The Power of Ice

1. Back in the days

The morning air was crisp and cool as Elric followed his father through the quiet forest. Dew clung to the leaves, and a soft mist drifted between the trees. Sunlight streamed gently through the branches, painting the forest floor in golden patches. Elric enjoyed the silence—not the silence of emptiness, but the kind filled with life: birds calling in the distance, the crunch of twigs underfoot, the rustle of something small in the underbrush. His father moved with quiet confidence, every step careful and measured. Elric did his best to match him, bow in hand, eyes alert. 

After a while, they reached a small clearing. A deer stood at the edge, drinking from a stream, unaware of their presence. His father nodded once, and Elric slowly raised his bow. He took a breath, steadying his hands the way he had been taught. The forest held its breath with him. But before he could release the arrow, the deer raised its head and bounded away into the trees. 

Elric let out a quiet sigh. His father chuckled softly. “Another day,” he said, placing a hand on Elric’s shoulder. “You did well.” Elric smiled. The hunt wasn’t always about the catch. Sometimes, it was enough to be out there—just him and his father, walking the woods in peace.

2. Unexpected Company

Laughter echoed off the wooden beams of the taverna. Tankards clinked, music played, and the scent of roasted meat filled the air. Elric sat near the hearth, his hood pulled low but his eyes bright with warmth. For the first time in weeks, he felt almost normal.

A bard plucked a lute in the corner, singing tales of brave knights and foolish kings. A group of villagers danced, their cheeks flushed with drink and joy. Elric smiled faintly as a young girl handed him a piece of sweetbread before running back to the crowd. He hadn’t known peace like this in a long time. The road had been long, and the soldiers chasing him even longer. But here—just for a night—he wasn’t a fugitive. He was just another traveler, another boy hiding from the cold.

“Good evening, stranger,” the innkeeper said kindly, placing another mug of warm cider in front of him. “You look like you’ve come a long way.” Elric nodded. “Longer than I care to admit.” Before the man could respond, the tavern door burst open. The music stopped.

Wind howled in, scattering ash from the fire. Three men stepped inside, cloaked in black and bearing the royal crest of the Western Kingdom. Their eyes scanned the room, hard and searching.

Elric froze. The cider in his hand trembled slightly.

Long ago, in a time when kingdoms rose and fell by the will of kings and whispers of magic, there lived a boy named Elric. He carried powers that no one understood—powers feared by many, and desired by more. From the moment he could walk, strange things happened around him. Fires would die at his glance, and shadows clung to him even in daylight. During his teens, every kingdom in the known world had sent spies and soldiers to find him, to either capture or kill him.

One night, Elric suddenly awoke with a start. The sound of horns blared as if they were right outside his door. What happened next unfolded so quickly, it was almost impossible to keep track of it all.