Chapter 2

The birds chirped in their familiar, warm way. He sat up. His back ached despite how well rested he was. As he walked downstairs the ambient crackle of the fireplace gave him a warm and cozy feeling. The delightful smell of his mom’s porridge filled his nose.

“Good morning mom.”

“Good morning sweetie, how did you sleep?” his mom asked warmly. Her voice, as soft and smooth as silk. 

“I slept pretty well,” he responded. “How about you?”

“I slept well too.”

“Is dad out chopping wood?” he asked.

“Yep, he left very early in the morning. As winter approaches we’ll need more wood to sell and use for the fire.”

“Well I’ll go help him then!”

“Not before you eat breakfast!” his mom exclaimed, sliding a bowl of porridge toward him. After eating quickly, he grabbed his coat and began to venture into the snowy landscape. His mom called out from the kitchen, “Be careful and tell your dad to eat his breakfast next time!”

He walked towards the woods, still amazed by the beauty of life around him. Icicles hung off the trees, the snow on the branches glittered with the morning sun, while the snow covered ground radiated right back. He grabbed the ax from a nearby tree stump. Slung it over his shoulder, and started jogging at a pace slow enough to observe the fauna around him. However he also ran fast enough so that he would get there in a timely manner. Into the woods he went, along the path that his father had taught him to take.

He heard the sound of metal on wood, and slowed his approach while also starting to move more silently to surprise his dad. He crept along the path nearing the clearing where his dad was chopping. He crouched down in a bush, his knees sinking into the wet snow beneath him. Being careful to not allow the ax to reveal his presence. His dad looked up suddenly, 

“Who’s there?” 

Before Jack could react, a figure stepped out from behind a tree. He wore a cloak of dark violet, with a black chestplate of studded leather covering his front, while his steel shoulderpads maliciously glinted in the sunlight. The figure said nothing but started to advance towards his father. 

“If you come any closer I’ll cut you down!” he yelled, his voice quavering slightly. 

“You can try, but it will be over for you as soon as you do,” the man answered, his stride not faltering.

They were now only a couple feet away from each other, the man with the purple cloak held out his hand, purple light swirled in his palm, it grew until it became a sphere. His eyes grew in horror as the light shot forward and enveloped his father. His eyes were glued to the frightful scene before him, despite his urge to look away, he couldn’t. The light slowly started fading away, in a swirling purple mist.

A strange look had overtaken his father’s face. Before it was fear, now his face was blank. Jack stumbled backwards, a branch snapped under his foot, anxiety froze his body in place. He hardly dared breathe. “If you come out now, I’ll spare you.”

But Jack dared not move.

“Go find our little snoop.” The stranger said to the man who used to be his father. The figure started towards him, Jack knew that despite his appearance, that this man was no longer his father. His father’s eyes glistened momentarily, and he yelled with as much force as he could muster. Only one word escaped his lips however. This word was,

“Run!”

He ran, ran faster than he ever had before, the wind rushed by, his heart pounding, he kept running, he heard footsteps behind him. He ran away from the trail, he didn’t want this man finding his mother. He looked back, the two figures were gaining on him, closer, closer, and even closer. 

He couldn’t run any longer, he collapsed, the cold snow seemed to encompass him. He opened his eyes, and realized that the snow was enveloping him, the sky was soon blocked by the snow, he then fell. Whether it was his utter fear or his lack of breath, no sound escaped his mouth as he fell.

As he began to wake, the previous events flashed in his mind, but he didn’t feel cold, he felt warm and cozy, as if he was back at his cottage in front of the fire. He moved his head, maybe he was back at his cottage, maybe it was all a dream, he moved his hand and felt something warm and soft, his blanket, he was back in his bed. 

He opened his eyes, astonished, he was in a cavern of ice. What he thought was his “blanket” was actually a very large bear, its fur was bright white. He didn’t know what to feel, scared or relieved. He wasn’t dead, at least not yet, but there was this large dangerous creature that his father had told him many stories about. The bear looked at him. Its eyes weren’t filled with hostility but instead, compassion, as if Jack was its cub. The bear seemed to motion for him to get on. Jack cautiously got to his feet and climbed on the bear’s back. She began to amble along, in what seemed like a carefree manner. 

As she padded through the cave, Jack looked around him, light shimmered, glinting on the ice, creating a beautiful ethereal glow. They were approaching a sort of pedestal, it too was made of ice, he could just barely make out something white sitting atop it. He wondered what it could be, his question was soon answered as they arrived. The bear leaned down and allowed him to get off. He approached the pedestal and looked at the beautiful white and round gemstone that sat atop it. 

“Do I take it?” He asked the polar bear, he didn’t know why he asked. He didn’t know if it was reality or his imagination but the bear seemed to nod. He took the stone into his hand. 

He felt no different, but he heard a soothing motherly voice “Well it seems that I was right about you, you have been chosen.” He whipped around looking for the source of the voice, but saw no one except for the polar bear.

“Was that you?” he asked, somewhat skeptical. This question seemed outrageous and yet, his day had already been so crazy, he didn’t know whether the question was really as outrageous as it seemed.

“Yes, it was. That stone you hold, it contains an immense power. It has been under my watch for many years, waiting until someone worthy enough arrived to become the wall of ice protecting the world from the chaos around it. You are the one chosen in a time of need.”

With all of the sudden events he hadn’t had much time to think. His dad, for all he knew, was dead. A puppet to some powerful dark mage.