Snow Claw Rain and Ice Fang Kuai exchanged a glance, seeing determination in each other's eyes.
They took a deep breath, straightened their trembling bodies, and said in unison:
" Snow Claw Clan, Snow Claw Rain!"
" The Ice Fang Clan, Ice Fang Kuai!"
"By order of the Ice Lord, I have come to receive the power to fight against the Orks!"
The leader, a man in a Genestealer elder codenamed " Divine Emissary One " within the Rena Swarm network.
His empty gaze swept over the kneeling crowd; the scrutiny was clearly not human, but a deep scan of the human physiological structure and mental level by the Hive Mind.
From the density of bones and the flow of blood, to the fear in one's heart and loyalty to the Ice Lord.
They were all peeled away layer by layer by invisible Psychic Power, exposed to his perception.
Snow Claw Rain and Ice Fang Kuai felt as if the blood in their bodies had frozen.
It was as if all clothes had been stripped off, leaving one standing naked in the cold wind of the icy plain, completely exposed from skin to bone, body to soul.
That unmistakable scrutiny lasted only three seconds, yet it instilled an indescribable fear in both battle-hardened clan leaders.
Finally, the Divine Emissary One spoke, his voice still flat and monotone, like a cold, mechanical creation.
"The will of the Ice Lord has been inherited by us; your loyalty has been witnessed by the great Dragon of Frost."
His gaze fell upon the Ice-Ridge Land Beast beneath the group, those magnificent beasts pawing restlessly and emitting low whimpers.
They were the savage cavalry's lifelong comrades and partners, the most reliable support on the ice plains.
From his first hunt as a boy to every battle as an adult, they have always been by his side.
But power always requires something of equal value.
They looked at the Divine Emissary One, a bad premonition already forming in their hearts.
Divine Emissary One pointed his finger at the Ice-Ridge Land Beast, his tone resolute:
"The awakening of the ice plains requires human sacrifice."
"The power of the Dragon of Frost must be awakened by the love of the Children of the Icefield."
After he finished speaking, the two fell silent, feeling a pang of reluctance.
But the laws of the ice field never tolerate weakness.
Human sacrifice is the oldest form of reverence that the children of the icy plains have for heaven and earth. They exchange their deepest love for strength and their sacrifice for survival; this is a rule etched into their very bones.
After a moment of silence, Snow Claw Rain closed her eyes and reached out to untie the reins of her mount.
This female Ice-Ridge Land Beast had followed her for twenty years, fighting alongside her against Orks and wild beasts, and even standing guard outside her tent to protect her from attacking Snowjacks while she was giving birth.
The giant beast seemed to sense its master's emotions, gently rubbing its rough nose against the back of her hand and letting out a low whimper.
Rain didn't speak, but simply lowered her head, pressing her forehead against the giant beast's cold nose.
The same is true for Ice Fang Kuai; his mount is an elderly male Ice-Ridge Land Beast.
It lost an eye in the battle with the Orks, yet it remains the fastest mount in the Ice Fang Clan.
He untied the reins and placed them on the snow, his rough hands gently stroking the beast's neck with tenderness, a stark contrast to his usual rugged demeanor.
The Divine Emissary One looked at everything before him, his empty eyes devoid of any emotion. In the world of the Tyranids, there was no such thing as "emotion," only "exploitation."
These Ice-Ridge Land Beast are the finest creatures on the ice plains; their genes hold the secret to conquering the ice plains, which is exactly what the Rena Swarm needs.
After sacrificing the two strongest Ice Strider.
With a wave of Divine Emissary One hand, the ten green-robed divine messengers behind him immediately split into two teams: five followed Snow Claw Rain, and five followed Ice Fang Kuai.
The divine messengers' blue robes remained motionless in the wind and snow, their movements not appearing as walking.
Instead, it moves silently along an invisible track, like a ghost.
