“kira… Akira…”

Blood. Severed limbs. Intestines sprawled out along the white snow, staining it a light red.

“Akira, listen to me.”

He looked down at his older sister. She was dying. Her disemboweled torso was leaking her already low blood supply.

“Look at my face. Please.”

Through blurry vision, he stared hard into his sister’s eyes, futilely ignoring her horrendously mangled body. Hot tears dripped down his cold cheeks onto his sister’s face.

“A- Ami…” he whimpered.

His sister, with her dwindling strength, clung onto Akira’s forearm, her grip weak and shaky. She was too tired, too far gone to even cry, but her expression was pained, her lip trembling.

“Take… take Father’s sword and run. The demon...” Ami paused to take a strained, wheezy breath that spilled her intestines further out of her body. “He might be back. Take it and…” her grip loosened, “run into town.”

“Ami. Please. Just stop speaking pl-ease.” Akira’s voice cracked on the last word, the tears flowing faster as he choked back a sob.

“Go now. Te… Tesaki na, Akira.”

I love you, Akira.

Ami’s body fell limp in Akira’s arms, the last remaining visage of life leaving her features. Her face was not one of peaceful rest, but one of abject horror and suffering.

“Ami? AMI-” Akira choked on his tears, coughing and shriveling from the cold and the sobs.

Akira squeezed her shoulders. He knew she was gone. He hugged his sister one last time, as if a post-mortem embrace would allow her soul to rest in peace.

Father's sword...

He got up and slid open his front door. For the first time, he took in the horrific scene inside his home in full. It was disgusting. Akira wanted to vomit. His father’s body was pale and drained of blood, his entire head missing from the rest of his corpse.

“Akira…” Father? No. He has no mouth.

His mother’s limbs were all chopped up and scattered across the room, the rest of her body hanging on the wall like an ornament. His little brother-

“Akira…” No. Ignore the voices. They’re dead.

He stopped looking. He focused on the sword hanging on the far wall, over the fireplace. It was a fine, one-edged sword, thin both in blade and handle. It was quite old, but it was still a reliable weapon when he used it for hunting. The scabbard was covered in warm blood, reminding him of the scene he was trying to ignore.

“Akira…” No. Get out of my head.

He ignored it, taking the blade to his hip and running out of the house.

Just run. Run. Run, run, run, run to the village, and don’t look back. Don’t. D-

“Wake up…” That was not his father’s voice.

Akira woke up with a start. The floor beneath him was hard and damp. A warm, bright light pierced his vision, causing Akira to clench his eyes shut.

“Are you alright?” It was the man from earlier.

Surprised, Akira shot to his feet and instinctively reached for his hip where his sword would be. When he realized he was unarmed, he backed into a corner, holding his arms up. He was hyperventilating, his pupils dilating from the light and the adrenaline.

“At ease, Akira. You are safe,” the main said, holding his hand up.

Akira’s eyes adjusted to the bright light, and he was finally able to discern his surroundings. He was in a cave. Snow had piled up outside which spilled into the entrance, melted from the fire, and made the floor damp. Two swords and a knapsack were laid against the cave wall.

“I brought you in here after you fainted. Like you said, if I had wanted you dead, I would have slain you already. Now relax.”

Akira’s breathing went from fast, shallow breaths to slow, deep ones, and his shoulders loosened in turn. He slid down the wall of the cave, hitting the ground with a hard thud.

“What-” A single word caused Akira to break into a coughing fit, further irritating his dry, cracked throat.

The man got up and handed Akira a waterskin from his knapsack. He screwed the lid off and downed the entire thing without thinking. The water traveled down his throat, moistening his dried throat, but doing little to stop the itchiness or satisfy his thirst.

Akira’s eyes widened—his body making itself small from guilt—once he realized he finished the entire container.

“S- sorry,” Akira said weakly. The man shook his head as if to say, “it’s okay” and took the skin from Akira.

“What, uhm…” Akira stared into the fire, his brow furrowing. “What happened? And where are we?”

