The Power of a Spirit Master

It never used to be this cold. Those warm days I would spend hunting and running around in the forest that surrounded my small village. I miss those days, in the years between, my home has become nothing more than scraps of wood and nails. My village and everything around has become absolute hell.

There used to be a time when the world was nothing but peaceful. My mother would always tell me stories about the gods that gave us that freedom. I can't recall their names but I remember there were about 6 of them. Well actually I do remember light and darkness but the others elude me. They brought safety to the world but that paradise didn't last long. One day I came back from a hunting trip, my village seemed to have been ransacked and it was vacant. 

It was 10 years ago that I was left here in the cold and for those past years I've spent it attempting to climb the mountain range. I've tried everything I could think of. Going around led to nothing but more and more mountains. Digging through led to exhaustion and I got lucky making it back home. Climbing the mountain seems like my only liable strategy. 

The only things I have to my name are a nice jacket I kept in good condition and my old hunting knife. The bow I used back then snapped in half a couple years ago. I've only ever learned how to make arrows so crafting a new bow was never an option. I mostly just rely on traps to catch what little food remains in this weather.

I think it's about time I make my final attempt at climbing the mountain. I've been going back and forth on whether or not I should but I'm running out of time and resources. I won't make it another couple days so it's really now or never. I'll put my knife in my pants pocket and head towards new lands. I won't allow myself to turn back any longer.

The distance from my house to the mountain isn't very long but in these conditions it feels like I've been walking for an eternity. It felt like every step I took made the air around me colder, the piercing winds stabbing into every part of my body until I could finally see the mountain range in the background. 

As I slowly approached the front mountain it felt like it was growing in size. I can't even see the peak at the base. I can't let that get to me, I have no choice but to keep going. The rocks were so steep and tall I needed to punch holes in them just to make leverage points to climb up from. Every punch I threw hurt more and more until I couldn't feel my fists anymore. 

I have no idea how long I've been climbing for. I couldn't even think straight anymore. Will I survive if I make it out of this? My body is frozen, my arms and legs are both in a state where they can barely function. My lungs feel like they're being crushed with every breath I take. Why couldn't my parents just take me with them? Why did my village have to leave me? I guess I wish I knew all the answers.

What will be beyond this obstacle? I hope I can finally get to see green trees and rivers after waiting for so long. I could run into a pack of wild animals. What if I run into another village like elves, dwarves, or demi-humans? I mean if this past decade hasn't been a trial then I wouldn't know what would qualify as one. Whatever is ahead I'll be ready. Suddenly I saw the edge of the top and a boost of adrenaline led me to rush upward. Finally I get to answer all of my questions. I no longer thought of all the fatigue I had or the numbness all over me. I just needed to see. I see, nothing. There was nothing but more snow blanketing the ground. It wasn't that fog covered my eyes; the beyond had nothing but the same weather I was already dealing with.

After all the time I spent trying to look for a place unlike my home, It was all for nothing. Rage felt like the only emotion I could feel as I kicked the snow in anger. Immediately after, the mountain began to shake and I couldn't keep my feet on the ground. I slipped off the edge and began falling down the mountain. I hit my back numerous times till I eventually landed in a frozen lake. I've always had a durable body, I could swim up even with this shard of ice stuck in my back but I can't really find my will to do so. I guess I've finally given up after 10 whole years of hanging on. This is my final resting space. 

It's not cold anymore, it's like I'm floating in space with the stars. To be honest I didn't think this would be how the afterlife would look. So I guess this is it, this is all my afterlife is. I was sure I'd be brought back as a different creature. The stars surrounding me were distant and infinite but every time I looked at one they would vanish. Suddenly a star the size of my hand appeared in front of me. Every bone in my body compelled me to touch it but every bone in my body compelled me to touch it, but a small voice in my head begged me not to, saying to trust them, and with no better option I decided to sit back for a bit.

Where the hell am I? I waited until I thought the time was right and once I touched the star I woke up in this forest. Tall oak trees and grass spread all around me. Although I want to believe this is the paradise in my afterlife somehow I was sure I'd been brought back to life. This isn't paradise because even if they aren't dead I would see my family and all the others waiting for me to arrive. That would be my ideal paradise.

So if not the afterlife how'd I make it back to life? Did I walk here in some trance like state? Also my hair is way longer than it was before. It has to have grown at least 5 inches. Out of nowhere I began to feel extremely tired and I had a feeling that my questions would be answered in time.

I was back in the space filled with stars. A lady who glowed green was laying on a bed close by. Her slumber reminded me of the multiple stories my mom would read to me. Lots of them had situations just like this one.

"Hello," I say with a slightly quiet voice "Hello!" I end up raising my voice after running low on patience. 

"Hmm? Can't you see I'm tired." The green lady says grumpily.

"Sorry I just wanted to know if you knew what in the world was going on."

"I'm trapped. You trapped me, so I had no choice but to drag you outta there. My life was on the line as well." she said, shifting herself out of bed.

"Well thank you for getting me out of there. Also how did I trap you?" I'm so confused.

"Yes I saved you, your gratitude and appreciation is welcomed. I am known as the Goddess of healing. I granted you another life and more with my power that you stole." she says.

"Wait but how did I trap you? You still didn't answer that." Once I said that the stars all began to smear and blend into each other. I guess I ran out of time.

I woke up in the same spot I fell asleep at. So that place I was in must have been similar to a dream. So that was the goddess of healing? Those stories I was told when I was younger must have been about her. I took off my jacket revealing an armband around my right arm. It had 8 stars and was mostly a purplish black. I tried multiple times but I couldn't get the thing off my arm.

"Is that where you and I were? Can you hear me?" I scream into my arm. Maybe we can only talk if we're both in that space.

Well, trying to get answers can't help me survive out here. Although it'll be easier than back home, I can't grow lazy. I should first build a shelter since I can store stuff and hide from any weather that might show. I kick a couple trees down and start chipping off pieces with my knife to use for a hut. After making a simple hut I quickly found some edible plants and a river I can use for a water source. 

I've got everything I need here so the only thing left is to deal with the thing watching me. For the past hour or so I noticed something has been watching my every move. The small rusling of the leaves. The quiet footsteps on each branch. The creature is good at not alerting me but even still I can notice when I really listen. I've always had extremely potent senses especially in the woods.

I look around at all the trees close and far. Suddenly what appears to be a beam of light shots out behind me and I dive behind a nearby rock. What the hell was that? It was so fast I could barely dodge the thing. The ground the object hit now had a crater as big as both of my feet. I quickly turned around since I heard movement and the beam came flying in my direction. I threw out my arm, grabbing the flying object mid air and to my shock it was just a normal arrow.

This arrow made an afterimage from moving so fast that it looked like a beam. I looked up from the arrow to see six more were quickly approaching me. I dodged the first two arrows but the rest stuck into my legs, chest and my head. The sky was red since the blood flowed over my face. So this is where my second chance comes to an end. Is this really it? And after all that hope I felt after arriving here? It was all for nothing all over again.

I was back in space like last time but the goddess wasn't there. I think I understand now, this place is death but grabbing this star can bring me back. It happened back then when I waited for the right time to come back. Like last time I'll wait until the stranger leaves and then I'll bring myself back for round two.