Chapter 37: The Wastes’ Frost and the Bone Eaters’ First Strike

“Stay on the path,” Hai said, adjusting the fur hat on his head. He’d insisted on accompanying them to the Wastes’ edge, though he refused to go further. “The trapper marked it with stone cairns—you can’t miss ’em. But if you stray… the snowdrifts will swallow you. And the Bone Eaters patrol the unmarked areas. They’ll hear you before you see them.”

Lin Yue nodded, tucking the jade box deeper into his coat to shield it from the cold. “We’ll be careful. Thank you—for the maps, for guiding us this far.”

Hai grunted, turning to head back to town. “Don’t thank me yet. If you make it back with that fragment… then I’ll accept your thanks.”

The first hour of walking was quiet, the only sounds the crunch of snow under their boots and the wind whistling through the empty plains. The stone cairns were easy to spot—stacked rocks, dusted with snow, marking a narrow path through the drifts. Lin Yue’s father walked beside him, his eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of movement, while Elder Mu and Xiao Wei took the lead, their swords drawn just in case.

Ling walked beside the prisoner, her healing pouch slung over her shoulder. “Have you ever been to the Wastes before?” she asked, her voice raised to be heard over the wind.

The prisoner shook his head, his gloved hands clenched into fists. “No. Lord Xiao’s men never let me go this far north. They just told me to guard the third fragment… and that the fourth was in ‘safe hands.’ I didn’t know it was the Bone Eaters. I didn’t know they were… monsters.”

Lin Yue glanced back at him, noting the way his jaw tightened when he said “monsters.” He wondered if the prisoner was thinking of himself—of the scaled, clawed form he’d taken on the Wailing Reef. But now wasn’t the time for questions. The wind was picking up, and the snow was starting to fall, fat flakes that blurred the cairns ahead.

“Keep close,” Lin Yue called out. “The path’s getting hard to see. We don’t want to get separated.”

As if on cue, a low, guttural growl echoed through the snow.

Lin Yue froze, his hand drifting to the hilt of his sword. The three fragments in the jade box pulsed—fast, urgent—warning him of danger. He closed his eyes, letting their energy flow into him, and for a heartbeat, he saw them: three figures, hunched and gaunt, their robes tattered and covered in snow, moving silently through the drifts. Bone Eaters.

“Three o’clock!” Elder Mu shouted, swinging his sword toward the right. A Bone Eater lunged from the snow, its hand outstretched—long, bony fingers, no gloves, its skin blue from the cold. Elder Mu’s blade sliced through its arm, and the creature screamed—a high, thin sound that made Lin Yue’s ears ring. But instead of blood, black mist oozed from the wound, and the Bone Eater’s body shrank slightly, as if the mist was part of its life force.

“They feed on dark qi—on the fragment’s energy,” Lin Yue shouted, drawing his own sword. “Hit them hard, but don’t let their mist touch you—it’ll drain your qi!”

Another Bone Eater attacked, this time targeting Xiao Wei. It tackled him to the ground, its mouth opening to reveal sharp, yellowed teeth. Xiao Wei struggled, his sword pinned under the creature’s weight, but Ling was there—her dagger glowing with healing qi, stabbing the Bone Eater in the back. The creature howled, dissolving into a cloud of black mist that drifted toward the north, as if being pulled by something.

“The third one’s getting away!” Lin Yue’s father shouted, pointing to a figure fleeing into the snow. “It’s heading for the ruins—probably going to warn the others!”

Lin Yue didn’t hesitate. He sprinted after the Bone Eater, his boots crunching through the snow. The creature was fast, its thin legs moving in long, loping strides, but Lin Yue’s dragon qi gave him a boost—his steps lighter, his breath steadier, even in the cold. He closed the gap, his sword raised, and swung.

The blade hit the Bone Eater’s shoulder, and it dissolved into black mist—same as the others. But as the mist drifted away, Lin Yue felt it: a faint pull, like a thread tying the mist to the north. To the ruins. To the fourth fragment.

“He’s right—they’re linked to the fragment,” Lin Yue said, returning to the others. “Their bodies are made of the fragment’s dark qi. If we take the fragment… they’ll all dissolve.”

Xiao Wei stood, brushing snow off his coat. “Good. The fewer of ’em we have to fight, the better. But how do we get past the ones guarding the altar? There’ll be more—dozens, maybe.”

Lin Yue pulled the jade box from his coat, opening it slightly to let the three fragments glow. “The fragments can help. If I weave their energy into our shields, it’ll block the Bone Eaters’ mist. But I need to practice—while we walk. I don’t want to be caught off guard when we reach the ruins.”

They continued north, the snow falling harder now, the wind screaming through the plains. Lin Yue walked in the center of the group, his eyes closed, focusing on the fragments. He let their energy flow into his dragon qi, then extended it outward—slow, steady—until a faint blue-red shield surrounded the entire team. The shield was thin, barely visible, but it blocked the worst of the wind, and when a stray wisp of black mist drifted toward them (left over from the dead Bone Eaters), it bounced off the shield, dissolving into nothing.

