Ashkron's tears fell down his face, silence enveloped the large room. His mouth closed, hair drooped over and no sign of resistance. The boy that held him by the neck grinned as his eyes were filled with evil intentions.
"Aww, you don't want to speak?" The boy spoke with a boasting tone as his expression showed no signs of care for Ashkron. "If you don't want to speak, then let thine be your tormentor!"
The boy clenched his hand on Ashkron's neck, making him grasp his hands while desperately struggling to breathe. Just before he passed out, the boy let go for Ashkron to breathe again. Before he relaxed his heart, the boy choked him again and repeated the process for another few minutes.
Finally, he stopped to speak. "So, what do you prefer. Torture by blunt weapons or slim weapons. Such a wonder that I'll go for a blunt weapon."
The boy pulled a small batton that looked very heavy and posed his arm to the side of Ashkron's hips. His left arm that was choking Ashkron remained as he used his right arm to smash the heavy metallic weapon into Ashkron's side. A crack was heard as Ashkron screamed in agony, his right leg flailed as his left leg remained limp, proving that the weapon smashed his joint completely.
"Gahaha! Now that your leg is broken, shall I drop you and see what happens when the leg collides with the floor?" The boy laughed in enjoyment as his other brothers chuckled behind him. "That reminds me, father is out at the House of Stars for a few days. That means, you and I will have a small talk before I throw you out to the land of the blizzard mountains where those pesky wolves will take care of you."
The boy dropped Ashkron, the broken leg moved the broken joint right upwards, causing his leg to completely break.
Ashkron screamed at the top of his lungs. Maids watched on in relief as they saw Ashkron receiving a smite from his siblings. The boy then sighed as he bent down.
"Perhaps this is too small. Considering our history with you disgusting wenches, thine must curse thee with an even more destructive punishment. Should we kill Hana or Kaede? Or even better, both of them! There's so much punishment and yet none of it seems to satisfy thine own heart! Wait… ahh, yes, THAT could work. Perhaps we can take an eye, remove that leg, scar you with the symbol of darkness, strip your clothes, kill Hana and send you off with a simple dented training sword. This punishment has to be long term otherwise none shall feel satisfied. Everyone who eyes on you may think of you as a child, but they also think of you as someone to despise. So, come on, bastard! Tell us how YOU can be different from the likes of the beastmen and that fucking dragon! TELL US!" From the long line of speech, Ashkron's teeth glared as his brother grabbed him by the neck again.
"Let's begin. You, miss!" a maid with a short axe leaped from the second floor and bowed. "Do what I desire."
"Yes, lord…" the maid pulled her axe as it's rich steel surface glinted in the manor lights. She aimed before she slapped down on the axe. Blood poured onto the ground as Ashkron screamed, struggling in his siblings' grasp. Then, she pulled a dagger with the same style as the axe and slashed at Ashkron's right eye and then stood back. Another maid with a sharp and hot piece of metal with a carving that swirled, symbolizing darkness came. The maid stripped the boy of his clothes, leaving the boy completely naked.
She placed the mark just below his torse and above his abdomen. Yet another screech was heard as Ashkron's face slowly became pale. The boy then used fire magic to seal his wounds before using ice magic to coat the wound.
"Now, you, brother," was all he said before another brother ran to his room and swiftly returned with a dented sword. He stood as he awaited his older brother's instructions. "Finally, to make you watch this next punishment."
His other brother who knocked Hana out grabbed her by the neck. Then, Ashkron looked down at her before the sibling pierced her neck with a dagger. Ashkron's eyes watched on in horror as she squirmed to stop the bleeding, his heart pounded as he was hung to watch on in horror.
"Stop…" Ashkron slightly mumbled, sore and stiff throat from the screaming, sweat drenched his body as his eyes dropped the remaining tears. "Pl… ease.. Sto… p…"
"WHAT WAS THAT?" the boy screamed into Ashkron's ears knowing how sensitive they are. Ashkron flinched as Hana finally fell limp from the loss of blood. Her eyes dark, skin pale as the night while her limp body dropped. So much blood was on the ground. "Now, to end this off with a goodbye, monster."
