The sky was bright and clear on the morning I woke up. I was on the ground, surrounded by snow. I took a deep breath and watched it leave my mouth as I began to stand. The snow that was piling on my body fell as I stood. Despite the little and thin clothing I had, I didn’t feel the bitter cold. Absorbing my surroundings, I found myself above the clouds, with mountainous terrain all around me. I was higher than the rest, and the view was breathtaking, the peaks were all covered in snow and looked as if they were kissing the sky, the morning fog in the valleys were slowly creeping up the mountain side. After taking in the view, I decided to descend the mountains.

I began making my way down, being careful with each step. As I descended, the vast emptiness of the snow changed to be littered with trees. Though, the trees were covered in white, hiding any green they had under the layers of snow. I began to question a lot of things. Things that didn’t make sense to question.

“Where am I?” I thought to myself. “Why do I feel… At peace here?” I didn’t have any answers to these questions. They kept coming and going, as I continued to ponder about everything. However, one question I asked myself stood out against the rest.

“Who am I?” I verbally asked myself. I stood in my tracks and looked down at my hands. There was no pain from the freezing cold, they weren’t even shaking. I touched my hands together, they felt warm. I looked behind me and saw my footprints being left in the snow. I followed the tracks with my eyes, and they led me to my bare feet. Despite dragging them through the snow, there was no pain. 

I looked off the edge of the mountain and admired the range once more. I stared into the valley, with the same lingering thoughts in my mind. I didn’t know who I was, my first name. I didn’t know where I came from. I didn’t know where I was at that moment. Yet despite all of this uncertainty, I didn’t feel panicked. I didn’t feel scared or worried. I felt calm. Like everything was happening the way it was meant to be. 

I kept to my path and continued down the mountain. As I got lower, the trees got denser and denser, to the point of it being a forest. A forest clad in snow. Walking through, listening to the sound of the snow crunching under my feet, I began to lose myself as the forest thickened. I had lost my sense of direction. All I had to follow was elevation, to keep descending the mountain. 

Time began to pass, and the sun had started to set. I needed a place to stay the night, though I had nothing. However, just beyond the trees, I could see smoke. There was fire, and I followed it. Upon arriving, there were several men huddled around a fire. They had constructed a large fire pit in the center of their village. By a quick glance, I counted roughly twenty homes, all varied in size. I couldn’t help but notice there was a home slightly larger than the rest, its roof had been decorated with all sorts of animal fur and horns. I walked closer, and one of them noticed me. He didn’t say a word. He stared at me with curiosity, his eyes filled with wonder, and even a little bit of hope. Soon, the others noticed his gaze and turned to face me too. All of them were too dumbfounded to speak. 

That’s when a woman with purple hair and eyes came out of her home, “You all got very quiet, didn’t you?” She remarked. She wore a bright smile on her face. However, when she noticed their gazes and followed their eyes to meet me, it quickly disappeared. 

“Um… Hello.” I said in a gentle voice. There was no answer. They all looked around at one another. I wasn’t sure if they could understand me.

“H-hello.” The woman said, finally breaking the silence. 

“Do you know where I am?” I asked. “I found myself here, but I don’t know where here is.”

“You’re in The Peaks.” The woman answered again.

“The Peaks? I’m sorry, but I’m not familiar with whatever that is.”

The woman didn’t reply and continued to look at me with awe.

“Aren’t you cold?” One of the men huddling in the fire asked. I looked down at my clothing, completely forgotten that I had hardly been wearing any clothes, and what I did have on was very thin.

“No, I’m not.”

The man looked down at my feet, “You’re not even wearing anything to protect your toes? You could get frostbite, you know.”

“I don’t feel any pain,” I replied. “The cold isn’t a bother, I promise.”

“Yeah, right,” The woman sarcastically replied. “It’s probably because your nerves are dead. Come inside. I’ll treat you to some warm soup and get you properly dressed.” She opened the door to her house and gestured for me to go inside. I didn’t say much, but I smiled brightly at her. Her eyes widened when I did. 

As I passed her to go inside, she stared into my eyes. It wasn’t threatening or harsh, but one of curiosity and maybe even admiration. Upon entering, I felt the heat of her home press against my skin. Despite feeling this heat pressing against me, it didn’t feel much different from the outside. It felt as if my temperature didn’t change at all. 

Inside, there was a cauldron on top of a lit fire, it stood in the center of the room. She had a fireplace on the wall opposite to her door, and to the right of the door, was a small wooden table and window. The floor was loosely decorated with different types of animal pelts. From small animals such as foxes and rabbits, to wolves and bears. There was a separate room in the back, its door was closed, blocked for anyone to see.

“Warmer in here, isn’t it?” She asked with a light grin on her face.

I rubbed my hands together, they were still warm, “Sorry, but it honestly feels the same in here as it does out there.” I answered.

She looked at me confused, “Well, your skin isn’t purple so you’re not suffering from any frostbite. This means your nerves should be perfectly fine… Take a seat, please.” She instructed. I did as she asked and sat near the cauldron, I assumed the soup she mentioned was still cooking. She tossed more sticks to burn while pressing her foot down on a bellow to heat the fire. She walked away and began to dip a towel in some steaming water.

I looked down and twiddled my thumbs, “Thank you for all of this.”

“It’s no problem, really.” She answered as she twisted the now wet towel. She walked over to me and touched my shoulders and quickly stepped back. 

