Mystical One-Shots

My Winged Saviour

White snowflakes fell from the sky, decorating the motionless pines, making them white. Everything was white, from the tall pine trees to the forever-going plains. All you could see was white until the horizon.

The snow was beautiful, reflecting sunlight like tiny crystals, but it was also deadly. Frozen squirrels, birds, lizards, and mice could be found almost everywhere if you looked closely. Unfortunately, their tiny bodies could not endure the harsh, frigid night out in the open, so they succumbed to it. But, not only small creatures could be found overwhelmed by the cold, turned into flesh statues for the rest of winter, or until a predator found a way to enjoy it. The foxes, moose, and even wolves in such conditions were mainly found frozen in holes in the icy lakes.

Winter was harsher this year. There were blizzards almost every night, rattling my wooden cabin. In the morning, the sun shone warmly, tho not enough to thaw the thick snow. Finding dry wood for a fire was hard, almost impossible. Thankfully I had my own stock that was slowly depleting. I had a small fireplace, kitchen, and bedroom, all in one space with my bathroom outside.

I lived alone. My family died two winters ago – mother, father, and little brother – the cold was too much for them. So I buried them not too far away from our house, close to a frozen lake we used to fish in during spring. 

I miss them. 

Not only because they were my family, but because they were company. And that is something I took for granted back then.

It has been a year since a person has crossed paths with me. I haven't had a conversation with someone in a long time. I talk to myself, but my voice grows tiring to hear even then. There's enough of it in my head as it is.

Although the winters are growing longer and colder, food isn't a problem. I have enough not to starve but not enough to fill my belly so I can sleep full and warm. There is always plenty of small rodents frozen around the cabin. The few times I've been lucky were when I found leopard kill that was left for the next day. But unfortunately, tonight, I will sleep with an empty stomach.

Last night's storm lasted all day. The sun was barely able to light up the cloudy sky. It is a good fortune I have been able to keep a good stock of wood, or else I would've been joining my family. 

In order to fulfill my lack of entertainment or activity, I would reread the few books I had. My favorite was of mysterious creatures that have been seen in the forest. One that has always caught my attention was the Ephruim.

It was a large, white-feathered dragon. A rough sketch showcased its elongated body, covered with soft feathers, but none on his front paws. And what was more enchanting were its wings, like those of a snowy owl, but without the spots. Its white feathers helped it blend just perfectly in the snow-covered landscape, the season it is only described to be seen in.

The following day, the sky was clear, and the sun melted some of the fresh snow, somewhat easing my food search. I had grabbed and wore all the necessary things, snow boots, leather and fur coat, ice pick, spear, snowshoes, backpacks, and rope.

For safety measures, my father had built a fence around our property, around fifty yards from the cabin, in order to keep predators such as leopards and bears away. In truth, they are decaying and short in stature, but it gets the job done as a big predator has yet to cross over it.

As soon I leave the fence's security, I catch sight of a dip in the snow, where my trail down the river leads. Instead of looking for rodents, I will test my luck with fishing. When I get to my spot, I go over to a tree that I leave my hunting tools – bows and arrows – covered by a leather blanket and sticks.

Once I am done organizing what I need to do, I grab my ice pick and carve a hole in the ice. It is a laborious job, but I get it done fairly quickly. The water is shallow, so it does not require me to use a fishing line, making it perfect for my spear or arrows.