“We are, probably, about five kilometers west from where we had leapt. I took you upstream to flee the pursuing battalion. We were incredibly lucky to have just barely escaped. General Mars does not let his prey loose.”

Akira looked outside into the dense blizzard. The story seemed to be true so far, so Akira decided he could trust the man.

“General Mars?”

The man nodded. “Yes, the pegasus knight from before. He is the commanding general in this region of the continent and one of the most renowned hunters of the Empire.

“You have no idea just how blessed we are to have slipped away. I had to fight off his entire legion from retrieving your unconscious body until—miraculously—the blizzard resurged and dropped snow from above onto their pegasi. Had we not been blessed by such an occurrence, we surely would have perished.”

Akira could do nothing but remain still, staring into the fire. Was he really saved by this man—a complete stranger whose name he did not even know—that defended him against supposedly an entire battalion’s worth of opponents?

“Is that true?” Akira asked weakly.

The man laughed softly. “Akira,” the mention of his name made him jolt in surprise, “I would think that, by now, you would trust me after all I have done.”

Akira finally looked up at the man. Their eyes locked, and Akira felt a sense of security.

“That- I…” Akira sighed. “Thank you, sir.”

“Lynn.”

“Hm?” Akira’s head tilted.

“My name. Lynn.”

“I see.” Akira looked back to the fire. “Thank you, Lynn.”

The pair waited out the violent winter storm in the cave, the fire as their only source of warmth. The flame’s intensity fluctuated drastically as harsh, misty winds threatening to extinguish the fire permanently.

As he began to fully wake up, Akira could just barely feel his appendages. His fingers were burning with an icy numbness, and his legs were filled with pins and needles. His burnt, half-ruined tunic did not make matters any better, as every sudden gust of wind bit into his burn, which was becoming a dark purple.

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His constant shivering and persistent pain did not go unnoticed by Lynn, who lent Akira his pelt. Akira had been grateful, but now he wished he had more layers; the pelt certainly helped, but not nearly to an extent that would keep him sufficiently warm.

Akira curled up against the cave wall, trying to ignore the nonstop throbbing on his left side. The pain was making him delirious. His head kept spinning and spinning and spin-

Flashing white lights filled the dark cave. The blinding brightness cut through his nausea as he was able to make somewhat coherent thoughts.

“Finally,” Lynn said, “my mana has regenerated. I think this should be enough.”

Mana? Akira thought. Is… Huh? He can use magic?

“Akira,” Lynn called. “Can you stand?”

He’s calling me? Akira was completely lost in his thoughts, unable to comprehend Lynn’s words.

“Akira?” Lynn called once more, but Akira’s mind was so far gone that he did not process it.

A comforting warmth grabbed Akira’s attention. The warmth wrapped itself around his left side, soothing the pain. Akira felt himself calm down, his mind no longer dissociating to escape the pain.

He looked up to see a pair of hands hovering over his body, a white light emitting from them. The hands belonged to Lynn, who was healing Akira’s burn with white magic.

“Are you feeling better?” Lynn asked, causing Akira to jump slightly.

“Mhm. Th- thank you.”

“Of course. Although,” the light disappeared, “I’m afraid that is as much as I can do for now. I only have so much mana after fighting, and I may need some in an emergency.”

Akira nodded before sitting up straight. “I think I’m okay.” He gently touched his burn. “It’s still sore, but it’ll be fine.” He stretched to loosen his tense muscles.

“Good,” Lynn said, standing up. “We had best leave now, lest we get caught in another storm.”

Akira’s brow shot up. Another? He looked outside the cave and realized what Lynn meant. The blizzard had calmed for the time being, but Akira knew well that it could pick up again soon.

“Where are we going?”

“You can go wherever you please. If you have other family elsewhere, I recommend finding a transport service.”

Lynn rummaged through his pockets, holding something in his right hand. With his other, he reached for Akira’s sword.

“Here,” he said, offering the items, “take it.”

Akira, confused, took his blade and held out his other hand. Lynn dropped a decently sized pile of coins into it.

