The Frosted Void

The Northern Fortress III

Amanda waved them off with a warm smile. “I promise I’ll take care of this

business and Nappy. Your and Crimson’s next meal here will be on the

house. Goodbye, Crimson! And goodbye to you, mister, and good luck on

your journey.”

Jack tipped his hat with a grin. “My name is Jack Scarlet, and I’m the man

who’s gonna change this world one day. Remember that.”

With that, Jack and Crimson set off into the cold. Despite the chill in the air,

their hearts were warmed by the farewells. As they walked back to the

repair shop to pick up Jack’s chains, he glanced at Crimson, feeling a mix

of anticipation and eagerness.

“I wonder if it’s ready, we wouldn’t want to be late for the induction,” Jack

mused aloud. Elen, the shopkeeper’s wife, was busy with her tasks but

looked up with a curious smile. “My husband’s just about finished with

your chain, kiddo. By the way, who are the roses for? Are you meeting a

girlfriend or something? I assumed you were headed to the induction at the

military academy, judging by your uniform.”

Jack’s smile widened as he held out the roses. “Oh, yeah, I’m headed there.

These? They’re for you. My mom always said to treat women with respect,

so these are to say thank you. I heard women appreciate this sort of thing.”

Elen’s eyes softened. “Wow, your mother is a very smart woman. You’ve

made my day, now I am just rooting for you two—I hope you do well in the

military.”

Jack’s expression briefly turned somber. “Thank you, ma’am. Though I

suppose you should say ‘was’... she passed on a few years ago.” A fleeting

sadness crossed his face, but it was quickly replaced by his usual cheerful

demeanor. “Anyway, while I have you, you might want to consider letting

the ‘Old shop guy’ get a dog.” He chuckled innocently.

Elen, sensing his desire to change the subject, thought, “I probably

shouldn’t say anything, he clearly wants to move on.” She replied with a

smile. “Alright, I’ll take it into consideration, kid, though I’ll curse you if

he doesn’t take care of it!”

They shared a laugh until Stan emerged, the scent of freshly forged steel

filling the air. His weathered appearance spoke of years of hard work, but

his pride in his craft was evident—he held the chains with steel hooks

before placing them on a platform near them, to cool off.

Jack’s eyes widened in appreciation. “Wow, it looks even cooler than I

expected. Thank you.”

Stan, shook his head. “You’re going to have to wait a bit longer, kid. The

chain hasn’t cooled enough for you to take. Give it some more time—I had

to reforge the whole thing, the steel was of a higher quality however it had

taken quite the beating. I salvaged what I could during melting and

reintegrated it into the new version. Hope you like it”

Jack was undeterred. “It's better than I expected, thank you. Don’t worry

about it. I’m not gonna let a little heat slow me down; we’re running a bit

late anyway.”

He strode towards the cooling platform—his shoulders broadening and a

smile on his face as he took a stance in front of the platform—he then

removed his gloves and grasped the chains, a little puff of smoke rising up

as his palms made contact.

Stan’s voice was filled with concern.“Are you insane? That thing’s still hot

enough to melt through plastic! You’re going to burn your palms off!”

Jack, however, was already securing the chain around his waist, slipping his

gloves back on. “It really is quality work, ‘Old shop guy’. I really owe you

one, thanks again for this. I’ll try to take better care of them this time.” He

then turned to Crimson. “Let’s go, buddy, we’re running late. In fact, we’re

running the rest of the way—we don’t want to make a bad impression, do

we?”

Stan watched them leave, shaking his head with a chuckle. “That’s one

strange kid, but he’s a good guy. Hope he does well in that hellhole on ice.

By the way, where’d you get the roses from?”

Elen smirked as she responded. “Come on now, I’m a beautiful woman in

my prime—of course, I’m gonna get a rose or two. Let’s head back inside;

you know you shouldn’t spend too much time in the cold after being in the

basement.” Her parting words held a note of bittersweet farewell. “Good

luck, kid, you’re going to need it where you’re going.”

As Jack and Crimson ventured into the unforgiving cold of Avelon’s

northern coast, where towering glaciers dominated the horizon, they

approached the NID’s facility—a bastion of power and precision carved

from ice and steel and perched atop one of the mountains of Orenia—as it

quietly looked down on the city and her inhabitants.

Known simply as “The Northern Fortress,” this colossal complex sprawled

across the frozen landscape like a sleeping giant. Its imposing walls, made

from Orenia’s very own steel and reinforced concrete—the occasional touch

of frostbite on their edges, glinted under the pale northern sun.

However, it was not just the exterior that impressed; it was the life within.

