As my grandpa and I stepped out of the food shed, the cool breeze hit our faces, refreshing us after a long day of exploring. We strolled down the crowded walking path, surrounded by the sounds of laughter and chatter. Despite the bustling crowds, I couldn't help but feel a sense of peacefulness knowing that my grandpa was by my side. As we approached the train station, the sun was beginning to dip low in the sky, dusk was fast approaching.

We came up to the vast park of smooth pavement, and grass lanes, we spotted the four kids wearing white cloaks with the golden triangles insignia through the few trees blocking our path. They were strutting around a handful of yards behind an old man with a cane. The people in the white cloaks hurried toward him.

"Rollie, I don't like this at all," My grandpa said, rushing toward the white cloaks. "You can stay here, but I think they're about to do something nefarious."

The ruffians advanced menacingly towards the old man, their eyes fixed on the cane he clutched tightly in his hand. With a swift swipe, they snatched the cane from the old man's grasp. He let out a piercing yell and stumbled, desperately trying to maintain his balance. But the heartless punk shoved him to the ground. The old man fell hard, his body hitting the pavement with a sickening thud. I rubbed my eyes. I couldn't believe it.

The white-cloaked savages cracked up and sped off, tossing the cane into a nearby bush. My grandpa sprinted towards them. I was amazed at his speed for an older man. It made my blood boil watching that unfold, and I, too, sped up with him. I knew I wouldn't be much help with my puny fire bolt, but I could land a good punch.

"Rollie, go check on the man and his cane," my grandpa said as he continued to run.

"Okay!" I wanted to join the fray but knew my grandpa's suggestion was the right thing to do.

Sprinting to the old man's side, I helped lift him and walk him toward a nearby bench with his arm slung around my neck.

"Th-thank you... You're a very kind man...I uh..." He was trembling.

"It's okay, sir, just take a deep breath. Everything is going to be all right. I'm sorry that happened to you."

The old man tried to say something again but shook his head.

Further down the path, I saw my grandpa charge a giant ball of ice surrounded by frosted air. It launched from his hand, and with precise aim, it struck three of the harassers. Leaving one standing up like a lone bowling pin.

The bald man quickly pivoted, revealing bags under his striking green eyes. His physique was reminiscent of my grandfather, but with a less athletic build. As he took in the situation, he seemed stunned, his movements slow and measured as he inched backwards in disbelief.

"Stop right there! All of you! There will be no attacking people of any kind!" A woman from the right side of the path sprinted toward my grandfather. She was wearing a silver cloak, like the same ones the Mage Force wears.

"But it's well justified! These troublemakers harassed this innocent man!" My grandpa argued.

"Just stop right there. I saw you attack them with an ice strike! They were running away, and you sent them a cheap shot!" The Mage Force Officer ran up to him with her arm extended.

The bald guy glanced between my grandpa and the officer before spinning around and taking off.

"He's getting away! Can't you see what he's wearing? He's got one of those horrible insignias on the back of his cloak!” My grandpa pointed.

"I know what I saw; you're coming with me. Don't make this difficult," the officer said.

My grandpa sighed. I felt his irritation. The culprit had escaped, but at least my grandpa stunned the other three.

"Excuse me, officer," the old man beside me said. "He was doing the right thing. He saved me from the torment of those kids. They stole my cane and threw me to the ground. They're the ones that should be arrested. This fine young lad and his grandson should be applauded for their kindness."

The officer analyzed me but primarily focused on the mohawk. "What's up with the hair?" she asked.

"I hardly think that matters right now. You should arrest those three on the floor and take them in for questioning."

"Don't tell me how to do my job," she snapped.

"Don't you recognize who that is?" the old man said. "That's the legendary Logan Magpie Who played on the championship Raiders team. Don't you remember him?"

The officer squinted at my grandpa, and her face lit up like a firework. She looked like a totally different person with how bright her smile was. "Why didn't you say something sooner! Yeah, I know who you are! That explains your impeccable aim. Geez, I'm so sorry I didn't recognize you. It's been a little while since you've been in the public eye."

