Conquering His Cold Heart

Now that the stampede was officially over -the mana vein also returned to giving its normal daily DP dosage before he left- Frost didn't have to worry too much about running into wandering packs of monsters that were infused with unbridled bloodlust however there was another issue.

"Guess they weren't kidding." Frost had to force Kiba to stop while he took in the views before him. The landscape he remembered from his previous excursion into the glacial mountains had shifted due to the incessant march of millions of monsters heading south. But the most important change was the change in controlled territory.

With vast sums of monsters leaving for the south never to return, areas that were once under the firm control of a former group of monsters were now up for grabs thus leading to a complete change in the local monster demographic.

Whenever there was a monster stampede, especially a large one, all the information collected by the local camps, outposts, countries and enclaves regarding the local fauna had to be thrown out.

Only after several months of brutal competition between the newly born monsters would they be able to accurately identify the new pecking order. An area that used to be flush with frost wolves could turn into a habitat for polar bears, frost spiders or even frost lizards, greatly changing the established hunting routines. It was a bit of a pain in the ass but overall seen as a good thing.

The stampedes brought new life to the external regions, a regular change that helped reduced overeating and hunting of a particular species.

For Frost however it meant that the path he intended to take was no longer as empty as he would have hoped. An area that was previously devoid of anything remotely violent and dangerous now housed a group of polar bears fighting against a couple frost drakes for dominion of the unclaimed territory.

"Haaaaaaa delays, delays and more delays" Frost let out a sigh and shook his head. This was the fourth group of aggressive monsters that impeded his path and he was starting to grow frustrated at all the stopping and starting.

"Garow" Kiba offered a solution to their problem.

"No we're not flying there. Despite your increased skills it's still too dangerous."

"Garow!" The young tiger drooped his head in disappointment. What good was having massive wings if he never got to use them.

"Just roar at the top of your lungs and see if that scares them off and if not, I'll use my aura."

"Grrrr!" Kiba acquiesced to the order though it was clear that he still wanted to fly to Kranor.

"ROOOOOOAAAAAARRRRRRRR!!!!!" With a mighty roar that threatened to shake the heavens Kiba revealed himself in all his glory to the battle enthused polar bears and frost drakes. The D-rank monsters that had been fighting each other for control over the past hour trembled at his roar. They all turned to face the massive tiger with fear in their eyes.

Instinctively they started stepping backwards from one another, opening up a large gap between the two sides that would facilitate Kiba's passage.

'Looks like his roar worked well this time.' Frost petted the young tiger's head with affection as the two charged through the established gap without any interference. The two opposing monster groups remained frozen as they passed and only after a couple minutes after their departure did they resume their battle with an even greater ferocity.

Despite the many interruptions and changes in the landscape, Frost and Kiba managed to make it to the Kranor enclave just as the sun was about to set and cover the region in utter darkness.

Their arrival however caught the assigned guards by surprise, it was rather rare for someone to be out in the wilds so soon after the stampede but after a few questions and a few people recognising him and Kiba he was allowed entry without too much fuss.

"She should be staying either at Sam and Lola's, the mayor's or Druakai's." Frost didn't tell Daki about his sudden arrival, preferring to surprise her so he didn't know exactly where she was staying.

Her main residence was officially with Sam and Lola, but she opted to stay with her younger brother Druakai on occasion as well as Chia to learn more about being a good wife or something, she didn't go too deep into the details. Unfortunately this lack of information meant he didn't know where she was exactly.

"Guess we just gotta pick one and hope we're right. Come Kiba let's start with Mayor's manor." Frost and Kiba thus swiftly made their way towards the mayor's manor which was the closest option. He could have called someone and asked but felt that it may ruin the surprise.

"Frost is that you, my, my if I knew you were coming, I would have arranged a celebration or a lavish feast at the very least." Chia (the mayor's wife and Lola's mother) greeted him in a hurry as the guards welcomed him in. The elderly rabbit woman was as ravishing as ever, her evening work attire doing very little to hide her ample figure, Yarrow was a very lucky man indeed.

"Sorry I kind of wanted it to be a surprise. You're looking as lovely as ever Chia." Frost flashed a playful wink at the older woman as he praised her beauty. "How's Yarrow doing?"

"Flattery will get you everywhere Frost." Chia quickly interlocked her arm with Frost's and gently leaned into his side, boldly showing off the capabilities of an experienced woman as she led him towards the reception room. Frost wasn't the only player; in fact he was nothing compared to her back in the day.

She wanted to make the young man blush a little with her moves, but it was clear that Frost had become more accustomed to such attacks, he didn't even blink out of sequence, so she upped her game a little.

