The Warlord Of Hajime

Exordium

        The last thing he remembered was hearing the heart monitor in the hospital beeping out of control. It was clear that he was going to die. He knew he couldn't fight it. After all, can one really defeat the inevitable? Death was calling him to an everlasting sleep, liberating him from his battle with cancer. While it lulled him into darkness, he heard a voice call his name. "All is well..." it would whisper as his vision faded. "Death is but a precursor..." it would say sweetly. He could still hear his sister sobbing his name over the tiny voice in his ear. "From the ashes... the cycle begins anew," he heard again before finally embracing the silence.

        "Satoru! Satoru! Satoru!!!"

        "Satoru..."

        "Satoru..." 

        "Awake!"

        His eyes shot open and he sat up immediately at the sound of the voice. He was panting heavily, his hand over his heart. Wait, he had a pulse, moreover, he was alive? All of these questions and more were raised in his mind as he got a glimpse of his surroundings. His eyes shifted down to where he was sitting. 

        Rocks? He thought, arching a brow as he felt the ground beneath him. 

        It was cold and damp, and there was a bit of a wind chill blowing in his face. Looking around, he saw stalagmites jutting out of the ground and dripping stalactites scattered about on the ceiling of what appeared to be a cave. It was dark, save for the light that was hitting him in the face from the entryway. Standing up, he steadied himself, the feeling of the ground beneath his feet unreal considering just moments ago he had taken death by the hand. Was he dreaming?

        "Come!" 

        "Who's there!?" called the youth, his hazel eyes shifting nervously about the cave. 

        "Come!"

        "Come? where, I don't even know where you are!" he shouted apprehensively. 

        "The light... come to the light!"

        "The light?" 

        What was once what appeared to be the brightness of daylight streaming in from the outside, turned into a bright azure glow that filled the cave, prompting the young man to turn around. The voice continued to call from the open entryway, beckoning him forward. Nervousness overwhelmed him, and a chilling blast of air burst forth and sliced across his face, sending chills down his entire frame. This only further served to make him more anxious than he already was. As if his legs had a will of their own, they began to move, closing the distance between him and the brightness spilling into the cave until he was fully consumed by it. 

        What awaited him on the other side of the light was not what he was expecting. A massive column of wind and snow was seen in the center of the room. The entire cavern felt like the arctic. Looking up, the youth could ascertain that this was not a dream. Dreams didn't feel this real. He could feel the air freeze around him, making it difficult to stand. His teeth began to chatter. He shoved his hands into his pockets to keep them from icing over.

        "Satoru Akihiko..." a voice from within the pillar called, catching the young man off guard.

        "How do you..." he panted, his breathing becoming more labored as he willed himself to remain standing. "How do you know my name? show yourself!"

        "Very well, Satoru..." 

        Satoru swallowed the lump forming in his throat and looked into the ferocious blizzard. Stepping forth from the raging snowstorm was a creature that didn't and shouldn't exist. Standing before him was a massive creature with a light blue head and snout, piercing yellow eyes and horns that jutted out of its head. A yellow crest rested in the center of its skull. Satoru was in the presence of the extraterrestrial Ice Dragon itself.