“Are you alright?” I asked, looking over my shoulders. 

She looked at her hands then back to me, “Are you alright?! You’re freezing to your very core! You mean you don’t feel that?!”

I touched my shoulders, “No,” I began. “I don’t feel it. They feel warm to me.” She looked at me even more confused than before. 

She handed me the towel, “Just put this on your shoulders and let it warm you up. You may say you feel warm, but I can assure you, you aren’t.” I took the towel and put it on my shoulders as she instructed. It was very warm, though it didn’t affect me much either. 

“I’m sorry if I hurt you,” I said, looking at the cauldron. 

I could hear her walking behind me, “I’ll forgive you if you give me your name.” I sat in silence for a moment, listening to the crackling of the fire. 

“I don’t know my name.” She didn’t reply, but I could feel her gaze on me.

She let out a deep breath, “You stay here and warm yourself. I’ll be back.” She opened her door and left to the outside. The door closed behind her, but I could hear her footsteps in the snow. I could tell she walked to the giant fire pit they had in the center of all their buildings. I was able to hear their commotions. 

“So?” One of the men asked in a muffled voice. “How’d it go? Is he it?”

“Is he what?” The woman asked, sternly. 

“Is he it?” He asked again. “You know, the… The one sent to help us? The one in our stories?”

“The legends depict someone with bright white hair, and eyes of light and dark,” A raspy, old voice responded.

“This man nearly fits the description,” The woman answered. 

“Yes, but he only fulfills the physical appearance. Has he shown an affinity towards the cold?”

“Well… Not directly. He doesn’t seem to be bothered by the cold, but I wouldn’t call it an affinity with it.”

The old voice mumbled, “We can’t be certain… Though, even just by physical appearance, this is the closest we’ve ever been.”

“Do you think he’s the one?” The woman asked. There was no verbal response. The silence was broken as the crunching of the snow returned. The woman was walking home, opening her door. I simply sat, pretending that I didn’t hear anything they were speaking about outside.

“Is everything alright?” I asked.

“Yes, everything is fine. Some simple things I had to attend to. The night is approaching, just had to prepare.” She replied, removing the towel from my shoulders and feeling them with her hands. “You feel a lot warmer now.” I reached to feel my shoulders, touching her hand by mistake. She quickly pulled away.

“Sorry if I startled you,” I said. I felt my shoulders again, “They feel the same to me.”

“It’s alright. You feel warmer, which is good news. Though, those hands of yours, are still freezing. Get closer to the fire. Warm-up some more.” I did as she asked, scooting closer to the fire. I was able to feel the heat pressing against my face, it was slightly uncomforting. 

She took notice, “Not fond of the heat?”

“It’s alright, but being this close makes me uncomfortable,” I replied, still refusing to make eye contact.

“It’s better for you, so just bear through it.” She sat across from me. She opened up the cauldron, grabbing a metal spoon and stirring the contents inside. “So you really don’t know your name?” She asked.

I shook my head, “No, I don’t know it.”

“Do you know how you ended up here? Where do you come from originally?” 

I thought about it for a while, “I don’t know that either.” I finally said.

She glanced up at me as she stirred, “How does a pretty boy like you end up getting lost like that?”

“Pretty boy?” I remarked, finally looking up at her face.

“Well, you aren’t exactly not nice to look at.” She said, looking past the cauldron to get a better view of me.

I smiled, refusing to make eye contact with her, “I see.” 

She let out a soft laugh, “Sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”

“No, it’s quite alright,” I said through my grin.

“Now, is there anything you can tell me? Anything at all that you can recall?”

I kept looking down, “Not much. Just what happened when I woke up today. I don’t remember anything past that.”

“Well go ahead. We have all night.” I stood up and went towards her window, and pointed towards the highest peak. It was dark out by then, but the Moon was shining brightly that night. 

“That’s where I woke up. At the peak. I didn’t, and still don’t, know anything. How I ended up there. Where I am. My name. My purpose. My own appearance. Nothing.” I told her, glancing down at my hands, slightly disappointed with my response.

The woman looked at me with hope, “You woke up there?” She pointed at the highest peak. “You’re being serious? The highest peak, that’s where you descended from?”

“Yes,” I replied. “I awoke at the top, confused and alone. Though I didn’t feel sad or anything of the sort. I made my way down and ended up here.” Her eyes widened as she stared at me and whispered something under her breath, though I couldn’t make it out.

“Excuse me?” I asked, “I didn’t quite hear what you said.”

She was startled, “Oh, it was nothing!” She quickly turned away from me and put her attention back on the cauldron. Time passed, and no one spoke anything. Soon enough, the soup was done. She poured two bowls and put them on the table near her window. 

“Please, come sit down and eat. I hope you like rabbit meat,” She said with an inviting smile. 

I nodded at her, “Thank you.” I sat down and began to eat, though the woman didn’t seem to be touching her food all that much. She kept staring at me. Never in a rude or malicious way, but it wasn’t a curious one any longer. She looked at me with hope and amazement. 

I finished the bowl of soup, “It was delicious, thank you.” I told her.

“Oh, of course!” She replied, snapping out of her stare. “And please, call me Athena.”

“Thank you, Athena.” I looked out her window and stared at the Moon. It was at its peak. 

Athena yawned, “Aren’t you tired? You descended the biggest mountain here in a single day.”

I shook my head, “Not really.”

