Month of Zorores

17th of Zorores, 457. 

This was the eleventh month of the year, the month of the Goddess of Frost Zorores. 

Winter had begun and would last for the next four months with the blessings of Zorores. 

Everyone considered winter to be the worst period of all as the nights were long, the overall productivity decreased, food shortages increased, and even animals went into hibernation, causing a scarcity of meat. 

The legends stated that winter was the doing of Noxicus, the Demon of Frost. He wanted the world to be eternally suppressed and forever become a cold place where everyone lived in despair. He wanted everyone to starve and get buried under a pile of snow, never to be seen or found, and never to get a proper burial. 

As winter peaked and life was at threat, a compassionate angel descended from the heavens and spoke with Noxicus about it. 

There was no battle between the two initially and they simply talked. 

It was said that Noxicus was actually a common man that later turned into a demon for how cruel the world had been to him. 

For a piece of tomato that he picked from the ground near a vendor's cart, he was stoned heavily. No one even gave him a sip of water, and food was always out of question. Hunting was not an option either for the man as all lands were monopolized by man, and it was a crime to hunt without permission. In such a place, despair overtook Noxicus, and his hatred grew to such heights that he turned into a demon, bringing an everlasting winter upon man. 

Zorores understood Noxicus. She did not ask him to undo the damage he had done, instead, she asked if she could share his pain together. 

Taken aback by such a thing, Noxicus did not know what to do. Zorores insisted and said that he had already suffered enough, there was no need to suffer more. It was time he took some rest and lived a happy and fulfilling life. 

Noxicus argued that such a thing was not possible after what he had done, to which Zorores replied that it was. If she took half of his doings upon herself, the suffering he had endured and the suffering he had caused would even out. He could then start a new life, from a neutral point, and whatever he would do from there on would dictate how his life would be. 

If he did good, he would live well. If he did bad, he would suffer once again. 

Noxicus stated that it was impossible for such a thing to happen, and to make him believe her, Zorores took an oath that she would die right in front of him if it wasn't true. 

Finally, Noxicus believed her, and hesitantly shared half of his pain, suffering, and wrongdoings. Once it was done, he entered the cycle of reincarnation, and led a happy life from there on. 

After taking half his things, Zorores barely managed to hold on. As she did not possess much power after being corrupted, she could not undo the winter. However, she could change a few things to ease the suffering of man. 

The cold climate brought seasonal variation in a lot of plants and trees, giving man newer and more nutritious varieties of vegetables and fruits. 

The snow, once it melted in spring, replenished the groundwater, and hydrated the earth, giving rise to new vegetation and life. 

Winter cooled the entire surface of the planet, and gave it a break from the harsh heat of summers. The snow reflected the sun rays and kept the global temperature at check. The hibernation of animals and dormancy of plants resulted in emergence of better species. 

Winter was the reason man did not face droughts and had access to clean water even under the scorching sun. Winter was the reason man became more productive for the rest of the year as he knew things could not get done in winters. 

Zorores, the angel that turned the curse into a blessing, thus became the Goddess of Frost, and had the eleventh month named after her. 

Leo had not forgotten this tale, but his mother felt that he may have, and thus recited it again to him as he lay on bed, drinking some hot carrot and mutton soup alongside his sister.

Neither Leya nor Anne had left his side for the past forty days. Leo was conscious after thirty days when the penalty was over, but he was far too exhausted mentally and needed ten more days to actually recover fully. 

His mind had recovered, but due to the lack of nutrition, his body had turned scrawny. His digestion was currently weak and he was recovering slowly. 

Potions could definitely heal him completely, but the human body was a bioengineering marvel. It healed itself without needing anything. One would only slow down their natural healing process if they kept taking external aid.

There was also the fact that he had already been fed a lot of potions in the last forty days. None worked for the first month because obviously, he was under a penalty. When he could move around and speak, he had asked his mother and sister to not feed him any more potions, and told them that he was fine. 

That day when Leo woke up and spoke, Anne and Leya had begun crying. He had to bear the brunt of their emotions by getting his face smothered with motherly kisses from Anne, and snot from snotty Leya. 

Leo got somewhat emotional knowing how affectionate his small family actually was. If his eldest sister Lisa was here, then they would be complete, and it would be even more warm and amazing. 

The three ladies in the house had always been like this. It was only the circumstances and his own shitty, bratty behavior of the past that robbed him of it. 

Leo was a typical boy who rejected hugs and kisses because he thought they weren't manly enough and very childish. He wanted to be a grownup and responsible at an early age. Such an attitude robbed him of his childhood and also got him bullied quite a lot. 

It also—

No! Not again!

Leo was having flashbacks of his traumatic past and didn't want to remember them during these wholesome moments with his family. 

Currently, in a warm luxurious room with dark wooden floorings, lit up by magic lamps in the corners, Leo's legs were covered by a velvety red blanket. 

In his hand was the soup and in a similar position beside him was Leya, also having soup. His mother sat on a stool by the bedside and was talking to them. 

"So… whom did you contract, my dear?" Anne asked the important question.