"My husband is as fit as a fiddle thanks to the medicine you procured for him, in fact he acting like a man half his age." The rabbit woman smiled from ear to ear and licked her lips as she spoke, clearly indicating a double meaning. Frost was forced to raise his hands up in surrender, he truly wasn't her match in this regard.

"What about everyone else?" He asked after lightly coughing, trying to discretely change the subject.

"Well my darling daughter has finally dropped her guard and started studying for real, so much so that Yarrow and I might be able to fully retire within the next couple years.

Ahhhhhh retirement, being able to do what you want when you want without being shackled by responsibility, I can't wait hehehehehe." Chia giggled as she imagined her and Yarrow's retirement years, the places they'd visit, the food they'd try, the romantic nights where it'd be just the two of them without a care in the world just like when they were young, ah pure bliss.

"Sam's therefore been picking up the slack at home while she's been knee deep in her governing crash course but from what I know he's been putting real thought into his restaurant business. Using his elaborate home kitchen he's been having the kids taste his personal recipes and give their honest feedback.

It's not exactly working in a restaurant but it's giving him an idea on the type of things he wants to put in his future menu. His former teacher Ramsey senior has also been occasionally visiting him, helping to enlighten him on the more business aspects of running his own restaurant as well as helping to dust of some of the rust that had been building up since his training days.

I'm sure that by this time next year he'll have picked a location for his restaurant and officially embarked upon his new career." Chia spoke with high praise when it came to Sam. She always found him to be the perfect son in law. Strong, capable, loving to his family and 100% loyal. She genuinely supported his venture into cooking and looked forward to his future achievements.

"The grandkids have been as bright and joyful as ever; in fact I can't remember the last time they were this happy.

When their grandpa was growing sicker by the day and their parents were off in search of a cure it took a lot of effort to bring a smile to their little faces...that's not an issue anymore." Chia grew melancholic as she remembered the past and grew more grateful to Frost for helping end those dark times.

"However I'm sure you're more interested in knowing how a certain orc's been doing." The elderly rabbit woman gave a knowing look as she took a sip of freshly prepared tea.

"No, no I'm ecstatic to hear all about Lola, Sam and the kids." Frost promptly denied the accusation, but it was clear where his true thoughts lay.

"Haaaaaaa young love or rather lust is a beautiful thing." The elderly woman shook her head and smiled.

"Daki's been great, she doesn't shut up about you and how she's going to finally live in peace and no longer have to search far and wide for a decent match. The damn girl's got her head in the clouds and behaving like a school girl having her first crush hmph…but it's not as though I can blame her.

You're certainly quite the catch and a proven good man, she's a lucky girl but you better do right by her, or I'll beat you black and blue personally." As Chia transitioned into a threating mother bear her evening wear began to stretch as her muscles tensed to crazy levels. Frost doubted he'd be able to win against her if it came down to a straight physical comparison.

'Chia can be quite frightening; no wonder Yarrow and Sam are so submissive to her.' He audibly gulped as he imagined the force that could be brought to bear by those seemingly dainty hands of hers.

"Well it seems as though you lucked out in your choice. She's currently helping out at Druakai's but is set to sleep here tonight so if you don't mind waiting, she'll probably be walking right through the door in the next hour or so." Chia took another sip of tea and relaxed her shoulders.

"Ahhhh good stuff." She couldn't help but comment.

While she relaxed and enjoyed her cup of tea, Frost's heart started beating a mile a minute as he imagined his reunion with Daki. He grew nervous and greatly anticipated her arrival, working and reworking what he'd say to her first.

Roughly an hour later the front door to the manor was opened revealing a beautiful orc dressed in casual clothes that screamed tomboy yet her impossible to obscure dynamite figure spoke otherwise.

"Auntie Chia I'm back." The young woman's voice boomed throughout the hall causing Chia to smile gently and shake her head while Frost visibly trembled.

"I'm in the reception room and I've got a surprise for you." Chia played along with Frost's surprise plan quite eager to see the look on the young woman's face when she first saw him.

"A surprise, now I'm really excited." Daki responded in an excited manner and practically skipped towards the reception room.

She opened the door without knocking and stepped straight into the room with a bright smile.

"What's the surprise is it another tale of when you were...." Her words were cut short as she took in the form of the young man sitting across from Chia who's image had been flooding her mind since the day they separated. She practically froze and stared at him bug-eyed.

Frost was no less moved but gained control of his faculties first.

"Da…." However the moment he went to say her name the large woman leaped from her spot with her arms outstretched. She smashed headfirst into his chest, knocking him off his feet and wrapped him up in a vice like hug.

A coffee table and some crockery were unfortunately damaged in the tussle causing Chia to slightly frown but she forgave Daki a moment later.

"WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG IDIOT!!!!!"