“Well, just because you don’t feel tired doesn’t mean you aren’t tired. It’s the same with you not feeling cold,” She lectured. “Come,” She grabbed my hand, but quickly let go, not able to finish her sentence. “Your hands are still freezing.” There was a small grin that came across her face, but she wiped it away quickly. “I think you’ll be alright. Now, follow me. I have a spare bed.” 

I let her lead me, though I was taken aback by her smile. She led me to a room in the back, it wasn’t big or anything fancy, but it had the spare bed she spoke about.

“You can sleep here. I’ll be sleeping next to the fire. If you get cold, you can come sleep by the fire with me.”

I nodded, “Thank you for all your help today, Athena.”

She grinned brightly at me, “Of course. Now get some rest.” She left the room and closed the door behind her. With nothing more to do, I rested on the bed, eventually falling asleep.

- The following day -

I woke up to some children peaking into the room, the sun lighting their faces for me to see clearly. As soon as they noticed I was waking up, they bolted out of the room screaming.

“He’s awake, he’s awake!” One of them yelled as they ran. They continued to announce that I was waking up, though I couldn’t hear their exact words anymore once they got too far.

There was a light giggle outside the room, “Morning,” Athena greeted me.

“Good morning,” I rubbed the drowsiness out of my eyes and stood up. “Thanks again, for letting me use your bed.”

“It’s no problem, really. You can get yourself ready and then come outside, people are eager to see you.”

I looked down at my hands, “I guess I’m ready to go out now.”

Athena looked at me confused for only a moment, “Ah, that’s right, I was supposed to clothe you, wasn’t I?” 

“I’d greatly appreciate it. As it stands, these are a little too revealing for my taste,” I smiled jokingly. “And if I can, I’d love to wash up before meeting everyone.”

She returned a smile, “Follow me.” Athena led me outside to the outskirts of her village. There was a hidden spring. “You can use this. It’s private, no one will disturb you.”

I thanked her and walked to the spring, undressing when she left and jumping in. The water was steaming, and I quickly came to regret jumping in as I did. It was a little too hot for me. Nonetheless, I put up with it and washed, cleaning my hair and body. I soaked in the spring for a while, admiring the view. The spring was hidden from the village, trees surrounded the spring. The snow melted around the water, revealing the lush green grass underneath. The heat was even enough to melt the snow on the trees, showing the true colors of the branches and leaves. The sun was shining down, its light bouncing off the water and creating a beautiful ray. I was astonished at how something so amazing can exist.

“Hello?” It was Athena’s voice. “Can I intrude very quickly?” She asked.

I hid my body under the water and steam, “Yes, that’s fine.” I answered. The trees shook as Athena entered. She was holding some spare clothes. 

Her face went bright red when she saw me, “Oh wow, I’m sorry.” She looked away, smiling and embarrassed. “I brought you some spare clothes we have, I promise these will keep you warm. I also brought you a towel. And when you’re dressed, come see me.” She left the clothes on the grass and walked away, covering her eyes the entire time.

I got out of the spring and dried myself with the towel she brought me and got dressed. She had given me a pair of pants that were made of black wool on the inside and out. They were quite long, as I had to fold them so they wouldn’t drag with every step. There was a white long-sleeved shirt, made of silk, with a vest made of the same black wool from the pants. It was trimmed with deer leather. To hold it together, I was given a belt made of deer hide, it even had extra pouches on either side of my hips. To top it off, Athena had left me a very long, silky, white scarf. As it stood, It dropped from my head to the ground. I tied it so it would rest down to my mid-back. 

I looked at myself in the reflection of the spring, and staring at me was the face of a stranger. I had never seen my own face until that very moment. My hair was light gray and long, dropping to my mid-back with my scarf. And my eyes were different colors. Both were gray, but my right eye was much brighter than my left one. I guess this is what their legends depicted. Moving past that, I was happy with the clothing Athena had given me, and made my way back to her home. 

Walking inside, I felt the warm air once again as I entered. Athena was by the fire, talking to some of the children. She noticed me walk in and smiled.

“Please, take a seat here,” She gestured to a chair next to her. I took a seat, and she walked behind me, pulling my hair out of my clothes. She pulled my hair back, grabbing a rope and tying my hair into a high ponytail, my hair now only reaching my lower neck. She then walked in front of me, pulling some of my hair on the left and right sides of my face, making the front loose, reaching down to past my jaw. 

She grabbed a mirror and showed me, “What do you think?” 

I looked at myself stunned for a moment before giving her a warming smile, “Wow, it looks amazing. Thank you.” 

Athena grinned, “Now come outside with me. They’re waiting.” I didn’t question her, and followed along. With the children running in front of us, we walked outside, and I was shocked to see all the people who had gathered around the fire pit. About fifty of them. They all had the same stare Athena had last night. One of hope and amazement. An elderly, short man stepped from the crowd and looked at me with a gentle grin.

“Young man, do you know where you are?” He asked.

“No,” I responded.

“You are at the center of our humble village, Yukigakure.”

“It’s a beautiful place.”

“It is. It’s a place where hope and love grow, despite our harsh conditions.”

I looked at Athena, “I can tell, sir,” Athena blushed and looked away.

“Where do you come from?” The old man asked.

“I do not know.”

“Well, you come from somewhere. Where did you come from yesterday?”

“I awoke at the peak of the tallest mountain here. I have no memory past that.” I answered.