“ It’s working,” Ling said, her voice relieved. “I can feel it—my qi’s not being drained. The shield’s protecting us.”

Lin Yue smiled, keeping his focus. The shield was tiring—maintaining it took more dragon qi than he’d expected—but it was worth it. Every step brought them closer to the ruins, to the fourth fragment, and to stopping the Dark Dragon’s soul.

As the day wore on, the snow stopped, and the wind died down. The sun broke through the clouds, casting a pale, cold light over the Wastes. And in the distance, Lin Yue saw them: the ruins. Half-buried in snow, their stone walls crumbled and covered in frost, and in the center— the altar. Black stone, glinting in the sun, and on top of it— a faint red glow. The fourth fragment.

But they weren’t alone. Dozens of Bone Eaters surrounded the altar, their gaunt figures kneeling in prayer, their robes fluttering in the light wind. They didn’t move, didn’t make a sound—just stared at the fragment, as if waiting for something.

“They’re waiting for the fragment’s energy to recharge,” the prisoner whispered, his voice trembling. “Lord Xiao told me— the Bone Eaters need to feed on the fragment’s dark qi every few hours. If they don’t… they dissolve. Permanently.”

Lin Yue closed the jade box, his hand tightening around his sword. “Then we attack when they’re feeding. When they’re distracted. Elder Mu, you and my father take the left. Xiao Wei, Ling— right. I’ll go straight for the altar. The prisoner stays with Ling— keep him safe, but don’t let him out of your sight.”

The prisoner nodded, his eyes fixed on the altar. “I’ll help. I know how they move—how they attack. I can warn you.”

Lin Yue hesitated, then nodded. “Good. But if you try anything… if you even think about touching the fragment… I’ll stop you. Understand?”

The prisoner nodded. “I understand.”

They crept closer, staying low in the snow, their steps silent. The Bone Eaters still hadn’t noticed them—their attention fully on the fourth fragment, which glowed brighter as they fed on its energy. Lin Yue’s heart raced, but he kept his focus. The three fragments in the jade box pulsed—matching the fourth’s rhythm, calling to it, trying to pull it free.

“Now,” Lin Yue whispered.

They charged.

Elder Mu and Lin Yue’s father attacked the left flank, their swords swinging, cutting through Bone Eaters like they were paper. Xiao Wei and Ling took the right, Ling’s dagger glowing with healing qi to block the black mist, Xiao Wei’s sword striking down any creature that got too close. The prisoner stayed behind Ling, pointing out weak spots—“Their legs! Hit their legs, they can’t run!”—and warning of incoming attacks.

Lin Yue sprinted toward the altar, his shield still up, blocking the black mist that flew toward him. A Bone Eater lunged at him, its hand outstretched, but Lin Yue’s sword sliced through it, and it dissolved into mist. He reached the altar, his hand closing around the fourth fragment.

It was hot—hotter than the others—its dark qi swirling around his hand, trying to burn him. But the three fragments in the jade box pulsed, sending a surge of blue-red energy that wrapped around the fourth fragment, calming its dark qi, pulling it toward them.

The Bone Eaters screamed, their bodies shrinking as the fourth fragment’s energy was pulled away. They turned toward Lin Yue, their eyes filled with rage, and charged.

“Lin Yue, look out!” his father shouted.

Lin Yue grabbed the fourth fragment, pulling it free from the altar. The Bone Eaters dissolved into black mist, their screams fading as the mist drifted away, 消散 (dissipating) into the cold air. The altar crumbled, its black stone turning to dust, and the snow around them began to melt—just a little, as if the fragment’s dark qi had been keeping the Wastes frozen.

Lin Yue held the fourth fragment in his hand, its energy now calm, matching the rhythm of the three in the jade box. He opened the box, placing the fourth fragment inside, and the four merged—their light brightening, a mix of blue and red that glowed warmly in his palm.

“We did it,” he whispered, his breath fogging in the air. “We have the fourth fragment.”

The others joined him, their coats covered in snow, their swords still drawn, but their faces relieved. The prisoner stood beside Ling, his eyes wide as he stared at the jade box. “Four,” he said. “Only one left. The fifth fragment.”

Lin Yue closed the jade box, tucking it into his coat. “Only one left,” he repeated. “And we’ll find it. Whatever it takes.”

The sun began to set, painting the Wastes in shades of pink and orange. The wind picked up again, but it was warmer now—less harsh. They turned south, heading back to Frostport, their steps lighter now that the fourth fragment was safe.

But Lin Yue knew— the hardest part was still ahead. The fifth fragment. The one even the prisoner didn’t know about. The one “hidden in a place only the Dark Dragon can find.”

He looked up at the sky, the first stars beginning to twinkle. The fifth fragment was out there, somewhere. And they would find it.

Slow. Steady. Strong.

That’s how they’d won so far. That’s how they’d win the last fight.