“Listen, I'll shake your hand, give you an autograph, whatever you want. I just want those troublemakers taken care of and for the old man to get his cane back. They threw it over there in one of those bushes."

"Yeah, yeah. I'll take you up on that autograph offer. You can feel free to head out if you'd like. I got the situation taken care of from here." The officer pulled out a little scroll from her cloak, and my grandpa signed it. "Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome." My grandpa took a deep breath. "Come on, Rollie, let's get home."

We left the park and went to the train station. The entire ride on the way to the mage market, we were all smiles, but on the return trip home, my grandpa kept him to himself and didn't smile once. At least the train was comfortable and cozy with the orange glow of the setting sun. But the memory of those guys antagonizing the old man kept looping through my brain. Rage built up, only to be bottled.

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December 20th, it was the start of the famed Winterium. We were supposed to exchange gifts just like every other family, but I hadn't seen any wrapped presents, and I hadn't seen anything resembling a Christmas tree or any other holiday relic. When I got out of bed, I looked outside, and there was a fresh blanket of snow. Some snowflakes floated from the sky, but it was nothing overwhelming. It made my bedroom feel all the cozier.

Down in the living room, my grandpa's house smelled like coffee. He sat in a chair in the living room next to the fire sipping on his java brew.

"I know you haven't seen any gifts around the house, but I don't want you to think I didn't get you anything. Of course, I got you something. It's outside in the shed," my grandpa said.

"You didn't have to get me anything. I didn't get you anything."

My grandpa chuckled. "Rollie, you forget that you don't have any income, and I was a championship Dragonstryke player. I have you taken care of, don't worry. And I don't expect any gifts from you. Your presence is the best gift I could ask for this Winterium.”

We went outside. It was as warm as it could be for the snow to still stick to the ground. It didn't feel too cold out, and I didn't have my cloak on. My grandpa held out his hand and pushed the snow away magically with invisible force.

As we arrived at the shed, my grandpa yanked open the arched wooden door, revealing a brick barn-like interior. In the center stood an object covered with a tarp, which my grandpa quickly swiped away to reveal a stunning black chrome dragon bike. The bike was unlike any I had seen before. Its head was a striking representation of a hawk, complete with a furrowed brow and beak. Instead of the typical scales, the body was adorned with a feather pattern that mimicked the appearance of scales. The head was crowned with pointy ends, giving it an even more regal appearance. I was both intimidated and amazed by the artistic beauty of the dragon bike.

"Whoa, Grandpa... what's that? I can tell it's a dragon bike, but I've never seen one look like that before. Does it have a brand name or something?"

"Well, I figured it would be nice to get you a real dragon bike from your home area, and it's the highest-rated of its kind. It's called the Blackbird. Now, you would think with all my experience, I would have flown one before, but I haven't. This is only something that exists on the Amerzia side of dragon bike manufacturers. The highest quality of its kind for young people like yourself playing the game. They make pro models too, but, this is for you.”

I was speechless. I sprinted to my grandpa and nearly tackled him to the ground I hugged him so hard. It was probably the most expensive present I ever received around the holidays.

We had a splendid day together. I took the Blackbird for a ride and couldn't believe how smooth it felt. I was used to a bit of bumpiness and slight jerkiness from time to time, but this felt like I was cutting through the air like a hot samurai sword through butter. I flew around the snowy field in the back of my grandpa's house, flying in circles, and then followed his instructions as he coached me while I was up in the air.

That's all I did for the rest of the week before Farrah arrived at the docks. My grandpa and I each flew our dragon bikes to the port. My seat was just large enough to fit both myself and Farrah. The docks weren't crowded, but a boat of 50 people got dropped off. When Farrah came in the early afternoon, I had butterflies in my stomach. Even though I had seen her when I was studying for my exams, it still felt like forever since I last saw her.

As soon as she stepped off the boat, we hugged and kissed. Walking hand in hand, I showed her my new dragon bike.