The old man lifted his bushy eyebrows and looked at me, “Is that so?”

“It is so,” I responded. 

He smiled, “Do you know who you are?”

“I do not.”

“Do you know your name?”

“I do not.”

“What about your purpose?”

I stood silent for a moment, “I do not.”

“Do you care to hear a story, young man?” He offered.

“I would love to listen,” I answered. He rummaged through a bag he had with him and brought out a painting. It depicted a man with long bright white hair that fell to his lower back, with his eyes being separate colors. His right eye was a shining white, with his left eye being as dark as the night. On either side of his face were glowing marks, they shined brightly as well. On his right cheek was some wording, something that I couldn’t read. His left depicted a dragon. He was attractive and created ice out of his hands. 

The old man's smile grew as he pulled out a mirror and handed it to me as well. In the mirror, I saw myself. A man with light gray hair, and eyes of separate colors. My right eye was a light gray, with my left eye being a dark gray. I had no marks on my face, nor was I able to create something out of nothing. Nonetheless, the old man grinned brightly at me.

“The man in the painting,” He began. “Is something of legends. He was a man capable of creating ice and snow at will. He had a heart of gold, being kind and generous. Not only that, but he was a fighter and a leader, and he led our ancestors to his great place in The Peaks. Being here, in Yukigakure. Our ancestors named this land after him. Here, we grew. We built homes, stores, families, and so much more. With the help of Yuki, of course. But as time passed, things grew grim,” His face turned sour. “Creatures of the Night or Night Hunters, as we called them, arrived. They attacked our homes and slaughtered our people. Some of them can swing with tendrils made of their flesh and blood, some can shoot puddles of acid, and others have blinding speeds and unbelievable strength. While we were able to defend ourselves from small assaults, we were powerless when they unleashed their numbers. That one horrible night, they showed their true numbers. But Yuki came to save us that night. He matched their speeds, strength, and agility. He fought with weapons he made from his own ice. When he chased them away, he saw the damage dealt to our homes. Our families. And he made a promise. He swore to protect us. Every night the moonlight was absent, they came. And Yuki was here to save us. Under his care, no harm came to us on the nights of their hunts.”

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

I glanced around at the people surrounding us. They were all listening to the old man speak his stories, even Athena didn’t dare to disturb him. 

“However,” The old man continued. “One day, Yuki was gone. No one knows what happened. Where he went. But without his protection, our people became victims again. Every moonless night, they came. They never showed any mercy. Men, women, and children were all slaughtered. As time passed, we learned how to hide from them, as we cannot hope to fight them. But through our ancestors, we passed down many old legends and stories of a great hero.”

“The legends always spoke of someone with long white hair, eyes of light and dark, and the ability to bend the cold to their will,” Athena began, turning to me. “You fit the physical description perfectly. Even if you don't have the ability to control the cold, for now. I’m confident it's stored inside you.” Athena finished. They all turned their gazes to me. They looked at me with hope. Hope that I was the one. 

I took a step back, “I’m sorry, but I don’t think I’m the one meant to save you.”

“But you fit the stories. You fit the description!” The old man claimed.

“Not perfectly,” I retaliated. “Your tale tells of a man with white hair, eyes that were light and dark, and a man capable of making snow from nothing. I have gray hair. My eyes, while light and dark, differ from the painting you gave me. His right eye is brighter than mine, and his left eye is darker too. I don’t share the same marks as him. More importantly, I don’t have the powers he did.”

The old man looked at the ground, “You don’t fit him perfectly because you are not Yuki. But we are not looking for him.” He said.

“Then why tell me about Yuki?”

“Yuki is long gone, but the legends speak of someone new. While our tales describe someone who looked very similar to Yuki, it was never a one to one image. Hence, why our legends never depicted someone with the face markings Yuki had.”

“Yes, I suppose that’s true, but I still do not match your legends,” I argued.

“You don’t need to. While you don’t fit it perfectly, we believe you are the one. The legends describe Yuki’s physical appearance. But what we interpret is a spirit. One reincarnated again and again.” I stood silent. I had no words to give. “Please, stay with us.”

“I don’t have the powers you think I have,” I continued to argue.

“You said you awoke on the mountain yesterday, did you not?” The old man asked.

“I did.”

“Then likely you haven’t discovered your powers yet. Please, stay with us. Train under us. We need your help.” I looked around me. They all looked desperate. I felt the temperature drop for the first time in my small existence. I began to feel cold. 

Athena grabbed my hand, “Please. Save us.” She began to cry as she held my hand, which she ended up letting go. She breathed into her hands to warm them back up. “Please, we need you!” She continued to beg.

“They killed my wife,” A man from the crowd spoke. “They took my daughter too. They took the two things I loved the most from me. Please, stay and help us!” He sounded exhausted. 

“The Creatures of the Night took my parents!” Another one said.

“They destroyed our crops and livestock!” 

“I miss my granddad!”

“My sisters…”

“Those demons slaughtered my nephews!” They all began to cry out what was taken from them at once. I couldn’t understand them all. All of their voices meshed together, the pressure within me began to build. Athena grabbed my hand once more, causing silence in the once rowdy crowd. I could tell it was hurting her.

“We need you. Be our savior, I beg you.” She said through her tears. I took a moment to think and looked at the ground of desperate people. I looked at the old man, then back to Athena. Seeing her tears build up, clutching onto my hand, despite knowing it was hurting her. As much as I wanted to help, I truly did not believe I was some hero meant to save them. As a thank you, and for their sake, I decided to try and fit this mold they were trying to force me into. 

