I crouched up in the dying winter trees, the snow falling lightly, every breath cold and cutting my throat. I slowly let out each breath, I can't let it know I'm here, my eyes squint as I watch it in the distance, it settles and begins to chew on the exposed grass, yet to be covered in the first snow of winter. Its tan antlers giving off a pale blue glow filled with aether. It's white hide would be blending in perfectly with the snow around if not for it being so early in the season to do so.
Grabbing an arrow from my quiver attached to my bow, nocking it and planning my shot, I inhale as I begin to pull my bow string back, the animal's head veering towards me as if catching my scent or even hearing the stretch of the string. I exhale, "Accel", as I release the arrow a burst of wind pushing it forward increasing it's speed drastically, but a moment passes before a 'THUMP' is heard from the animal falling over into the snow, it's crimson blood already staining the spotted snow amongst the forest floor.
'Phew...' a sigh of relief escapes me as I drop to the ground, my feet barely sinking into wet soil and begin my walk to the animal.
"Thank you for the hunt dear Asra. Shame your antlers glow, it gives too much away." I say as I place my hand on the animal thanking my Ascendent and the animal for their sacrifice. These poor snawfu's didn't evolve that great from deer, their aether just sits in the antlers and gives off a glow, at least they are rather rare.
I stoop low and inhale sharply before grabbing the snawfu and putting it over my shoulders, "And back home we go." Before I begin my hike back home, I close my eyes and focus, slowly my vision changes from black to a wide stone path, covered in spotted snow. A small child with white hair matching the snow runs after me, the vision brings me up in the air as the child continues after me laughing and cheering. My eyes open once again, as I begin the short hike back to the village, it really is a good thing I came out before the snow really settled in, this could have been a terrible hunting trip.
A rough hour passes before I break the tree line and can see the walls of my small village only a few more miles away, a slight smile grows on my face, I'll be able to let my mother and father worry for preparing the snawfu while I sit at the warm fire. I walk up to the gate, "Evenin' Kier, another fruitful hunt I see?"
"Of course, I have to get the meat ready for my sisters celebration tomorrow, I'll be taking her to the capital after all."
"I wish her the best, maybe she'll rank high like her brother, but anyways, you're all checked in Kier, go ahead and head inside." The guard says giving a warming smile and checking my name off of their list.
I give him a nod and walk on through, the town is as lively as it could be for a smaller village, we have a small market center, a smithy, alchemist, town hall, even a church, for a small village it's a good start, numbering maybe 500-600 people, and that's not counting the 50 or so farmers outside of the village, but the nearest town is only a couple days travel depending on if you go by carriage, walk, or horseback.
Everyone gives a delightful wave and I do my best with a 300 pound snawfu on my back, I at least smile back to acknowledge them, my walk through town is filled with greetings and smiles. Rounding the last corner to get to my family home I come across the mayors home like always, and a small child; hair as white as the freshly fallen snow of this season, eyes like prismatic glass changing colors at every moment, only staying a single one when it resembles her emotion, in fine clothes as well.
"Uncle Kier, you're back!" The small child exclaims as they run straight into me, forcing the snawfu off my back and onto the stone road, I fall back with it, my head lightly landing on the firm body, but not so much my butt which hits the cold hard ground. The child's head fully on my chest as their small arms attempt to reach fully around hugging me.
"Yes yes, hello again Snow, I missed you too." I smile and hug her back as I stand back up and pat her head. "Would you like to come over?" Her eyes light up light red with excitement and they happily nod and say, "Yes please!" I give them one more pat on the head as I pick the snawfu back onto my shoulders and have them walk with me home.
On the way home a white and grey bird screeches from above, dive bombing and spreading it's ashen wings to halt before landing atop of the snawfu on my shoulders. It screeches once more, but lightly this time before it pecks at the snawfu. "Did you enjoy playing with Zephyr while I was away Snow?" I ask her smiling at her walking along side me.
"Yes! He lets me chase him as he flies and he's so soft!" She exclaimed her eyes lighting up a bright orange, taking an almost burnt yellow color. I pat her head, "That's good, I'm happy to hear he plays nice with you."