“That should be sufficient for your travels and wares. Be mindful to not spend it on unnecessary commodities.”

Wait… what? Akira thought, furrowing his brow. He’s just gonna give me this?

“No this is… you’re-” Akira paused before sighing. “Why?”

“Pardon?”

“Why are you just handing me money?”

“Did not I just convey my intent? I said you could use that gold to purchase a carriage ticket, or some such.”

“I don’t,” Akira’s eyes drooped to his feet, “have any other family. If I do, I don’t know who they are or where they live. I’m completely orphaned now.”

“That is…” Lynn looked to the side. “I see. My apologies.”

Unable to think of an appropriate response, Akira settled for a low, apathetic “hm” as he strapped his blade to his hip as best as he could. Once he finished, the two stood in silence as the winter wind howled quietly around them. Seconds passed, neither of them knowing what to say.

“I shall leave for my home,” Lynn finally said. “If you wish, I can shelter you for a while, then we can decide what to do with you after, okay?”

Akira contemplated the decision for a moment before remembering that he had nowhere else to go.

“Okay,” he replied. “I’ll be in your care.”

----------------------------------------

As the two followed the river upstream, the wind had died out almost completely, save the occasional sharp gust. They walked in silence, Lynn holding his sword as he trailed behind Akira. The wide, frozen river seemed to extend endlessly, the faint trickling of its flow cutting through the silence. Alongside the river, a silent whiteness perpetuated to the horizon, tainted only by heavy footsteps. Trees were lined on the opposite side of the river, the imposing darkness of its depths keeping Lynn on high guard.

“Akira,” Lynn suddenly called out, “we will soon pass the cliff from which we leapt. I know not if General Mars and his battalion are still there, but it is best to assume that they are within the area.”

Akira responded with a nod before drawing his sword and slowing his pace. As he focused his hearing, he drowned out his footsteps, listening intently for any other sounds within his immediate vicinity. He kept walking forward at a consistent pace, yet the air around him seemed to still as he scanned his environment. He focused harder, time slowing as he heard the faintest flap of a pegasus’ wings.

Akira stopped, pointing his sword towards the noise. He held a defensive stance as he turned his head to Lynn.

“They’re still here,” he murmured cautiously.

Lynn stopped. “Where?” he asked, scanning the cliffside.

“I heard them.”

Lynn looked at Akira with a raised eyebrow.

“I heard nothing but our footsteps. Are you certain you are hearing properly?”

Akira nodded. “I am absolutely sure.”

Lynn stared at him skeptically for another moment before closing his eyes and nodding. He crouched down right beside the frozen river, tapping the ice gently with the tip of his blade.

“This looks stable enough,” he said. “If you are truly certain about their presence, then we should use the tree line for cover.”

Akira hummed in affirmation as he sheathed his sword. He remembered what his father told him about walking over ice. Balance. Lean forward. Small steps. As he mentally prepared himself at the riverbank, Akira felt a quiet gust of wind to his left. He looked up and saw Lynn use wind magic to propel himself forward as he cleared the entire river in a single jump. He landed into a roll, stopping his momentum just before he hit a tree. When he stood up, he brushed himself off, turned around, and motioned for Akira to cross the river.

Akira, for his part, could not use any magic, so he resigned to shuffling across the ice. He kept his arms out at his sides as he inched across, the muffled echoes of cracking ice making him anxious. At the very last stretch, however, Akira heard the distinct clanging of metal boots behind him, which startled him and caused him to trip. He staggered as he tried to catch his fall, but the weight of his step caused the ice to shatter beneath him. His foot slipped into the water for a brief moment before he quickly withdrew it and jumped for the riverbank.

He landed onto the hard snow with a thump before quickly scurrying to his feet and running for the trees. The distant footsteps became slightly louder with each passing step.

“They’re coming!” Akira hissed as he passed by Lynn.

The two hid behind the nearest trees, peaking up at the cliffside. As if on cue, a soldier ran out from the overhead tree line and peered over the cliff, scanning the river down below.