I pulled my hand away from Athena, “Don’t do that. I can tell it’s hurting you,” I told her. I embraced her tightly, keeping the palms of my hands away from her body, “I’ll help you,” I whispered to her. 

She hugged me tight, “Thank you!” 

“What was that, young man?” The old man asked.

I let go of Athena, “I said I’ll help you. All of you. I won’t make any promises, but I’ll do what I can.” I said, looking out at the crowd of people. 

The old man had a massive grin, “Thank you! We are forever in your debt!” 

“I only gave you my words, and until I do something, I am not in your debt. If anything, I’m in yours. Athena housed me, clothed me, fed me, and more.”

The old man let out a hearty laugh, “Whatever you say, son!” I looked at the crowd of people. Not a soul looked displeased or cast any doubt. All of them had their full trust in me. Up until that confrontation, I felt neutral about everything. But during it all, I felt negative emotions for the first time. I doubted myself, I felt nervous, maybe even a bit of fear. Though, I had to cast away those emotions. If I showed them, it may cause unrest in the people. 

“How much time do I have?” I asked. 

The old man ran his fingers through his long white beard, “A week, maybe.”

My heart sank, “A week? Was hoping I had more time.”

He sighed, “Well, last night was our brightest moon. It’ll only get darker. I’d say you have about a week until the moon is gone from our skies. Prepare for the worst then.”

Athena stood up and grabbed my arm, pulling me, “Follow me! I’ll show you where you can practice what you need to!” I followed her up north, where we walked past all the homes and into the forest. 

“We have our full faith in you, Iceborne!” The elderly shouted as we disappeared into the forest.

“There’s nothing here,” I said.

“Well, that’s because it’s not here. Just keep following me, we have some more stuff past this part of the woods,” She continued to lead me by my arm.

“Is my arm not too cold for you?” I asked.

“No, not really. You’re warm. It’s just your hands that are freezing,” I didn’t respond. We finally arrived in what seemed to be a barracks. The surrounding area had been deforested, with a storage displaying all of their weapons on the outskirts. They even had training dummies and targets for archery.

“Why don’t you use these to fight off the Night?”

She finally let go of my arm and went to go inspect the swords, “You were listening, weren’t you? We can’t compete with their numbers. They are fast, strong, and some are just… Not natural. I mean, tendrils made of their flesh and blood?!”

“Have you seen it?” I asked.

“No, but I’ve heard them. Out my door. We’re trained since we are born to hide from those things. I’ve seen some glimpses of them, flying outside my window and such, but I’ve never been face to face with one.”

I walked up behind her and grabbed one of the swords, “I’m glad to hear that.” I took the sword to a training dummy and slashed up from its shoulder to its hip.

Athena walked over to me and inspected the slash, “Deep cut… Your form wasn’t bad, either. Natural-born fighter?”

“I guess so,” I continued to wack away at the dummies. Athena was by my side, correcting me on mistakes and giving me advice. At the end of the day, I learned a lot about a sword, weak points, stances, and general combat. All stuff that I had no memory of, but as I struck the dummy and took battle stances, felt familiar to me. I knew the feeling of swinging a sword. 

Days began to pass. Every morning I woke up and cleaned myself in the spring, with Athena washing my clothes. After getting out, and eating a breakfast that Athena cooked, it was straight to the barracks. There, it was something different every day. All coached and taught to me by none other than Athena. She taught me how to use axes, spears, swords, bows, fist fighting, and more. 

Throughout all of this fighting, it never felt new to me. I knew how to shoot a bow, swing a sword, slash with an ax, and jab with spears. I knew how to defend myself, weaponless. I wondered why it was coming to me so easy and effortlessly. 

“You’re picking up everything great!” Athena complimented as we were walking back to her home.

“Thank you. You’re a great teacher. How do you know how to do all of this?” I asked.

“How to use a lance?” We had just finished teachings with a lance.

“Well, yes, but how are you efficient with everything? You knew how to use all the weapons and hand-to-hand combat.”

“I’m self-taught,” She said. “As a kid, I would watch the men and my brother gather and practice with the weapons. It was all for self-defense or hunting, but it was before everyone gave up and just decided to hide when the dark nights would arrive. Now the only weapon that sees use is the bow, mainly for hunting.”

“I see.”

“What about you?”

“What about me?”

“You’re picking up everything so quick. Do you have experience with this stuff?”

“None at all. I’m telling you, I don’t have any memory past waking up on the mountain.”

She smiled, “Maybe it’s because you truly are the one.”

“Still don’t know that yet. I haven’t done any of this ice magic you said Yuki had. I’ve only used basic weapons.”

“True, but at inhuman speeds. Believe me, no one learns how to be efficient in hand-to-hand combat, swordsmanship, axes, lances, and archery in the span of five days,” I didn’t reply. 

Come the next day, Athena tried to help me to awaken the powers that she swore I had within. She told me stories of Yuki, the stances he would take to create snow or ice out of his hands, or weapons he made out of ice for himself. 

“No, no, try jolting out your arm more when you try to cast your ice,” Athena lectured. I did as she asked, thrusting my arm forward with purpose, though nothing came.

“Athena, this isn’t working. We are wasting time that can be used for different types of training,” I said, slightly annoyed and ever slightly frustrated.