I round the final corner and there is my humble home in front of me, so warm and comforting, I push open the wooden gate attached to the stone walls surrounding my home, Zephyr knowing we're home would fly to his nest hidden in the ceiling of the porch. The gravel path crunching under our feet, as I approach the dark oak porch, the house itself made of a matching wood, with moss growing towards the sunrise. Two rocking chairs sit on the porch heavily used, the window overlooking the lawn frosted over, the lantern just out of oil hanging from the roof.
Snow rushes straight through the door and announces, "Uncle Kier is back!" As I am greeted with 2 people right away, a grown women looking much like myself, or rather who I am look alike, my mother. Her deep black hair and tan skin glowing warmly in the light of sun peeking through the windows, and a tall hulking goliath I am hesitant to even call a man, my father. His long dark brown hair falling over his face and his thick beard covering his cheeks barely showing his mouth. A low gruff voice fills the room, "A snawfu? A good hunt indeed son, you went all out for your sister's celebration I see, welcome home." He says happily give me a hard slap on the back, making me nearly drop the snawfu. Right after he would take it from my shoulders, break off the antlers, hand them to me, and take it to the back, "I'll go ahead and drain this for ya, and prepare the meat to be cooked tomorrow in the morn'." As he walked to the back of the house and began to do just that.
The woman in the kitchen preparing what smelled like a delicious stew began to look over at me with her welcoming golden amber eyes that only ever felt like home and comfort. "No injuries to heal up this time, that's good, I've grown tired of the scars covering you and your face." She'd giggle and continue preparing the stew, "Welcome home son, I'm happy you've made it home safe."
Snow began to pull at my arm and try dragging me to the living room, where it was considerably warmer, the fireplace warming the room as my brother sat on his comforted chair near the flames reading his book. He merely looked up and smiled nodding, and went straight back to his book, a younger girl looking identical to my mother would walk from the hallway towards to the kitchen, "Welcome back Kier, good hunt?"
"Yes, I think you will be very happy with what I got you."
Her eyes grew happily suspicious as she helped our mother with the stew. I would take a seat by the fire opposite of my older brother and bathe in the fiery warmth, a stark contrast to the freezing snow I've been in all day. Snow coming over and sitting in my lap grabbing a blanket and resting. It wasn't long before she fell right asleep, her slow paced breathing giving away to her rest.
As she slept I spoke with my sister, "So you ready to leave tomorrow, it's going to be a full weeks worth travel there and back."
"Of course, I just hope I get a good rank like you." Her smile giving away to some confidence. "I see Snow found you right away and came home with like always."
"Yes just like always, I am her guard most days, I think she's just grown attached to me, in a few years time I'll be gone for a while too." I say happily while stroking Snows hair.
"I forgot that was already coming up, you only a few more months before then, well I guess I'll have to do the hunting then." She says perkily putting her hands on her waist and standing proud.
"Yes yes, well I'm gonna get her home now, I'll be back in a few hours, I might as well go leave my prayers at the shrine while I'm out." I say while carefully standing and holding Snow in my arms while I cover her in the blanket and ready to leave.
"Sound good, we will see you right around when dinners ready I guess, be safe, it is getting dark."
"I will, be back soon."
I walked to the door, looking at the wall our family heirloom hanging, a crude straight sword, a gift from our Ascendent. Through the door and back on the stone road I walk towards the big home I had passed on the way here, their iron gate standing tall and strong, I push it open and walk towards the large home, knocking on the door.
An older gentleman in a black and white butler uniform opens the door, his hair grayed with age and beard trimmed with high class elegance, "Ah, Mister Asra welcome again to the manor, I see you brough Miss Snow home, shall I take her for you?"
"No that's quite alright, I'll put her to bed, thank you though." He says walking in and to her room, he puts her down gently and covers her in the blankets, kisses her forehead, "Rest well Snow." He says before leaving quietly as to not wake her. He gives their butler a polite good bye as he walks back out onto the street and towards the village gate.
As I make my way to the village gate I summon Zephyr in my head, his screech comes from a short distance away before his lands on my shoulder. "Watch over Snow, I'll be right back." He screeches softly and rounds back to her home, as I approach the front gate.
