any normal mammal would likely have its body creaking by now, but likely due to the fact that its a reptile, its bones are rather flexible and its scales tough enough to not strain under such pressure. That being said, it would struggle against your chain and twists its head at you, open its mouth and let out a breath of frost in a wide cone area. It seems like a last ditch attempt to freeze you over inorder to save itself*
Shannon
Just as his Ironskin dissipated, leaving him with weakened defences, so did the frost inhibiting his body. His body now much more limber as feeling re-entered his limbs rapidly, Kohm snorted at the desperate blast of frost, quickly attempting to swerve to it's behind, where it wouldn't be able to turn to easily with it's neck still being restricted.

He might nowhere be close to most frontline warriors in terms of most physical attributes, but he was acrobatic enough- it was simply needed when dodging projectiles and magic. 

It also helped that so close to the source of the blast, the blast radius was minuscule since it had no chance to spread out.

As he moved to the back of the wolf drake, Kohm decided to tarry no more since his binding spells were nearing the end of their duration as well, and directly plunged his spear into it's back at the same time.
```regen 10, 35/150 Mana```
Major
*As Kohm expected, the blast wasn't wide enough to reach him and with his skills given how restricted the drake's movement was, he would be able to avoid the blast. As you plunge your spear into the wolf drake's back, it would screech in pain. However you find that its scales are very strong, weakening the impact tremendously.* 
*That being said the vine spell will stop holding onto the drake's tail as its duration is up, causing it to disperses into dust. The body would no longer be taut, so the body weight would slowly drive the drake's body deeper into the spear till it fully impales it. The drake screech over and over again in agony as blood drips from its mouth. It seems like it will be alive for a while, but you are certain that this wound is fatal and will eventually lead it to its death, albeit slowly and painfully*
Shannon
Sighing at the wolf drake's death throes, Kohm simply pulls the spear out and swiftly plunges it back in, aiming to skewer the neck with this next blow.

While there would be no pity for it, he wasn't so cruel to let it suffer such a slow death.
Major
*It would take a few thrusts to get through its tough scales, but seeing how the drake was in such a pathetic state already, you eventually pierce through and end its misery. It would seem you've survived the encounter with these wild beasts, but sadly no one but you will likely know of it as the red tainted snow around you as well as the bodies of the drakes are quickly being covered over in a new layer of snow. You doubt this will be the last time you see these creatures, more likely you will encounter even stronger ones, but at least now you have the experience on how to handle them for now*
______________________________________________________________________
***QUEST COMPLETE: 1.2 pp rewarded***
Shannon
Having done the job, Kohm pulled out the bloodied spear and looked around, seeing if there were any more opponents, as he had originally anticipated.

Fortunately, in the end it really did seem as if there was nothing to worry about, as he could feel no presences surrounding him.

Finally releasing a sigh of relief, being quite gladened that he had come out of the encounter with nary a scratch, Kohm continues on his merry way, allowing his mana to recharge before he would summon Jamal again.

It wasn't so bad walking on foot, he realised. At least for a small trek.

Hopefully, that would be the end of his troubles.