Lodd cracked his knuckles and stared up at the mountain's peak. The summit held the arena where legends were born. He'd spent years training in the frozen valleys below, building strength and rage. Now he was ready to climb and face the warriors who ruled those brutal stone rings. The path ahead twisted through ice fields and sharp rocks. Wind howled against his white fur as he took his first steps upward. His blue claws gripped the frozen ground with each stride. Hours of climbing brought him to a massive cave entrance built from packed snow and jagged stones. The opening yawned before him like a hungry mouth. Inside, the floor had been stamped flat by countless boots and claws. Blood stains marked the white walls. This was it—the arena where warriors came to prove themselves or die trying. Lodd stepped through the entrance and roared. The sound echoed off the cave walls and carried down the mountain. Let them all hear. The Yeti had arrived. Three warriors waited inside, circling the cave's center. They stopped when they heard Lodd's roar. Their eyes locked on his massive frame. He beat his chest twice and pointed at each of them. The largest warrior charged first, swinging a bone club. Lodd caught the weapon mid-swing and yanked it free. He threw the warrior against the cave wall with a crack. The other two rushed him together. Lodd's blue claws tore through the air, sending both fighters to the ground. The fight lasted less than a minute. Lodd stood over the fallen warriors, breathing hard. His first victory in the arena. But this was just the beginning. He would need to win again and again until no one dared challenge him. Until his name meant fear and respect across every mountain town in Aeloria. From somewhere outside the cave, drums began to beat—mammoth and seal skin stretched tight over wooden frames. The sound rolled down the mountain slopes, announcing his triumph. Lodd smiled, showing his teeth. The arena was his now. The three warriors limped out into the snow, leaving dark tracks behind them. Lodd stood alone in the center of the cave. Outside, he spotted a broken snowman with stick arms hanging at wrong angles. Someone had built it, then smashed it apart. He walked over and struck it with his fist. The head flew off and landed ten paces away. He hit it again. And again. Each strike felt good, keeping his muscles warm and ready. More challengers would come. They always did. And when they arrived, Lodd would be waiting in his cave, the one place in all of Aeloria where only the strongest survived.