"Going out for a prayer, I should be back within a couple hours." I say to the guard before walking off, he gives a slight nod. I began my walk towards the shrine a few miles along road. It didn't feel like long, but the sun was already beginning to set by the time I had reached the shrine, I would take out the snawfu antlers, the ones that glowed with aether were quite rare and could be sold for a good amount, but our Ascendent was good to us, so good that our last name was given to us by them, so we make sure to give as much as we can back to her.
Her shrine was a simple one, she was merely the Ascendant of night travels, mostly worshiped by travelers or merchants and not much by anyone else, it was a marble moon sat upon a stone pedestal, it was rather large, but humble nonetheless. I would place the antlers at the base of the pedestal before offering my prayer. The area around glowed with a white radiance before they disappeared, my offering was accepted, 'Thank you dear Asra." Is all I would say before standing and begin my walk back home.
As I started my walk I felt a sharp pain, I quickly close my eyes and focus and see a fire, no homes on fire, armored people running and attacking others, and a small child with that same white hair and a light purple glow in her eyes as those attackers run at her. The vision grows hard to follow as the movement of Zephyr increases and he swipes through the attackers neck with his talons, the body falls convulsing, grabbing at their throat as their blood spews and stains the fresh snow on the ground, slowly the crimson spreads.
I open my eyes, "Accel!" I shout enchanting myself with that same speed I used on the arrow, the wind coursed around my body becoming one with me, reducing the resistance. I sprint back home, the falling snow colliding with my face, freezing my skin with every flake that hits. After a what feels like a few minutes the snow was no longer white, it began to fall as grey and black, smoke pillars billowing in the distance, I could see the horizon painted with hues of orange as the flames burned their life into the sky.
I see the gates just ahead of me, the guards slaughtered and stripped of all that is worth money at the entrance, the village gates broken in, their hinges barely holding on as the gates themselves lie lopsided in the snow.
The scene truly grotesque as I stood and looked upon my village, the houses burning, soot falling from the sky, the streets littered with the bodies of the innocent civilians that called this place home. The winter snow painted red with their blood, the bodies lay pale in that very same snow, along the street, in front of their homes, and even in positions that would suggest terrible things. I can't let myself dwell on this, where is my family, where is Snow?
I close my eyes and focus I can see nothing, but I do feel cold, I open them and run towards my home. Zephyr is alive, just out cold somewhere, I'll find him after, I know he's ok. I make my way to the street of my home and see the same scene, burning homes and dead villagers, my home gate kicked off the hinges the weak stone walls toppled, the front door bashed in. Inside was no better, my brother's torso pinned to the wall by wretched broken blades, his lower half simple sitting on the floor below him, a pool of blood slowly leaking between the cracks of the wooden floor. My mother, oh dear Asra, there she was, butchered on the counter, like you would do to livestock, her clothes stripped, her face in agony, her limbs, well only Asra knows where those are...
My mouth hangs open, no words coming out, not even a scream, I can't think, the shock it holds me in place, I feel colder my blood drained. I step back, walking backwards out of my home, my foot slips and I fall, landing in the cold wet snow. Oh, what's that?
A tall man sat on the porch of my home, I didn't notice him before, oh, perhaps it's because his head is simply missing, a simple blade pushed through his chest as he seemed to sit peacefully in that chair of his. "I'm sorry father, I didn't see you resting there..."
Then it occurred to me someone is missing, where is my little sister, I can see the foot prints leading in and out of the home, and a streak in the snow, they must have dragged something away. I stand in shock and walk back inside, going back into the house, I search the living room, the kitchen, the bedrooms, everything, she isn't there, I return living room grabbing the ornamental sword of my family.
It is a simple straight sword with a black scabbard, the hilt was small and it didn't really have a guard, but it was a double edged sword that tapered to a small point at the end, a gift from Asra herself when she allowed us to take her name as ours. I gripped the sword, I close my eyes and tried to send a message to Zephyr, "Get up and find survivors." I could see him slowly coming too and wiggling himself awake before taking flight, I stepped back outside and let the rage consume me, just this once, just for a while...