He used his other hand to grab his hair and dragged him across the floor towards Ashkron's bedroom. As Ashkron was dragged, he stared at Hana's lifeless body and his eyes never blinked before the door to his room opened and shut, blocking his sight.
Ashkron was lifted up and out into the cold winds.
"Oh, and even though I want to murder your good buddy Kaede, it would prove to be troublesome for me to murder the future guardian of the Mistress."
Ashkron took one last look at his brother as he analysed his features.
Gray hair, blue eyes, semi-pale skin and silver armour. His hair was medium-length, eyes the size suited for the hair and his teeth revealed shining tones.
As one last moment, Ashkron glared hopelessly at his sibling he now classed as an enemy.
A few moments passed before the boy used air magic to catapult Ashkron away. His laughter faded as Ashkron was sent towards a forest next to a mountain afar.
As he was flying, Ashkron's head hurt as a memory flashed by. A memory the colour of green as three figures doned armour unknown to him. Before he could think about it, he crashed into thick snow.
The snow collapsed onto him, he immediately stood up and then a sword landed next to him. He grabbed the sword and slowly walked to the nearby tree before he attempted to climb the tall piece of wood. The temperature of the cold winds barely affected him due to his wolf genetics. His breathing turned into gasps as he remembered he lost a lot of blood. When he was half way up, his burn mark screamed in pain as he grunted. Ashkron used the handle of the blade to handle the pain as he climbed higher.
As he reached a suitable height, the winds began to strengthen, pushing the tree before it snapped. The tree landed on a rock with Ashkron also colliding with the boulder sized rock.
His head rang as blood dripped from his head. It covered Ashkron's eyes as he began to feel dizzy.
He then rested on the cold rock, feeling tired his eyes slowly closed. Just before they closed, a strange sound similar to a howl echoed the landscape. With that, his consciousness vanished.
Several days passed with him having seizures in his sleep. Nightmares of his enemy and even strange dreams about the mysterious memory. Unbeknownst to Ashkron, his adoptive father, Draconius struggled to find him. However, since he has no mana, he can't be tracked.
Once he finally awoke from his slumber, Ashkron was greeted by two wolves that circled him. They snored as their eyes remained closed. Ashkron found this situation normal compared to the suffering he withstood. He slowly sat upright and stared down at his leg.
His head hurt while the scar from the burn felt itchy. The cave was small, but big enough for the wolves and him to relax. A hole on the wall to his right gleamed with light.
Starch, dust and the smell of sweat created a heavy atmosphere.
Ashkron analysed the two wolves and noticed strange details. Black lines detailed their slight gray body as their eyes were circled with black bags. Their iron muscles tensed up with each breath. Bellies expanding and shrinking with each breath. One detail separated the two though, one held the magic symbol of mana while the other bore the symbol of strength.
The symbol of mana represented a crystal while the symbol of strength represented fire. Fire does stand for bravery too, however, it does also represent strength.
'I believe it would be futile to escape these wolves. With such a low cave roof and having one leg that I haven't gotten used to… yeah, no chances to be taken. But, something seems off. They haven't eaten me and yet it almost feels as though I'm safe. My stomach isn't hungry which is weird and my genitals are covered with a leather patch.' Ashkron fell into deep thought and didn't realise the one with the mana symbol has its eyes open and directly looked into Ashkron's pupils.
"You're awake. Good," a voice of a female echoed inside Ashkron's head. Ashkron's line of thought was disturbed by the sound and focused on the wolf in front of him. "Don't worry, we won't hurt you. Due to personal reasons, my mate and I decided to take you in. Come, I won't bite."
Ashkron cautiously approached the female wolf - feeling at ease for some strange reason - his leg bended as he crawled like a baby to the wolf. She kept her jaws closed as her wrinkled lips showed no openings. Just as he reached her, Ashkron landed on her fur. The softness of the coat felt refreshing as he rested on the wolf. The belly rose up and down, causing Ashkron to feel tired.
The mouth of the wolf turned Ashkron around.
"Just who are you…" Ashkron questioned the caring wolf. She rested her head on her paws before answering in a calm tone.
"I believe the term best describing that would be your guardians. Someone who protects and takes care of people."