“Nonsense! We’re getting closer, I can feel it. Let’s try this instead,” Athena grabbed my limbs one by one, repositioning them like I was some sort of puppet. After she had me the way she wanted, she took a step back to marvel at her work, “Now this looks powerful!”

“I feel stupid,” She had placed my feet far apart from each other, with one hand clutched at my waist, with the other open palmed, pushed forward.

She giggled, “I promise you, you don’t look stupid. Give it a try! Shout something magical and give it some oomph!” I sighed while I searched my brain for something powerful to shout, though nothing came to mind. Instead, I opted to just grunt while tightening my stance and stomping my foot. Nothing happened.

Athena laughed, “Okay, no, no. You do look stupid, let’s try something else.”

I felt a smile creep on my face before relaxing my body, “I don’t think stances or shouting has anything to do with this ice casting.”

Athena’s grin stretched ear to ear, “Disagree, I think we need more of it, actually.”

“I’m not your doll, you can’t just force me to pose for you,” I chuckled.

Athena sat down in the snow, “Unfortunately not. I would have you out here all day posing for me if I could.”

I sat beside her, “I’m sure you’d love that, judging by the giant smile on your face.”

“It’s not my fault! You should’ve seen yourself! I think you made it worse by choosing to just grunt instead of shouting something epic.”

“What would you suggest I shout next time, then?”

“I don’t know… Probably something like, ‘Ice Formation!’ or ‘Ice Age!’”

“Sounds like you’re just naming moves that don’t exist.”

“Perhaps,” She rested her head on my shoulder.

“You’re awfully relaxed,” I remarked.

“Oh, leave me be. We’re just taking a break,” She assured. 

“Do you think we have time for breaks?” 

“Of course! We’ve been at this for quite some time now, sitting for a while won’t hurt us.”

I smiled, “Perhaps you’re right.” Time seemed to freeze for a moment. We sat in silence, listening to the birds chirp and the rapids of a nearby river. Watching our breath condensate with every exhale. 

Athena took a deep breath, “Would you like to know more?”

“About what?”

“Myself, I suppose.”

I was a little taken aback, “Of course. Why so suddenly, though?”

“If you truly awoke and came down The Peaks, in the little clothing you had, then I suspect you might be born from the mountains. Regardless of if your life truly started there, or you are suffering from amnesia, you told me everything you know about yourself. And now just feels like the right time to tell you about myself,” She responded, lifting her head off my shoulders and looking into my eyes.

“By all means, then, share your story.”

She stood silent for a moment, her eyes wandering through the forest before finally meeting mine, “I mentioned I had a brother and a father, correct?” 

“I do recall you briefly mentioning it, yes.”

“Well,” She began. “As you might have suspected, they are no longer with us. My brother was five years older than myself. His name was Lushika, my father was Edur. He and my father were loved by all of Yukigakure. They were great hunters, and so incredibly selfless. Together, they brought back a large percentage of the food that we consumed. Which also meant they were our main resource for other animal goods. Even in the winters, when meat was scarce, they were experts of the wild. They forged berries and such, ensuring we were always fed. They made sure everyone before themselves were well-fed. Their selflessness is what got them killed, however…” Her face grew pale, her eyes slowly beginning to glimmer with tears. “During one of the assaults, there was a loud scream from our neighbor. Father and Lushika told me to stay low and quiet, and that they were going to go see if they could help before it was too late.”

It was getting hard for her, so I scooted closer and rubbed her shoulder, “Take your time.”

She cleared her throat and wiped her tears, “They left, closing the door behind them, and that was the last I saw of them. Alive. The next morning, when we counted the dead, I took a peak over the shoulders who tried to protect me from the sight. I saw both of them. Mauled. I threw up on the spot…”

“Athena… I’m so sorry.” I comforted her, embracing her. She cried into my arms. It seems that the Night had taken countless loved ones. This truly affected them all equally. 

She sobbed into my chest, “That’s why this is so important to me, that we protect Yukigakure! We need to end this cycle, we can’t just let people continue to suffer!” I had no words to respond with. All I knew was that I had to push aside the doubt within myself and become the hero these people needed.

Athena eventually gathered her composure and stopped crying into my arms. She stood up and dusted herself off, ready to seize the day like nothing happened. Following her lead, I did the same. We continued to practice different ways to get some results for controlling the cold, though in the end it was fruitless. Despite this, it didn’t feel like a wasted day.

Soon, we were on the dawn of the final day. All of our training had led up to this point. I spent my time in the village, helping the villagers prepare for the night to come. With Athena’s help, we managed to hand out spare weapons for self-defense, and reinforce the doors of several homes. As the sun began to set, the village elder instructed and guided people to the homes that were reinforced. We had placed black horns on the roof trimmings to alert the villagers of their importance. There was some unrest in the people.

“Please, be calm, everyone! We have plenty of space for everyone to rest! You may gather in my home, or any of the other homes with the black horns atop its roof! Those are safer to spend the night in!” The elder announced. 

Making my way through the crowd, I spoke with the elder, “Excuse me!” I shouted through the commotion.

The elder glanced at me, still instructing the other villagers with his hands, “Ah, the Iceborne! Ready for tonight?” 

I nodded, “As ready as I will ever be. Has Athena told you of our progress?”

“Yes! She has kept me well-informed. I hear that you haven’t had any success in channeling your inner power?”

