Elonya opened her eyes to a dark skylit night. She could feel the wind rushing past her; she was moving at incredible speeds. Beneath her was a hard surface, it felt like she was lying on rocks, but it was warm. She tried to sit up, but the air pressure held her down. A voice spoke out as soon as she began to move.
"Child, you need not worry. I am Exiser, a dragon on this planet. Any beings that would harm you will not do so without my permission. You are safe now. No one will harm you here."
Elonya looked up towards the stars. She spoke almost emotionlessly. "Exiser. All is lost to me, and the world is grey. I am dead, my family name is erased from history."
Exiser interrupted her rambling. "Your family is dead, yes. However, you remain very much alive. My followers have sent you here. You have been deemed worthy. For now, rest. When we land I will explain much that has been hidden to you."
Elonya nodded solemnly and closed her eyes, falling asleep peacefully. She dreamt about her sister, about how happy they were together.
…..
A massive dragon landed atop a mountain clearing. The clearing had large peaks surrounding all sides. A frozen lake was in one corner, and a small hut in the other. It seemed to be recently built. Exiser gently laid Elonya on the snow and she woke up almost instantly.
Elony's eyes shot open and she gasped for air. Her nightmare ended as her sister was turned to stone.
Exiser acted like nothing was wrong and nodded towards the small hut. "The plains of Hadar are frigid, it is difficult for any being to remain there. This clearing is my personal nesting area. I have created a spell that dispels some of the wind, making it more comfortable for us. You can rest easy here, there are no monsters near the area."
Elonya looked around confused. "Hadar? What is that? And where am I? What happened?" When she looked at Exiser, she noticed his brilliant scales shining against the snow. His scales were snow white, with gray undertones. Two teeth protruded from his mouth, extending like a pair of sabers, they were sharper than a sword's edge and more pointy than a dagger. His eyes were a soft icy blue. The dragon himself was massive, spanning over seventy feet tall.
Exiser chuckled softly. The sight of a massive dragon chuckling was a bit awkward, but he continued speaking, ignoring the shock on Elonya's face. "I will explain all to you in time. For now, you should eat. Inside the house, it should be warm and cozy. A Gathrek will be inside, fully prepared. Tonight I will explain more to you."
Elonya walked towards the hut, utterly bewildered by the scenery around her. The snow was beautiful, and the weather was cold, something Elonya had never experienced.
The inside of the hut was very basic. It had a small couch in front of a fireplace, and a small stove in a corner. In between the fireplace and couch was a rather small table. The floor space was rather small, but Exiser was right. It felt warm and cozy, a stark contrast from the cold air outside. Sitting on the table was a plate of food, vaguely resembling a goat's leg and cut up carrots. Elonya began eating the food. It tasted great, a sure mix between the goat and some weird vegetable she didn't fully recognize. It vaguely resembled a cut up carrot, but was dark blue in colour. Nonetheless, it tasted better than most things she had eaten in her life. She wondered how anyone grew anything on ground covered in snow.
After finishing her meal, she lingered around the cabin, and a single tear rolled down her cheek. Her face hardened instantly, and all emotions drained from her face. She exited the cabin quietly and stood outside, awaiting her directions. Exiser paused for a moment. He noticed something off about Elonya. He no longer felt any warmth from her. It was like she had turned into a machine. He shuddered, and Elonya spoke coldly.
"Alright. I need answers."
Exiser nodded solemnly. "Elonya, the Brutah have sent you to me. You are not a part of your family's legacy. You might not know, but your family is a legacy full of blood and betrayal. They were Aiverian spies. The Brutah are rift walkers, and have sent you to me. Intending to help you. Do not be alarmed."
Elonya nodded as she accepted everything wholeheartedly. Some might call this irrational, but her current state of mind is, in a sense, irrational. She had no emotions left to give. Thus, she accepted it wholeheartedly, rationally concluding that the dragon had no reason to lie. She spoke after a few moments of realization.
"Alright, that explains that, now where am I?"
Exiser was shocked that she accepted everything so quickly. He pulled himself back and said with a serious tone. "You are on the planet of Hadar, a mostly uninhabited land. Most of the beings live under the frozen land. The icy winds are cold enough to freeze most beings, including you, should you attempt to leave this mountain." He paused for a moment and muttered as an afterthought. "I have decided that I will train you in weapons first, and magic second."
Elonya nodded. "Where do we begin then?"
Exiser paused for a moment. "We should begin with a simple weapon. Daggers are last. They're difficult to use, and require great mobility. How about maces? They're simple."
Exiser's eyes gleamed with a blue shine and a mace made of pure glacial blue ice appeared in front of Elonya. She picked it up. It was heavier than she expected. Exiser nodded.
"Good, you can wield it. How does it feel in your hands?"
Elonya awkwardly swung it in front of her. "It's top heavy, and takes effort to swing."
Exiser nodded. "Maces are blunt weapons. They are heavy and hit hard. Once a wielder begins swinging the mace, stopping or redirecting it is extremely difficult. A wielder is committed to their attack. You must pay attention to the enemy's position when wielding a mace. Swinging while they are off balance is extremely effective. Because maces are slower than other weapons, aim slightly behind the enemy. In this way, if they move backward, they will move into the swing. Maces should be held shoulder high. Lead with your elbow, and extend the rest of your arm in a whip-like motion. The momentum and force from this will be far greater than swinging stiffly. This technique requires you to loosen your wrist on impact. The recoil will potentially hurt a stiff wrist."
Exiser looked at Elonya after he finished reviewing maces. Elony looked as if she had absorbed all the knowledge, and as a test, did as instructed almost perfectly. She made a slight "hmm" and began practicing over and over again.
Exiser was surprised by Elonya's talent. He was certain he fed her too much information, but she had listened and understood everything he said.
"Quite remarkable for an eight year old elven child." He remarked to himself before his eyes flashed blue. Glacial statues of Ice-like men rose from the ground. "Practice on these until you are barely able to move. Hitting from different angles will be more effective than performing a single swing over and over. I will be back in an hour. If you finish before then, wait for me in the Cabin."
After finishing his piece, he took to the skies. Elonya began striking the glacial statues, and over time she began to feel fatigued. The weather, along with her excessive training wore her out faster than usual.
Elonya never stopped swinging the mace, even when her arms were burning. "THUD. THUD. THUD." The echoes of solid Ice slamming against rock hard ice continuously reverberated through the air. When she could no longer move her left arm, she switched hands, and like clockwork, began swinging again.
Hours passed by, and Exciser had yet to return, Elonya could no longer move her right nor left arms. She was fully fatigued. Looking towards the sky, tears streamed down her cheeks. She realized how alone she truly was. As if sensing the emotional pain, an aura of calm overtook her senses, and her face hardened. Her personality grew as cold as the ice and snow surrounding her. A block of ice froze her heart over. Like a lock, it would bar her from ever feeling emotional warmth again. Her loneliness had set in, and she silently thought to herself. "I am truly alone, but this loneliness…it is…comforting, in a way…."
As she finished her thought, Exiser returned. Landing next to her, he smiled at the dented and beaten ice sculptures.
Exiser spoke firmly."You have done well, to swing for as long as you did. You may rest and we will begin training again tomorrow. My roar will wake you."
With that, Elony nodded and stumbled into the shack. It looked like she had drunk far too much, but in reality it was her fatigue that slowed her down. She unceremoniously plopped onto the couch and fell asleep immediately.