"Right, but what are your names?" Ashkron asked again.
"Mine is Adolfa while his is Blizzard. We both are magical wolves with the ability to communicate with others via telepathy. Once we were a part of a large pack until one time we were dispersed to live with our chosen partners. Partners chosen by our bonds and Blizzard is the one I chose and he chose me. We have a history that remains private, but it's a story I can share another day."
Ashkron was about to ask another question before Blizzard stretched and yawned. He noticed Ashkron and Adolfa awake and licked both of them with affection.
"I ought to get some meat. The storm is going to arrive again in another hour, so, please remain here and let the wounds heal, Ashkron," his voice sounded deep and kind while also firm to show a father status. He crawled under the hole and went on a hunt.
Adolfa slightly snorted in humour.
"And, that's my reason why I chose him as my mate. Unfortunately, we cannot handle cubs until we are granted permission…"
The last line sounded sad before she lifted her head and licked Ashkron's hair and ears.
"Hahaha! That tickles!" Ashkron giggled as his ears were licked. Adolfa stopped before booping her nose against Ashkron's cheek. Ashkron felt a sting within his mark that made him stop laughing.
"Soon we'll have to migrate to a different landscape to avoid the looming bloodlust I sense in the distance," Adolfa spoke to Ashkron. She looked towards the open hole where Blizzard went through. The slight winter breeze entered, giving Ashkron chills.
He snuggled in Adolfa's fur before relaxing in the warmth.
She's roughly five foot tall while Ashkron is four foot tall.
The two rested in the cave for another forty minutes before Blizzard returned with a bit of meat. Enough meat for three if divided effectively. Since it's winter, meat is scarce, so the size in the city of Aeremore would count as a portion for one, but the three have to make do.
Ashkron once read a book about three wolves surviving in winter and how they would split in accordance to body differences. Ashkron being untrained needs less meat while the father needs the most to sustain muscle to hunt down predators and prey. The mother decides whether or not to give the meat to her child or keep it.
Blizzard placed the rabbit down before Ashkron remembered something the two didn't know. He took off his gloves and remembered his claws that replaced his fingers.
"Well, it looks like he has the claws," Blizzard stated before laying next to Adolfa to watch Ashkron divide the meat accordingly.
'First, carefully peel the hide, I think.' Ashkron used his index to cut a line on the belly of the rabbit before slowly peeling the hide off. 'Second is the guts, then the head and other organs?'
He proceeded to gut the organs out and organised each part separately. One with inedible parts while the remainder of the meat was divided into three. Blizzard mowed his part down while Adolfa was about to give hers to Ashkron before he held her paw.
"No. Don't worry about it…" Ashkron grabbed his share and even though the meat was irony and very disgusting, he mowed it down. At first he was about to vomit the meat, but he told his body that it needed protein.
Once the three had their share, they decided to hibernate.
The cold winds became strong until a snow storm covered the entrance. Outside, it was practically a hidden cave and that saved them because Ashkron's enemy was scouting for him.
"Where's that damned monster at!" he screamed in the storm, his thick cloak coated with snow as his brothers searched through the storm using magical glasses that pierced the snow.
"It seems the snow is covering everything up brother! At this rate, we too will be drenched in snow and our magic won't last forever in this storm. Especially if it gets to the peak!" the brother that killed Hana answered to his brother with clarity. They all searched hard before the main antagonist stomped his foot in anger.
"GAH! DAMMIT!" His anger pierced the loud snowy winds as they eventually walked the way they came. One of the brothers had a blue orb into which the group vanished back to the manor.
Someone who watched them teleport had a strange mask resembling a dragon and demon. This person stood behind a large sturdy spruce tree as it vanished by using a hand sign. (Nin nin mother fucker. Hick, sorry about that!)
Silence develops with the strong winds of the snow storm, trees rustle violently in response and the animals - including Ashkron all hide in some hidden area covered by snow. The vast plains of snow, mountains scattered everywhere, forests of spruce dead and alive make up this terrifying landscape known as the endless snow wastelands.
I know, I know... too sudden, but hey! It's worth it once you read more into the story. Once an idea forms, more follow and eventually a spiral occurs.