An Ice-Cold Boom

 

  In Flatfrost, the land of the giants, it’s winter year-round.

  The trees are frozen over, icicles growing on their branches. The ground is packed with layers of snow. And in the middle of the night, everything sleeps deeply.

  Gumlock, chief of the giants, was in one of these heavy slumbers. Nothing could possibly wake him.

   

  Snow blanketed his cave, and all was quiet. The moonlight that streamed in only made it a cozier sight.

  Nothing, not a single thing, could wake him. Not even—

  Boom! Boom! Boom!

  Suddenly, in the middle of his dreams, Gumlock heard the sound of thunder. It became louder and louder.

  Boom! Boom! Boom!

  The chief of the giants sat up in bed, startled out of his sleep. He looked around his home and saw nothing out of place.

   

  “That thunder sounds terribly real,” he said with a great yawn. “But I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about.”

  He tried settling back to sleep, but the sound came again.

  Boom! Boom! Boom!

  It is real, he realized.

  Leaping out of bed, Gumlock slipped on his boots and raced to the mouth of the cave.

  Boom! Boom! Boom!

  Gumlock gazed out into the night. A shadow cast itself across the moonlit snow. The giant stepped out of the cave and gasped.

   

  There in the moonlight was a beast larger than even a giant! Curling horns stretched from its head, and it had thick, shaggy fur. It stopped in its tracks and wailed mournfully into the dark night.

   

  This creature… it looks familiar, Gumlock thought.

  He watched as it let out another cry, then disappeared into the snowy wind.

  Gumlock ran back into his cave. Before he faced the creature, he needed to know more about it.

   

  He went straight to his bookshelf and pulled out a book of ancient myths and legends. Gumlock flipped through the pages until he came to the one he was looking for. There, sketched perfectly, was the very same beast he’d just seen outside.

  Wynnter Beast, the caption read.

   

  “It can’t be!” he exclaimed.

  Without wasting another second, Gumlock slammed the book shut, pulled on his coat, and rushed outside.

  I must speak to the king right away! he thought.