I was disappointed with myself, “I’m sorry elder, but I simply just believe that I do not have it within myself to do that.”

He laughed, “That’s okay! I have heard great news in your training, that you masterfully picked up any weapon you chose, and that you were much faster and stronger than Athena. Is this true?”

I nodded, “I don’t know if it’ll be enough,” Some villagers caught ear of those words, and whispers quickly spread.

His smile disappeared, “You will be enough, Iceborne. If you have such doubts, you must speak with me privately. Speaking out loud may cause unrest.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, Iceborne,” His smile resurfaced. “So, what’s your weapon of choice tonight?”

I took out a steel sword from the sheath on my hip, “Swordsmanship called to me the most.”

He let out a hearty laugh, “Haha! A great weapon indeed!” He glanced towards the sun, which was quickly disappearing over the horizon. “We put our faith in you, Iceborne. Please, have some faith in yourself. You are different from the rest of us, I know you sense it too.”

Athena was one of the few still outside, she ran towards me to hug me tightly, “I knew from the moment I laid my eyes on you, you were special. No normal man could simply descend those mountains with the clothing you had on. And your training has proven fruitful, even if you may think otherwise. Please, above all else, prioritize your life tonight. No one wants to see you dead in the morning,” Her eyes strayed with those final words. 

I clutched my sword tightly before returning Athena’s hug, “I’ll be here when the sun rises. I promise. No harm will come to anyone.”

Athena smiled weakly, yet warming, “I trust you.” She and the elder made their way into the decorated home and closed the door behind them. 

From the window, the elder shouted, “Good luck, Iceborne!”

“Stay safe!” Athena added. They then closed off the window, leaving me alone. Anxious, yet confident, I stood and waited. It wasn’t much longer until the last of the fleeting sunlight disappeared for the day. And as the sun hid behind the mountains, the only light that illuminated the village were the stars and the fire place in the center of the village. The light was enough for me to navigate through the village, though I couldn’t see past the dense forest. 

I walked towards the light, trying to manifest any ice or snow. Nothing. I concentrated and tried to do anything with these so called ‘powers’ but no matter the effort, it was all for naught. Suddenly, the trees awakened, shaking as something approached. The crunching of the snow was unignorable, there were too many footsteps to take note of. As they approached, it began to quiet down. Then, as quickly as it came and went, there was a shout and one emerged from the trees.

It was shorter than I expected, about four feet tall. Its fingers and toes were long and pointed, likely used for clawing and scratching. Its ears and nose were long and pointed too, like a goblin of sorts. It had near pitch-black skin, with its eyes being an orange hue. There was dark fur on all of its joints, keeping it warm. It wore some sort of clothes or maybe even armor on its lower half, which seemed to be made of tree bark. 

It tried to claw at me, but I evaded and countered, striking it in its torso. It poured its black blood and stained the snow beneath it, falling over and dying. The trees began to shake, and they began to cheer. A group finally emerged from the darkness, four of them. They quickly surrounded me, taunting me as the forest cheered them on. 

One of them made the first move, b-lining it for my jugular. It leaped, but I swung downwards, the sharp blade cutting in half vertically. The forest snarled and even laughed. Finally, the other three attacked, synchronized. They were aiming for my legs and stomach. I swung my blade in a circle, cutting the arms and jaws off my attackers. They, too, fell dead. The snow was stained black. 

There was yet another moment of silence until the forest came alive once more. They were done playing. All of them emerged, showing their hideous faces. They all came mindless at me, swinging their claws. They were fast, fast enough to cause slight confusion for me. Some managed to scratch me, though they were all shallow cuts thanks to my evasion.

Every time one got close, it spelled its end. I would abuse their lack of caution and swing to counter, leaving them dead in the snow. They tried pinching me, attacking from behind me and in front of me. I charged forward myself, running to the ones in front of me, striking them down as they ran into my blade. After, I turned my attention to the ones behind me, who were still giving chase. They came high and low, but with strikes aimed towards the sky, I was able to defeat them in one blow. 

A green acid flew by me during the fight, hitting one of the Night Hunters instead. It screamed in pain as its skin melted off its bones before falling into the snow, lifeless. I turned my attention to where it came from, witnessing one of the Night Hunters gargling on a green acid, getting ready to take another shot. Trying to dodge projectiles while fending off the ones on the ground became difficult. I had to mind my every step. Eventually, I found a window of opportunity. After slashing a Night Hunter, I used the momentum I had in my blade to swing my body and throw the sword at the spitter in the trees. It impaled him, pinning him against the bark, where he bled to death. 

The others saw this as their chance to attack me while I had no weapon. They grouped up, and I defended myself with my fists, though it wasn’t enough to be lethal. Fighting them hand to hand, I faced a lot more injuries. I did the best I could to defend myself, but they were ruthless. Eventually, I couldn’t tell their blood from my own. 

One managed to slash deep into my chest, tearing my clothes as I yelled in pain. I heard a noise coming from the elder's home, but I didn’t have the time to mind it. Another one tried to slash my chest again, to open my wound wide, I would assume. I grabbed it by its hand as it tried to cut me and tossed it over my shoulder, it landed in the fire pit and burned. That’s when I saw Athena.