He’s gonna call over a pegasus knight, Akira thought.

He waved down Lynn and pointed into the forest. Lynn nodded, and the two crept deeper into the trees—they were careful not to trip over roots—until the river was no longer in sight.

Akira leaned against a tree as his body crumpled, blood rushing to his ears as his heart pounded from anxiety. He let out a heavy breath and rested his head against the tree. After he caught his breath, he glanced up to see Lynn looking down at him.

“We had best keep moving,” he said, holding his hand out. “We can rest at nightfall.”

Akira hummed in affirmation as he nodded. He took Lynn’s hand and hoisted himself up before he brushed off pine needles from his tunic. He followed Lynn deeper into the forest, hand on the hilt of his sword. He kept listening to the environment for any sign of the soldiers. He was listening so intently for any potential dangers that he failed to see one right beneath him until it was too late.

Akira had stepped over a sinkhole covered by the snow. As he fell, he became disoriented. Freezing snow covered his entire body. A loud growl rang out in the distance, further fuddling his sense of direction. Once his body settled at the bottom of the pit, Akira felt the bitter sting of ice seep through his woven clothes, saved only by Lynn’s fur pelt.

He tried lifting himself up from the snow, but it was too loose to properly hold onto. After many attempts, however, the snow finally compacted into a form on which Akira could stand, finally freeing himself.

Lynn knelt over the edge of the hole and put his finger over his lips as a gesture of silence, his other hand reaching down. Akira grabbed onto it and pulled himself out of the pit, but bits of earth and snow fell to the bottom of the hole. The resulting thud reverberated in the still forest. In response, another vicious growl echoed in the distance, followed by the heavy crunching of snow.

Suddenly, a massive beast popped up from out of nowhere, charging straight for the two. They both jumped away at the last second, narrowly avoiding a brutal death. The beast charged straight into a tree—completely uprooting it—accompanied by the sound of shattering stone.

“Damn!” Lynn swore, drawing his blade. “It’s an ursalith!”

The beast recovered quickly, turning to face the two, and Akira fully took in its figure. It was like the other bears in the region, but much larger. Stone completely covered its cranium, extending down to its brow. Its eyes glowed a sinister yellow as the beast stood on two legs and let out a vile roar, bearing its ferocious teeth.

Lynn, without hesitation, charged at the beast with his sword in hand. The ursalith swung its claws at him, but he was able to slide under it and slash the beast’s hind leg. It let out a deep, raspy grunt as it fell to a quadrupedal stance. The ursalith responded to the blow by slamming its stony head onto the ground where Lynn was. He was able to roll away a split second before the beast’s head crashed into the ground with an earth-shaking thud.

The whole time, Akira was motionless.

Shit, shit, shit, shit, he repeatedly swore in his head. He knew he could not fight such a monster. Rather than run away, however, he scanned his immediate surroundings. His brain went into overdrive thinking of possible methods of taking down the beast. His eyes frantically went from the snow to the trees to Lynn to the beast to the pit-

The pit!

Akira found the nearest pinecone and positioned himself at the edge of the hole. With shaky arms, he weakly threw the pinecone at the ursalith, which suddenly diverted its attention away from Lynn and onto him.

The beast turned around completely to face Akira, and he took the opportunity to throw another pinecone directly at its head. The ursalith responded with an enraged roar before rushing towards Akira. Lynn was able to slash the beast’s other hind leg during its charge while Akira jumped to the side at the last second. The ursalith fell into the pit, its speed combined with the fall knocking it out cold.

The two peered over the edge of the hole to ensure that the ursalith was incapacitated. Lynn then said a quick prayer before stabbing it clean through the neck, its dark crimson blood tainting the snow beneath it.

Lynn and Akira were finally given a moment to rest, and they both collapsed at the edge of the pit. Akira could feel his lungs burning in his chest, further exacerbated by his heart pounding in his ears. His arms had become limp as he stretched them out across the snow, letting the cold numb the throbbing pain.

“So,” Lynn rasped between heavy breaths, “would you like some bear meat?”