Conquering His Cold Heart

To make sure his little angel couldn\'t be corrupted he quicky dashed into the bathroom, cast multiple clean up spells and even rapidly showered before entering the living room and kitchen area.

"Master." Loki called out with a big smile. He was currently sitting on the sofa with a holographic screen depicting the Dungeon floating before him.

The young Phoenix kin was doing his morning rounds, inspecting a few key areas of the Dungeon and receiving a few reports from the monster officers as he waited for his breakfast.

Nearby in the kitchen area Nanna was hard at work preparing the meals for both herself and her brother. Usually she\'d do this with Maya, but she\'d already been warned that she and Daki and perhaps Frost would be indisposed at this time thus she was cooking alone.

"Master." Nanna stopped humming a little tune and turned down the cooking fire before unabashedly charging into Frost\'s arms.

Though normally she\'d be embarrassed to act in such a manner she knew that her beloved master was leaving home for quite a while thus her affection overcome her embarrassment.

Frost caught her in his arms and hugged her tight, relishing in the bless as he loving stroked her head.

It didn\'t take long for him to feel another set of arms grabbing him from behind.

"Hehehe." Loki laughed with a smug grin as he rubbed his face against Frost\'s back.

His heart was fiercely assaulted by their cuteness and threatened to buckle in the face of their attacks. Even his lust towards Maya and Daki seemed to fail in comparison to his desire to hold and cherish these little angels.

His upcoming expedition suddenly felt lacking and almost irritating but still he did not cave. This journey was necessary, even if he\'d rather stay home and enjoy the delights of being a father and husband he couldn\'t.

The three of them stood still like this for a good few minutes only separating when the smell of breakfast started to change.

Though clearly reluctant to let go Nanna separated from her master and ran back to the kitchen to finish her preparations.

"Will Maya and Daki be joining us?" She asked while opening the Dungeon menu for more ingredients.

A prideful smirk grew on Frost\'s lips as he pictured the state he left his lovers in. "No it\'ll just be us." There was no chance in hell those two could even move let alone walk to the dining room table and eat.

"Oh." Nanna replied with a smile, grateful that she and her brother -but mostly her- would get to enjoy Frost\'s company without having to share.

She thus decided to up her game a little, adding a few choice ingredients that were harder than normal to prepare, hoping to earn his approval and praise. Once again she started humming that little tune of hers.

\'She\'s becoming more and more like Maya as time passes.\' Frost gazed at Nanna\'s back with a smile on his face before carrying Loki to the sofa so as to assist him with his morning rounds.

"Anything interesting happening?" He asked, keen to gauge the young boy\'s improvements.

"Not really but since everyone knows that you\'re going to be leaving for a while all the monsters especially the officers are rather downcast." Nothing abnormal was happening in the Dungeon but since the mood was rather depressing amongst the monsters there were more deaths, adventurers were finding it easier than normal to delve deeper.

"I see." Frost replied in a thoughtful tone, having emotionally intelligent monsters was both a boon and a curse.

\'Perhaps I should have taken some time to give a proper farewell.\' He briefly thought before shaking his head, there was a fine line he needed to draw between himself and his many monster now. He was their liege; their master and they were his servants.

Their relationship could no longer be as close as it once was, that care was reserved solely for those he\'d named such as Findley, Khuno and Yuna as well as perhaps a few more long time officers.

"If it becomes a bigger issue have Khuno discipline them." Though he had no problem with them feeling a little sad and despondent but if it affected their work then that was another story.

"Un." Loki nodded his head before answering the rest of his master\'s questions knowing that this was a good teachable moment.

"Breakfast\'s ready!" Several minutes later Nanna\'s charming voice could be heard as she called them to the table for food.

"Hoh this looks delightful Nanna, you\'ve improved again."

"Hehe thank you master." A pink colour flashed across Nanna\'s cheeks as she smiled and wiggled in her seat. She loved receiving genuine praise, something she never got in her early years.

Even if she did a good job as a slave and behaved the only thing she and her brother got was a less painful beating, a stark contrast to now.

"Mmnn it tastes even better than it looks, you truly do have talent as a chef." Frost was always generous with his compliments, but he never lied.

"Umu sis has become such a good cook." Said Loki with his cheeks stuffed with food, looking like a chipmunk preparing for winter.

The three of them, one adult and two children quietly devoured the food in front of them with gentle smiles on their faces. There was an air of peace and home surrounding them that filled their hearts with comfort.

"Remember to keep up with your studies while I\'m gone but don\'t forget to relax and enjoy yourselves as well, you\'re both still children after all." Frost spoke after finishing his meal, his plate practically licked clean.

"Un." With a mixture of sadness and warmth in their hearts Nanna and Loki both nodded their heads.

"You\'ll likely have a lot on your plate but always remember that you\'re not in this alone. If you feel that you\'re overwhelmed, confused or just struggling know that Maya, Daki, Findley, Khuno and Yuna will be there to help you." Again the two children nodded their heads, but a clear redness was building up around their eyes.

Knowing how attached the two children had become to him Frost shook his head and smiled before getting up from his seat and walking towards the two of them.

"Come here." He said softly while picking the two of them up and holding them tight against his chest.

"I promise to return as soon as I\'m able so please don\'t make such expressions…send me off with a smile, won\'t you do that for me, Nanna, Loki." With a soothing tone, filled with fatherly love Frost asked them to show their adorable smiles.

Nanna and Loki trembled slightly in his arms upon hearing his request but like well behaved children they listened to their father and did their best to look up at him with a smile.

"Much better." Frost smiled in return before carrying them towards the sofa where in the two laid against his shoulders with their arms wrapped around his chest as though trying to imprint themselves on his body, so he\'d never forget them. It was an adorable action that Frost thoroughly enjoyed.

The three of them sat in silence for a good twenty minutes, allowing their hearts to once again be at ease and for their recently eaten food to go down.

"One last thing." Feeling that his time was drawing short Frost retrieved something from the Dungeon\'s vault.

A moment later an encased silver flame appeared above his hand, instantly lowering the surrounding temperature, Frost\'s hand even developed a layer of ice.

The sudden arrival of the high earth rank cold flame sent the young phoenix kins\' instincts into overdrive. An intense desire and hunger overtook the children\'s senses, their eyes narrowed as if they caught sight of the most delectable prey. Their bodies tensed up, their hands tightly gripping Frost\'s robes as their heads turned to gaze at the mesmerising flame.

"Grrr." An audible growl escaped their lips at practically the same moment and an instant later both Nanna and Loki attempted to leap from their comfortable positions with saliva dripping from their mouths. They were completely lost in their instincts.

Thankfully Frost was well prepared for this eventuality and as though he was very experienced in such movements Frost restrained both Nanna and Loki, preventing them from moving any closer to the floating cold flame.

\'Haaaaa even after all our training they still can\'t restrain themselves when it\'s in such close proximity.\'

To Loki and Nanna the cold flame before them was equivalent to the most delicious piece of meat imaginable.

Their ancestor species was that of an ancient ice phoenix, a being that could rival dragons and behemoths in regards to strength and purity of bloodline. And what did this ancient monster feast on for sustenance…cold flames, the higher ranked the better.

This desire and hunger was thus passed down to Nanna and Loki despite their inability to feast upon such high quality goods. Even if it would lead to an inevitable death their instincts screamed for them to eat, to devour the silverly flame swaying before their eyes.

Frost and Maya worked on training their restraint over the past few months but when its scent, its mesmerising glow danced within arms reach there was nothing the two children could do.

They thus devolved starving animals.