She heard my scream and peeked through a crack to check on me. She looked worried. Nonetheless, I continued to fight. Enraged, I began snapping their bones as they tried to claw at me. I would grab their arm as they extended, and snap their arm like a twig. They would scream in pain and retreat towards the forest. Doing so, however, proved to be risky. As when I reached to grab their arm, I would often suffer lacerations and abrasions fighting this way. 

No matter how many throats I slashed, arms I broke, necks I snapped, they kept coming. Two managed to grab hold of my arms, and the others soon followed, grabbing my legs, causing me to topple over. I felt their claws scratch at my back as they attempted to disembowel me. I screamed in pain and fought with all my strength to stand back up. 

That’s when I heard the elders' door open, only to immediately slam close right after. Suddenly, I felt the weight on my back lighten slightly. But before I could stand fully, I heard Athena scream. 

“Get the hell off me!” She shouted. 

“Athena?!” I still couldn’t fully stand with the weight on me.

“I said, get the fuck off me!” She roared. Finally, in my view, I witnessed as they began to pile on her legs. She swung at them ferociously, managing to kill a few, but only to be quickly replaced. One of them leaped onto her back, toppling her over face-first into the snow.

“Athena!” I screamed. I lost focus. Everything slowed as I watched Athena get dog-piled. I listened to my heart slow down, I was aware of every breath that I took. Something cold began to spark in me, I felt it running through my entire body. A freezing rage I have yet to feel in my short life. I have never been so cold before. 

I went blind for just a moment, and as my vision returned, I felt different. One with the cold and snow. I froze the Night Hunters on top of me, but still couldn’t manage to stand fully. I put everything I had into focusing on the now ice block that was above me. I heard it crack until it shattered, finally freeing myself. 

I stood up and darted for Athena, manifesting a blade made of ice into my hands. With it, I hacked away at the group of Night Hunters that piled on Athena. Reaching deep into the corpses of the Night, I grabbed Athena’s hand and pulled her out of the blood and carnage. She took a deep breath and coughed her lungs out, before looking up at my face. Her eyes widened as she met mine. 

“Thank you!” She said through her tears. She was clutching onto my clothing, bawling her eyes out into them. I smiled and patted her head. This moment didn’t last very long, as the night was still very young, and more of the Night Hunters began to appear in numbers, looking to kill every villager tonight. They threw themselves at us, but with a swift motion of my hand, I froze them all solid. Clutching my first, I watched as they all shattered and broke apart. There was silence, as the Night Hunters backed slowly away, shocked. One of the Night shouted, and just like that, they all turned and ran away. Athena latched onto me, sobbing. I felt my body weaken, and before I knew it, my knees buckled and everything went black.

“No, no, no, no, no! Wake up! Get up!” Athena panicked. 

-The following morning-

I awoke in Athena’s home near her fireplace, resting on bear fur. Next to me was Athena and the elder. They were sitting in silence, both seemed to be staring at nothing. As I started to sit up, Athena took notice.

“You’re alive!” Athena yelled, her eyes quickly filling with tears. She quickly jumped on me, embracing me.

The elder let out a relieved grin, “You gave us quite the scare there, Iceborne.”

I let out a quiet laugh, I still felt weak, “I promised you I wouldn’t die.”

“But you didn’t tell me you’d get so close!” Athena yelled, both frustrated and relieved.

“It won’t ever be that close again, promise,” I glanced down at Athena, taking notice of the bandages on her legs. “Athena, your legs! Are you alright?!”

“Calm down, please calm down!” She answered swiftly. “I’m perfectly okay. A couple scars, but nothing life-threatening.”

“Please, rest longer, Iceborne,” The elder began. “You still seem very weak.”

Athena gently pushed me down to lay, instead of sit, “He’s right. You really should rest longer.”

I took a deep breath, “Is everyone alright?” 

The elder laughed, “Still worrying about others, eh? Yes, everyone made the night alive. Thanks to you.”

“Good. Then I did my job.”

There was a moment of silence as everyone collected their thoughts, “You know, Iceborne, you went through quite the transformation last night.”

“Transformation?”

He pulled out a mirror, revealing my face, “Yes, a transformation. What do you think?” He was right. I now bore the markings Yuki had, with a lost language on my right cheek, and a dragon on my left. They seemed permanent. 

“Just like Yuki,” I remarked.

“Oh, that’s not all. During your transformation, and for a while as you were recovering, your hair was basically glowing white. Your eyes were exaggerated too. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you looked nearly identical to him in that very moment.”

“I guess you were all right,” I sighed. “Maybe I am the man from your legends.”

Athena nodded, “We were right to trust in you!” 

“It seems as though we were correct. You have the spirit of Yuki residing within you,” The elder added. I didn’t know how to respond, how I wanted to respond. “You said you have no memory past waking up on the mountain, correct?”

“Correct.”

“Not even your name?”

“Not even my name.”

“Then how about you adopt Yuki’s name? Yukio,” I laid in silence. It felt like a badge of honor, yet there was so much weight that came with that name.

“Please, take my brother's name as well,” Athena began. “Lushika was a name of pride and light. You are now our pride and light. It would mean so much to me if you were to bear his name as well,” Athena rested her head on my chest. As if Yukio didn’t carry enough weight, Lushika was much more personal. And unfortunately, recent as well. I doubt everyone has forgotten who Lushika was, before he passed. 

“If it gives you all hope, I will adopt these names.”

The old man chuckled, “Lushika Yukio.”

Athena looked up at me from my chest, “Thank you for everything you’ve done thus far, Lushika.”