The icy wind howled through the mountain peaks, pelting Leon's face with sharp snowflakes. He tightened his grip on the Elemental Resonance Crystal at his waist—the cool touch balanced strangely with the warmth radiating from the Heart of the Flame Dragon beneath his cloak. Garrosh suddenly halted, driving his axe into the ice wall ahead.
"This is *Frostwolf Pass*," he growled. "The signal smoke came from here."
Leon followed the orc's gaze. On both sides of the pass, black runes scarred the cliffs—*Chaos Shackles*, the Shadow Covenant's method for sealing elemental flow. Further ahead, dozens of soldiers in dark armor were dragging massive crystal coffins. Inside one, a frozen Frostwolf warrior was barely visible.
"They're capturing our clan!" Garrosh roared, charging forward—but Leon grabbed his arm.
"Wait," Leon pointed at the markings on the coffins. "These are *Eternal Freeze Crystals*. Once activated, they'll turn this entire pass into an ice prison. We need to find a way to break the seals first." He recalled the words of the First Elemental Bearer. "The core of a Chaos Seal is usually hidden in a mirrored location."
Elara's voice cut through the wind from behind them. "Leon, look at this!" She crouched beside a protruding rock, her emerald eyes scanning a partially buried stone slab. "This is an *Elemental Guidance Map* left by the ancient orcs. The seal's core lies in the *Wind-Eroded Cavern* on the western side of the pass."
Slipping into the cavern, bioluminescent moss lit their path toward a central pillar. Carved into it was a fragmented wolf-claw sigil—one that mirrored the totem Chieftain Ironmane had given Leon. He pressed both artifacts onto the pillar simultaneously. With a grinding sound, the stone rotated open, revealing a bronze key entwined with blue lightning.
"This is the *Key of Icebreaking*," Elara translated the ancient elven script. "It needs to be charged with Storm Element energy."
Leon placed his thunder rune against the key. It erupted in golden lightning—and outside, the sound of cracking ice echoed through the mountains.
"Move! The seal is breaking!" Garrosh led the charge out of the cave. As they emerged, they saw the last coffin being pushed into a ritual circle at the heart of the pass. At its center stood Arthus, his staff planted in the frozen earth. Seven coffins surrounded him, each exuding dark mist.
"Master Leon," Arthus sneered, the black vortex in his left eye swirling. "Did you really think destroying the Storm Shard would stop the Chaos Egg? Look at these coffins—each contains a vessel of elemental power."
Leon's eyes widened. Each coffin bore a different elemental symbol. Chieftain Ironmane lay trapped within the one marked *Earth*, his face etched with pain. Garrosh lunged, smashing his axe against the coffin—but a shadow shield repelled him.
"Let my father go!"
Arthus chuckled. "Once all seven are activated, the Chaos Egg will complete its hatching. And you, Leon—with your Red Dragon blood—you'll make the perfect *Soul Catalyst*." He yanked his staff upward. The seven coffins exploded with dark energy, forming a massive vortex overhead.
Leon felt his elemental power being ripped away—the Heart and Resonance Crystal trembled violently. Elara loosed an *Element-Severing Arrow*, but it vanished into the void.
Then, he remembered the Grandmaster's words: *Only when blood and rune resonate can the chains of chaos be broken.*
He slammed the Heart, Resonance Crystal, and Icebreaking Key against his chest. Fire and thunder surged within him. The runes on his hands resonated with the symbols on the coffins.
"In the name of the Elemental Bearer—I break the seal!" Leon roared, charging into the vortex. A column of red and blue light erupted from his body, piercing skyward like a beacon.
As the light struck the coffins, their shadow shields shattered. Ironmane's eyes flew open. With a roar, he smashed free, his dragon-shaped prosthetic eye blazing with gold. "Frostwolves—counterattack!"
Frozen warriors burst from their prisons, seizing weapons and striking down the shadow soldiers.
Arthus staggered back. "No! The Chaos Egg hasn't gathered enough energy yet!" He tried to reclaim the coffins—but Leon drove the Icebreaking Key into the ritual's focal point. Golden lightning raced along the runes. One by one, the coffins exploded—revealing corrupted *Element Cores* inside.
"Garrosh—destroy the cores!" Leon shouted.
With a battle cry, the orc cleaved each core in two. Deprived of vessels, the vortex collapsed. Roaring in fury, Arthus and his remaining forces retreated into the shadows.
When silence returned, Ironmane approached Leon, his prosthetic eye gleaming with pride. "You saved us—and uncovered the truth. The Shadow Covenant isn't sealing elements… they're collecting vessels. The next target must be the *Flame Shrine*."
Leon looked at the new earth rune glowing on his hand. Understanding dawned. "They weren't sealing power—they were gathering containers."
Elara unfurled a map now showing a southern route. "The *Ashen Wastes*—home of the ancient fire dragons. That's where the true Flame Relic lies. But Arthus will try to get there first."
Ironmane handed Leon a badge engraved with a full elemental glyph. "This is the *Emblem of the Elemental Alliance*. Use it to rally allies in the Ashen Wastes. The Frostwolf vanguard will meet you there."
Leon accepted the emblem. Its cold metal pulsed with strength. He glanced at the morning sun cresting the peaks. Though the threat of the Chaos Egg remained, the awakening of the clans and the breaking of the seals had already lit a new spark of hope across Azlan.
As they left Frostwolf Pass, Leon cast one last glance at the valley bathed in dawn's light—where refugees of all races rebuilt under the glow of the Tree of Life.
He gripped the emblem tightly. The next journey would be even more dangerous. But as long as the elements resonated, the dawn of hope would never fade.
In the depths of the Ashen Wastes, secrets of the ancient fire dragons and new schemes of the Shadow Covenant awaited. But Leon and his companions were ready—for whatever trials lay ahead.