Frostbite

The icy winter breeze oozed of death; the ravens cried aloud as a tiny village had burnt to a crisp in the distance. A man cloaked in a thick pelt trudged through the forest, making noises every time his heavy boots met the deep cracking snow. His breath was steady and cloudy in the night, and you could see how he was used to the bitter, frigid winters of Neverseen.

But he stopped for a moment, letting the forest once again speak uninterrupted by his footsteps. In front of him lied a young boy, on the edge of leaving the world for good. He had shoulder-length snowy white hair and a thin body. His skin suffered from intense blisters and his fingers were scary blue compared to normal, indicating the cold had frozen him to the bones.

"Frostbite..." The caped man whispered when he studied the symptoms. He carefully grabbed the thin boy and held him in his arms while making his way back to his cabin. Initially, he wanted to avoid confrontation with anyone, yet he felt different about this newcomer and felt an unknown urge to save him.

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[One day later]

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A sharp smell of garlic entered my nostrils, and I slowly opened my heavy eyes. Half melted candles lit up the comfy room, and I felt warmth surround my skin, yet I still trembled of cold on the inside. It was a primitive room containing a set of tables and stools, a firm front door that blocked the loud snowstorm outside, and a warm carpet from a white bear laid flat out on the floor.

The origin of the sharp smell came from garlic bulbs, hanging down the ceiling. Along with them hung other ingredients as well, and even a small bird hung there too. A well-built man in his mid-thirties stood preparing a bowl of something in a small chimney made of rocks.

"How are you, boy?" He asked in a deep and monotone voice that seemed to lower every other sound around me. I took a minute to compose myself and understand what was happening.

"A bit cold, where am I?" I asked confused but with a kind tone as I didn't want to give the wrong impression to someone who just saved me from the wild.

"In my house." He responded again with his non-caring voice, leaving me flustered by how he dodged my question. I was about to open my mouth to question him once more but was stopped by him turning around to face me. He had a full-grown curly beard and harsh brown eyes that extruded intelligence and strength to a level that even exceeded my imagination.

In his hands he held a bowl filled with water, tipping the liquid over the edge with every step.

He grabbed a stool that seemed rough and full of splinters and spun it around on its heels, so he sat face to face with me.

"Boy, you are cold, drink." He reached for my hands, but I pulled them away in hurry and looked at him with a question mark painted all over my face. Yet his hand moved with lightning speed and grabbed mine. "You need medicine." He said as he showed me the nasty blisters and blue skin around my fingers.

I was no idiot, and I had to be blind not to spot the damage my body had taken in the chaotic weather, yet I felt reluctant to trust a complete stranger, although it didn't seem like I had a choice.

"This will help with the cold, but you need to stay warm by the chimney after." He explained while dipping my hands in the warm water. "You have frozen your bones, boy. Why were you out there?"

I told him the story of how my city had been attacked by orcs, and I had no way to escape but to trudge through the forest. But to ensure he wouldn't change his mind about saving me, I left out the part with the abilities. I felt hollow inside again as I thought about what happened, and it helped little on the awkward situation.

"How old are you?" Mr. Monotone continued his questioning.

This one almost had me snitch on myself as I hesitated with the answer, however, I lied and told him I was nine years old. Which technically could have been true as well, since the orphanage didn't know my exact birthday when they got me. But I didn't want him to ask about my ability, as I wouldn't be able to prove anything.

His black pupils twitched, and he stopped his actions for a brief moment before going on again. "Boy, I have one rule in this house." Butterflies were summoned in my stomach and I got an eerie feeling from him, as he hardened his grip a little. "Never..." I felt the surrounding air dissipate and caught myself gasping for air. His whole being extruded an aura that was far superior to anything I had encountered, even the orcs. "Lie." He said the last word and let the atmosphere return to reality. I gasped for air, colors came flying back to me, and I felt my heart work double time.

But his steady and towering shape kept standing over me, I questioned myself if this was how prey felt when faced with a dominant predator.

"I'm really sorry" I pleaded out loud, feeling guilty about lying to someone who had saved my life. "How old are you boy?" He asked, still concentrating on bathing my hands in the heated water. "I'm ten..." This time I told him the truth, only hoping it would be enough to satisfy him. I had yet to stabilize myself after the immense drain the prior moment took on my mind and body.

"What is your ability, boy?" An unsinkable lump formed itself in my throat and my heart pulsed faster and faster. I closed my eyes and tightened my body in anticipation as I let out the genuine answer. "I don't have one, I couldn't get it! Please don't kill me!" I cried out and blood flushed to my head. His actions halted, making my nerves go insane, and I felt myself hyperventilating as everything that happened back then went through my consciousness, which was pure torture.

His eyes were unfocused and seemed to stare into nothingness, and his entire body was totally actionless, yet the firm grip around my wrist still held strong. He cleared his throat and stood up, leaving my arm smacking against the bed of hay I laid on. The squeaking floor was the only sound in the room when he made his way over to a door on the other side.

Tension had completely overwhelmed me, and I was not exactly happy about that. I wrecked my brain for a solution whereas I would end in one piece, but nothing seemed possible. Ideas ran through my mind like a marathon, and I would in no way be able to escape the house.

And even if I managed to escape, it would not be long before the deadly winter storm would erase my existence, and I would have no second chance this time. But before I overworked my brain and end up with an even larger headache, I heard the squeaking floor announce the heavy tall man. I took deep breaths, trying to act cool but only made it worse.

He held a large glass sphere in his hands, and it seemed valuable as he was particularly careful with it. It was extruding a deep bluish color, and it almost seemed as if the orb was alive when the light kept changing its denseness and shade. He gently put it down on the table and took a step back as he moved his eyes to mine.

"Boy, touch the orb" The deep voice rang through the room and I had no plan about ignoring or making him wait. I noticed the color of the orb had changed when he let it go, and now it looked like a smooth stone reflecting all the light that was cast upon it.

I moved my hands with difficult and gritted teeth when the unpleasant blisters stood out like a sore thumb. The surface on the orb was surprisingly soft, and all my guesses about the material went invalid as the pleasing feeling of the mushy sphere began to vibrate slowly.

A color slowly formed in the center of it and began to pulsate itself further towards the edge of the ball. It was a comfortable feeling, and the sight drew me in, leaving me flustered yet so immersed in the effect.

The ball was lighting up the room in a bright azure shade making Mr cape man expressing a confused face and at last; he muttered something incomprehensible with a low voice.