Xenophon escorts Ephraim to the skuggi hangar and presents a sleek jade ship, reclaimed from Quicksilver and gifted by Sefi. Ephraim dubs it Snowball. He then ferries dignitaries to the Obsidian drake hunt at the South Pole, reflecting on his newfound legend among the Valkyrie after the mine heist.

From a mountain ledge, Ephraim, Valdir, and onlookers watch as Sefi stages the killwing and Freihild drives a massive Níðhöggr drake into the trap. The hunt turns deadly; riders fall, and Sefi prepares the killing shot, but Sefi cannot draw her bow. With Pax riding behind her, the drake corners them despite Freihild’s desperate assault on its eye.

Defying the creed, Ephraim demands a rifle; Valdir backs him. Ephraim waits for the drake to turn, times his shot past Freihild, and drops the beast, saving Sefi and Pax. A drekinhaugr rises around the kill as tribes gather to harvest and celebrate the sundeath.

At the feast, Ephraim and Freihild are honored as drakeslayers, while Xenophon withdraws. Pax claims responsibility for the bow failure, saying he neglected the heat sheath, but Ephraim suspects either sabotage or Sefi’s infirmity. Ozgard scolds Pax and sends him to harvest. Ephraim notes Sefi’s constant glove and Valdir’s open desire for Freihild as the younger warrior’s popularity surges.

Amid warmth and revelry, Ephraim worries the peace is fragile. Away from the fire, he confronts Valdir, warning that Sefi notices his longing for Freihild and that others do too, underscoring looming fractures within Obsidian leadership.