Thousands of cadets—future soldiers and strategists—trained rigorously in

its expansive halls, their days filled with relentless drills, studies, and

survival exercises in one of the harshest climates known to man.

Beyond the academy, the facility also housed Avelon’s Reserve troops, a

formidable force of tens of thousands, composed of graduates ready for

deployment. These soldiers were not merely waiting around; they were

warriors, prepared to reinforce Avelon’s defenses at a moment’s notice.

Every structure within the Fortress testified to efficiency and strength;

barracks designed to withstand fierce blizzards, training arenas simulating

every conceivable battlefield, and command centers that pulsed with the

energy of a nation’s military might. All were interconnected by a maze of

heated corridors and subterranean passages, ensuring that life within this

frozen stronghold never faltered, regardless of the storm outside.

Here, amid the biting cold and thin air, the cadets and soldiers of the NID

faced daily tests of their mettle. For, within these icy walls, Avelon’s future

was forged, one soldier at a time.

Before long, Jack and Crimson arrived at the NID’s facilities. The term

“big” barely captured the scale—they were vast, encompassing everything

from training facilities and classrooms to scientific research labs and open

fields for drills. It was an impressive feat of Avalonian architecture.

Jack gazed around in awe. “Wow, this place is gigantic. I suppose a military

training facility would be this big. I think we’re supposed to go to the

administration to register... and then there’s the small matter of explaining

you to well, everyone around here. No time like the present, so let’s go.”

As they made their way along the expansive confines of the fortress—

countless cadets and would-be cadets kept shooting them curious looks,

avoiding Jack and Crimson as if they were infected by some contagious

disease as they continued walking about their business under hushed tones.

Beyond anything, the environment inside was simply different—far

removed from anything they were used to. The entire area smelled like a

clothing store—all who walked its halls wore their uniforms to the touch,

nothing out of place, with their footsteps the loudest noise coming from the

fortress. Eventually they both found their way to the receptionist.

“Good afternoon. I’m Jack Scarlet from Bridgestone, here for the entrance

ceremony into the military program.”

Lauren, the receptionist, greeted him with a friendly smile. “Hi there, I’m

Lauren. Nice to meet you. Welcome to the North. Let me quickly check

your information and provide you with all the relevant documentation,

along with a map of the facility. As you can see, it’s very big. Even the most

seasoned students sometimes get lost here. Oh, is he with you? I’m sorry,

but we can’t allow animals inside the facility.”

Jack stammered, "Oh, uh... you see, Crimson here is... uhm..." But before he

could finish, an enigmatic young woman cut him off. “Red!? Is that you?

We’ve been expecting you for hours now. Do you know how much time

we’ve lost on those wolf tests? You should hurry up and deliver that wolf to

Dr. Greaves before heading to your entrance ceremony.”

Lauren stepped forward, her tone brisk. "Oh, you’re with Dr. Greaves’s

medical research division? Why didn’t you say so earlier? Here’s your

documentation, Mr. Scarlet. The map also includes the area where the cadet

welcoming ceremony will be held, your recommended starting zone for the

‘Early Bird’ and the dorm you are to inhabit among various other useful

information for your new life within the Northern Fortress. Good luck, and

thank you for your service."

Though still a bit confused, Jack nodded and thanked Lauren. He followed

the young woman until they were out of view.

"Thanks for vouching for us back there. I’m Jack, and my friend here is

Crimson," Jack said.

The young woman wrinkled her nose in disdain. "Ew! No, don’t talk to me.

You’re obviously lowborn. I can’t be seen fraternizing with mere

commoners and I didn’t do this to be nice—I just felt sorry for you. You’ve

clearly been through a lot in life, what with you out here confidently

wearing such embarrassingly cheap, out-of-fashion garments in public, at

least most of it is covered in uniform, thank the heavens. You should be able

to find the hall where the entrance ceremony is set to take place down the

hall to the left. Even commoners can get something right once or twice a

day… I’ve spent enough time here. I would say you owe me, but I doubt

you could pay me even if you worked a lifetime. And what the hell is up

with your eyes? Are you sick or something? You know what, it could be

some unknown disease, and I’m not letting you get me sick, so goodbye."

With that, she walked away in the opposite direction.

Jack shook his head as he adjusted his goggles, looking at Crimson.

"Thanks, I guess. What a nice lady, am I right, buddy? I suppose we’ve

made our first friend here, guess not everyone is afraid of you, huh?

Anyway, we should get going."

They headed to the welcoming hall, which was packed to the brim with

thousands of cadets. The ceremony hadn’t started yet, and a mix of anxiety

and dread permeated the air. All eyes turned to Jack as he walked in with a

wolf.