The Beginning of Something New

I kept running as far as my legs. Eventually, my legs stop responding and fall down to the ground. I'm out of breath and sleepy. As I lay in the snow, I hear someone approaching me.

"Run Foster," I thought. "Before they catch… you…"

I begin to hear voices.

"The freak that can't use magic…"

"Maybe you're just a late bloomer…"

"I'm fine with no magic!"

I feel a tear roll down my cheek, "I'm not fine with no magic."

I slowly drift off to sleep.

I wake up to the sound of the firepit crackling. I open my eyes to see a woman poking at the fireplace. She has dark red hair and red eyes. She looks at least 10 years older than me? I slowly stand up trying not to disturb the lady.

"You're finally awake," she says calmly.

I stop moving.

"Where am I?" I responded.

"Well, for starters we are in the middle of the forest. Good luck trying to find your way out of here."

"Why did you help me?"

She stays there quietly, "To be honest I don't know."

We stare at the fire for a few seconds.

I break the silence asking, "Thank you for helping me but I have to leave."

"Do you know your way out?"

"No, but I'll find a way out."

"Why are you here in the first place?"

I stop, "Everyone that I know is dead. I need to get stronger to avenge them."

"Do you know how to get strong?"

"No... I don't know."

A few seconds pass, "I can tell you if you do something for me."

"What would that be?"

I turn towards her to see her smiling, "Oh just a little something." She points up towards a mountain. "If you manage to climb up the mountain, I'll personally help you get strong."

"How do I know if you're telling the truth?"

"You don't. you just have to trust me."

I stand there looking at the mountain.

Should I trust her? If this is what it takes to avenge everyone I lost, then this is nothing.

"I'll do it," I said as I walked towards the mountain. Getting to the base of the mountain wasn't hard. What was hard was the air getting thinner as I was getting higher. A breeze passes me which makes me shiver. It was getting colder by the second. I'm three-fourths up the mountain. I'm shaking hard as the frost and thin air finally catch up to me. I collapse in the snow. I look up to the top of the mountain.

"I'm so close!" I thought.

I close my eyes slowly. I open my eyes again to see that I'm back at the village hanging out with Glenn in the forest. It was snowing heavily but that didn't bother Glenn.

She looks back at me smiling, "Feels a bit chilly right?"

"Ya," I said, shivering. "Can you share some of that cold immunity with me?"

"Sorry, I'm not using it at the moment."

"Why? Also, why are we out here again?"

"To hang out with you."

"What?"

"Just kidding, it's to train."

"To train? Why do you want to do that?"

"I want to protect those precious to me when I get older. Don't you?"

Those last two words echo in my head.

"Don't you?"

I woke up again back in the snow. I stand up shaking.

This cold is nothing compared to hanging out with Glenn.

I take a step forward.

I also wanted to protect those precious to me.

I take another step forward.

But now they are gone. I hope you are alive Glenn

I continue going up step by step each filled with pain inside. I arrive at the summit to see the lady standing there waiting for me.

"Took you long enough," she says smirking.

"What. Now?"

"Now is the time to train." She points down the summit. Inside the summit revealed a huge forest with a cabin in the middle.