The air was thin, cold, and bit at the skin, making it hard to breathe.
Towering peaks of snow and ice surrounded the area, with ridges and deep crevasses threatening to swallow wanderers.
Snow fell relentlessly, thick flakes quickly burying everything.
A gray-haired boy pushed through the door, carrying a heavy box of logs. It was so cold that all his hard work couldn't make him sweat.
"Ubel? There you are," a man said with relief, racing over. His birdlike emerald eyes focused on Ubel, then the logs, and his smile grew warmer.
"Y… You did it, son." The man's skin was dry, pockmarked, and weatherbeaten. Pink from the cold seeped through their thin cobblestone walls. "You came home safely. Even so young, you managed to bring wood to our village! I… I'm so proud of you. You saved us."
. . .
("I started in a small village with minimal resources and food. When I was young, people from the village would force others to go on an expedition to gather wood, the most scarce resource in Astait. The scarcity of such resources is what primarily forced The Queen of Astait and the rest of its people to depend on steel and advancements instead. However, I wasn't lucky enough to be born in that part of the nation.")
The wind whipped through the mountains, driving snow and ice and creating blind whiteouts. Blizzards often consumed villages, making it nearly impossible to hunt or go outside. Yet on rare, clear days, the snow mountains revealed a raw beauty, allowing Ubel and the settlers to gather resources.
"Listen up! The weather is expected to worsen in a couple of days. So, I want you and everyone else in this group to travel to Ice Spike Forest to scavenge for any resources and hunt for food. We only have so many rations before we run out." A newly turned middle-aged man demanded. "The houses are getting peeled off because of the blizzards. I want you all to find specific materials to reinforce these houses so our villagers don't freeze to death. Got it?"
"Yes, sir!" The group replied.
"Good."
Several people surrounded him, ready to join the expedition. Just before Ubel left with them, the man warned him.
"When you all arrive in Ice Spike Forest, avoid trespassing in Erkunshinkkdle City. There are killers residing everywhere, lusting for our blood. They have a hatred for our kind of people. I hope you all return safely. If not, may god have mercy on our souls."
The Queen of Astait and the Order detested us outsiders who refused to join or dwell in Erkunshinkkdle City. She wanted everyone except her city to suffer despair and depression. Why? She craved love and attention for herself and the pathetic 'inventions' she made. For years, the leftovers of Astait fought a war against their machinery, their ways of living, and their forbidden resources. We were forced to live at the deep end of Astait. We relied on our primal instincts. All this was because my father, the leader of the rebellion, knew there was a dark secret within their industrialization process. His knowledge and logic drove my friends, our village, my mother, him, and me to oppose the ideals of The Astait Order. But that's another story.
"Sweetie, are you sure you can handle this?" The woman, with soft blue hair and round, innocent azure eyes, asked the silver-haired boy, her voice trembling. "I don't want my little baby to be lost in the snow."
"Come on, Mom. I'm twelve," young Ubel replied, pridefully clutching the ridges of his satchel strapped to his back. "I can handle it."
After Ubel's mother gave him one last embrace before he set off, Ubel's father approached and handed him a book. The air was biting with cold. He shoved the book into the little boy's backpack and whispered to him with a confident tone.
"You have grown so much already , too fast for me to even realize it. Ever since your first expedition, you have managed to bring the village plentiful resources and greatly motivated the villagers to follow in your footsteps. It is because of the fearlessness and bravery you had when you were little that allowed us to see the light of day again. So in reward, after all these years of treating you harshly, when you return from your expedition, I'll give you a gift."
"A gift?" Ubel asked, raising an eyebrow. "Honestly, you've already given me the best gift—this life. I couldn't be happier."
"E…Even after all the punishments we gave you… You still love us?" the father asked, wiping away a tear of guilt.
Young Ubel slowly nodded his head and replied as he fastened his boots on the ground.
"Yeah! Your discipline made me strong and smart. I'm eager to see the gift! I'll do my best out there!"
As the group called Ubel set off into the horizon of the white-powdered wilderness, the father pulled his child close to him and whispered.
"I can't wait to see the look on your face when you open it. But don't leave yet. There is one thing I want from you."
"And what is that?" Young Ubel asked.
"What I want in return from you is that you make at least one friend during your expedition today." Upon his sudden request, he paused and closed his eyes, gulping as the mother approached with a fur coat in hand.
"I agree with your father. Ever since I have given birth to you, I have never seen you mingle with a friend before," the woman interrupted as she tidied up Ubel's coat. "You see, what makes a good person is one who can get along with anyone. Social experience teaches you that. A life spent alone is a life wasted. Please—just try and find at least one friend during your travels. Okay?"
