Winter (Erityian Tribes Novella, #4)

02 : Starting Point

The day I met Isaz and Hale was the same day my life had changed.

After our encounter with the officers, Isaz led us to a secluded village between East and North Black. It still felt strange after he said he was my grandfather. The last time I saw him was when I was three and I couldn't really remember his face. Dad said he went to the Black Division after he passed the authority to my father.

Dad . . .

Two years had already passed yet I could still vividly remember how they were killed by Pierre. I still had nightmares about them and the pain continued to linger in my heart, yet I couldn't shed tears anymore.

It was a long and excruciating walk, as we avoid officers and allies of Flame Spectre, but I let out a gasp when he said we had arrived.

I furrowed my brows upon looking at our view—there was nothing besides barren land.

"Where is the village you are talking about?" I asked but he just smirked in return.

"It's right there," he retorted.

"Huh? Are you ma—!"

"Whoa," the boy mouthed in awe.

And then suddenly, the air became distorted. The barren land transformed into a gate fortress and two people appeared in front of us.

"Sir Isaz," they greeted.

"H-how . . ."

"Mirage," Isaz noted as he continued walking. The boy and I hurriedly followed him, as staying with those guards might not be a good choice.

"Mirage?"

"Those with Wind attributes could manipulate the air around, creating some superior mirages," he chuckled. "Nandito na tayo."

Wind attributes?

I sidestepped to see what he was talking about and my mouth hanged open when the village came into my view. The upper half of the walls surrounding the village had crumbled, but they could still conceal what was inside. There were old barracks on the left side and an open space which seemed like a training ground on the right. But what caught my attention was the old manor in the middle.

There were five flags hanging on the manor, fluttering in the wind, and my heart sank when I saw our family emblem in the middle.

"This is now our starting point," Isaz remarked as he stared at the flags.

Several people went out of the barracks and two elders who came from the manor greeted us.

"Isaz. Is she . . ." the old woman said as she looked at me.

His lips curved upward. "Winter Alveria," he introduced while holding my shoulders. "The new chief of the rebellion."

I turned around, confused and surprised by his words. There was suddenly a crowd around us, whispering about what he had said.

"W-what the heck are you talking about? I'm not—"

"Yes. You are not yet ready," he said. "But you have to. As the successor of your father, and the inheritor of the strongest Ice attribute, you are destined to command our tribe."

"O-our tribe?"

Instead of replying, he just smiled at me. His expression hardened a second later and he faced the crowd.

"Huntres!" he bellowed.

Chills began creeping through my body as I watched their eyes changed into different colors: brown, purple and crystal-blue. Among them, I could tell that the two elders besides Isaz were strong, as well as the man standing behind them.