Snow Claw Rain and Ice Fang Kuai each mounted one of the young warriors of their tribe. The two stopped at the fork in the road at the foot of Twin Peaks Mountain and looked at each other again.
A thousand words are contained in this one glance.
They didn't speak, only nodded slightly, and then the two groups parted ways, disappearing into the vast snowstorm.
Several days later, the territories of the Snow Claw Clan and Ice Fang Clan welcomed these blue-robed divine messengers.
The news spread like wildfire across the entire icy plain.
The savages looked at these strange, bald, purple-skinned men who seemed unfazed by the bitter cold with suspicion in their eyes.
They had never seen anyone like this before, but the lower classes in the Hive City were full of all sorts of strange and unusual people, so it wasn't a big deal.
But what gives these strange people the right to call themselves messengers of the Dragon of Frost and command the obedience of their clan chief?
The seeds of doubt were quickly shattered by the "miracles" performed by the divine messengers.
In the center of the Snow Claw Clan's fortress, a campfire, damp with snow, remained unlit.
The Divine Emissary One walked to the campfire, but simply stretched out his hand; there was no flame in his palm.
But suddenly, the pile of damp firewood burst into flames with a loud "boom," the flames turning a strange purple and dispelling the surrounding chill.
Some tribesmen tried to challenge them, but even if ten of them attacked together, they couldn't last more than three seconds.
They were all knocked to the ground, their movements becoming unreadable.
Meanwhile, in the Ice Fang Clan's camp, an old woman had been running a high fever for seven days, her body burning hot and her skin cracked.
The tribe's shaman shook his head and asserted that she wouldn't survive the night and that preparations for her death would have to be made.
A divine messenger in a green robe walked to the old woman's bedside and gently touched her forehead with his finger.
The scalding temperature dropped at a visible speed, and in a short while, the old woman opened her eyes and was even able to drink a bowl of warm animal milk.
The tribe's shamans witnessed all of this. Their lifelong training in spiritual arts and prayer techniques was like a child's scribbles in the face of these divine messengers' "miracles".
They laid down their staffs and knelt devoutly before the messenger of the gods, chanting prayers of reverence for the Dragon of Frost.
Following the guidance of the divine messenger, Snow Claw Rain and Ice Fang Kuai gathered all the warriors in their tribe who were still able to move, armed themselves, and ventured deep into every corner of the ice plains to hunt.
Wild beasts of the icy plains, hardy vegetation, and even scattered Orks soldiers became their prey.
These prey were continuously transported to the altar cave prepared in advance by the divine messengers, piling up like mountains.
The divine messengers said, "The Dragon of Frost Dragon of Frost is not picky about its food; everything in the mortal world can become a sacrifice to it!"
Meanwhile, several Vanguard convoys appeared on the edge of the Snow Claw and Ice Fang Clan, flying the banners of Brevis Governor's Office.
The purpose of these caravans was to pick up the elderly, children, pregnant women, and the wounded from the tribe and transport them to the plains within the Man River.
At the moment of parting, many of the wild men had tears in their eyes. They knelt down to bid farewell to their parents, wives, and children, watching the convoy drive away and disappear on the horizon.
But they felt at ease, because the Ice Lord was a man of his word and had promised to give his people a safe haven.
And this promise is being fulfilled little by little.
To the savages' delight, the tribe began to have a food surplus.
The tribe was already short of food, and the migrating tribespeople took some with them, leaving only enough food to feed the hunting warriors.
But ever since they began offering their prey as sacrifices to the Ice Lord, supplies from the Hive City have been arriving in a steady stream, and the tribe's warehouses are overflowing with canned starch as a reward from the Ice Lord.
Although most of them became sacrifices, there was enough left to feed them.
Since the Ice Lord has given them hope for survival, they must repay this kindness in their own way.
All the warriors were eager to fight, their eyes blazing with fighting spirit, awaiting the Ice Lord's command.
We prepare to offer the blood of the Orks dragon as a sacrifice to the Dragon of Frost, to repay the Ice Lord's kindness.