"Oh my gosh! Rollie! That's the pinnacle of dragon bike brands! People in school are about to be insanely jealous of you. I don't even play Dragonstryke, and I'm jealous. I can't believe how beautiful it looks."

"It's smoother than anything I've ever ridden on. Come on, let’s try it out!"

She wrapped her arms around my abdomen, and we took off. My grandpa followed behind us until we returned to his house.

As the aroma of succulent dumplings and rich gravy filled the air, the holiday dinner was well underway. It was a truly collaborative effort as we all took part in the cooking process, lending our own special touch to each dish. After savoring the delicious feast, we indulged in a sweet treat - a slice of cake my grandpa had carefully prepared the night before. With satisfied palates and full hearts, we beamed with happiness and settled into the living room for a time of gift-giving and joyous celebration. It was a memorable holiday meal that we would cherish for years to come.

I had Farrah's necklace wrapped in a little box. When we sat on the couch in the living room before the fire, I pulled it out of my hoodie pocket and gave it to her.

She beamed at the tiny box wrapped in white paper with a red bow. "I got something for you, too, that I think you'll love!" Reaching for something on the side of the couch, Farrah gave me a box wrapped in shiny blue paper.

"Thanks! Why don't you open yours first?” I said.

Farrah smirked, ripped off the wrapping paper, and tossed the bow aside. She opened the small container and pulled out the necklace slowly and carefully as if it was a live snake. Her eyes widened, and her jaw dropped. "Oh, Rollie, this is so wonderful." She pulled up the chain until the shiny precious gem carved into a dog was revealed. "Whoa! This kind is of looks Sparky! You're so sweet, Rollie. Thank you so much!" She jumped over a cushion and hugged me. Pulling away, she put the necklace around her neck and held up the little gem to her eye, marveling at how much it resembled Sparky. "Now open your present!"

As I started to tear off the paper, Farrah began scratching her neck. At first, I thought it was just a little scratch, but as I was about to take off the top of the box I had in my lap, I could hear Farrah scratching her skin more and more.

"Is everything all right?" I asked.

"Rollie, where did you get this from?" She took the necklace off. She had tiny bumps all around her neck.

"Uh, uh, I got it at some vendor stand at the mage market around here."

"Rollie, I think this is made out of fleming silver. I told you I was allergic to fleming silver."

I tried to remember any conversation where Farrah revealed that information. I couldn't think of anything. Was I a bad listener to her?

"Oh, I'm really sorry, you have no idea. I'll return it and get something else. I promise. I'm really sorry. I must have forgotten."

"You forgot? You forgot your girlfriend's only known allergy. I feel like that should be burned in your brain,” Farrah said.

"Maybe you only told me once, and it was a long time ago.” I shrugged.

"And one time should be more than enough! I feel like an allergen should be pretty substantial information. Now I'm worried about your listening skills."

I couldn't believe it. We were in the middle of our first argument, or at least it seemed that way. She raised her voice and scowled at me the entire time.

"Sometimes, I need to be told things more than once. I'm not the smartest person around."

"I feel like remembering important info doesn't require a lot of brain power.” Farrah narrowed her eyes at me.

“I never even heard of the thing you're allergic to."

"'That thing I'm allergic to,' I literally just said it. You can't remember it?"

"Uh, I've never heard of it before. You see? It takes me hearing something a few times to remember something."

Farrah took a deep breath. I was too embarrassed to look at my grandpa. I forgot he was there for the entire conversation.

"Fleming silver! I’m allergic to fleming silver!” Farrah snapped.

"Okay, I heard you. You don't have to yell. Please, let's just stop arguing. It's been a really nice Winterium so far, and I don't want it to be ruined. I can't tell you enough how sorry I am, okay? Please, let me make it up to you. If you give it back to me, I'll get you a different gift, I promise."

Farrah paused. All of her irritation turned into a blank stare. "Sorry for that outburst. I'm going to go to the bathroom. You can open your present when I get back, but please wait for me."

"Of course, sure thing."

Farrah nodded, bit her lip, and left the room.