"Okay, mother!" Young Ubel eagerly ran off to the shimmering distance with the group.
* * * * * *
"Wow…" Aletha murmured. "I didn't expect all that. Astait really does sound harsh."
With a cold sigh, Ubel took a sip from his glass and reeled his gaze from Aletha. He took two seconds to ponder and scratched his head, recalling his life as it played out in his mind.
"Yes," Ubel replied, suppressing his emotions. "Astait is a relentless nation coated in flourishing deception and greed. Though it may be rich in resources, most people from neighboring regions tend to avoid traveling to Astait for the very reason of its people, Order, and weather. Even some Wrailezan Citizens refuse to go there."
Upon hearing this claim, Aletha gulped, shook her head, and recalled The Promise's cruelty. She'd never believed those people would be scared, which made her reconsider where to go next.
"I know cold regions suck, but I never knew they would be THAT bad," Aletha commented as she shook her head and took a sip out of her glass. "Good. Thank you for informing me. That changed my plans on where my brother and I would go next."
As the clatter of Alai's cooking filled the air from the kitchen, Ubel shrugged his shoulders and leaned across the table.
"It seems it's taking longer than I thought for Alai to serve our meals." He mumbled as he noticed Aletha's interested look on her face. "Do you want to hear more of my past while we wait, or do you want me to stop?"
"No! No! Please, keep going!" Aletha said, her eyes brightening. "This is getting interesting."
Ubel nodded his head and released a soft chuckle at Aletha's anticipation. As an awkward silence fell, he tilted his chin downward and clasped his fingers against each other, his mood transforming into a serious expression.
"Okay. But… Please note, what I am about to say is a drastic shift from what I said before," Ubel warned, closing his eyes. "You need to know this. I am not sharing my past simply to form a bond. Rather, in case you ever stumble upon Astait, you must understand the danger that place holds."
Keeping that warning in mind, Aletha nodded her head in understanding and leaned forward in attentiveness, imagining Ubel's story in her mind.
* * * * * *
"Ubel, I think that is enough resources. Your bag is overflowing with them!" Ubel heard one of his friends warning as they playfully wandered around the sparkling ice forest.
The stark, blinding snow, towering ice peaks, and shrieking winds inspired both awe and fear in young Ubel. He could hardly believe he was witnessing such a rare, clear day. I screamed back to them. "Just give me a few more minutes."
The expeditious group trekked quickly through the enchanted, ice-spiked forest, marveling at the glittering icicles that dangled like stalactites from the trees. The eerie quiet was broken only by the snow crunching beneath their boots and the occasional crack of a branch. One!" Ubel said as he packed the remaining wood in his bag. Lifting up, he looked over and noticed the group backing up and cowering in terror. "Okay, where are you guys--
("The nation was as bad as it is with its people. However, the situation and conflict worsened even further when monsters emerged from the icy depths. It is said that before the Queen of Astait claimed this land. The Sovereign of Astait protected their nation from cursed ice monsters. These creatures threatened the future of our villages, leaving only a few out of the hundreds standing. And suffice to say, a group and I were caught in the squall as well.")
Suddenly, a low growl echoed through the forest, followed by another and another. The group stopped in their tracks, turning their heads to see the source of the sound. Emerging from the shadows, they saw icy monsters with gleaming white fangs and glowing blue eyes. The creatures were taller than the tallest member of the group, with thick fur coats that glistened in the moonlight.
The leader of the group quickly assessed the situation and ordered everyone and Ubel to take cover behind the nearby ice formations. The monsters charged towards them, their massive paws crunching through the snow as they moved with incredible speed. The group huddled together, bracing for impact as the monsters approached.
"W-What is going on?!"
The travelers were caught off guard, but quickly sprang into action. Some drew their swords, while others began to chant spells. The air crackled with magic as fireballs and bolts of lightning flew through the air, but the monsters seemed impervious to their attacks.
As the monsters closed in, the travelers found themselves fighting for their lives. They dodged and weaved, striking at the monsters with all their might, but the icy creatures seemed unstoppable. One by one, the travelers fell, overcome by the sheer power of the monsters.
In a last-ditch effort, the remaining travelers banded together, forming a circle and facing the monsters head-on. They closed their eyes and focused their magic, summoning all their strength in one final effort to defeat the icy monsters.
The air around them crackled with energy, and suddenly a blinding light filled the forest. When the light faded, the monsters vanished, disappearing into the snowy landscape as if they had never been there.
Panting and shaken, the travelers realized they had survived the icy monster attack. With nothing else to think of, they and Ubel quickly gathered their belongings and sprinted back to their village, desperate to bring the supplies back and return in one piece.