"Run and never look back. Find the others like you,"

This is the first thing I hear as I am shaken from my slumber. A hand is covering my mouth and I cannot make out the form above me. All I can see is the silhouette of a male above me. I reach for my ability before he eases off me. I get a better look at the man only to see that it is my father. He tosses a pack my way and grabs his sword.

"Father? Father what is going on?" I ask, sleep still fogging my mind. He looks at me with agony in his eyes and it breaks my heart.

"Someone is coming for you. You have to run and never look back. We have kept you safe best we can, but they have found us. Go now my child, I will see you again, whether it be in this life or the next," he kisses my brow before charging out of our small cottage. I look toward my little brothers room with tears stinging my eyes. I will never get to see him grow up, I may never see him again. My chest aches with a building pressure, I force myself to calm. My ability gets agitated when I am upset. I leave my brother my favorite hunting knife with a quickly written note. I place both items in a box my mother had left for him when she was pregnant. She died while in labor with him six years ago. For me, she created a box aswell, inside it was the hunting knife I now leave for my sibling and an iron tipped fighting staff made of the white wood of the winter kingdom.

I take one last look around my childhood home before going outside. I pull the hood of my grey cloak over my head and keep my eyes downcast as I make my way to the edge of my father's property. He stands at the entrance of the great forest with his blade out. He gives me a nod and a loving look as I approach. I break into a run and hug him one last time, holding back my sobs. I must seem strong for him.

The sky is grey with an imminent winter storm. I see tears in my father's eyes as he releases me. He steps away from me, knowing that if he remains here I will not leave. I sigh and take a step into the forest. I turn to get one last look at all I have ever know and hear the sound of a scream from the town. My father turns sharply towards the sound and I move to go with him but he holds out hand towards me.

"Go," he grunts, "they are here for you."

I gasp with wide eyes and run. I run along the path until my lungs burn and even after I keep running. I do not know where to go, nor do I know if I can ever be safe again. I have always been able different than the other children my age, I can run longer and faster, hear, see, and smell better, and of course I have my ability. I continue to run along the well beaten path away from the town. I am running away from the town and away from the winter kingdom. The capital of the winter kingdom is on the frozen coast the stretches on forever, or so it seems. My town was nearly in the center of our kingdom, surrounded by thick forests, few towns are so isolated in the land. The trees here grow of white wood and leaves of white, like snow. It is always somewhat cold here, our summers are dry and brisk, the autumn and spring comes with frequent snow, the winter of heavy snow storms.

It was once said that Gods walked across our lands, across all lands. They had abilities too, like me, they could do things no human could do. When humans sailed over from the dying lands of before, the gods liked to toy with them, the inferior beings. It was said that one day the gods became enraged and cursed all our lands, splitting them into the kingdoms we have today. The land cursed to only ever see one season, then they vanished. Most humans assumed they either died or returned to the perfect lands they hailed from. Whatever happened to them, they did leave our lands in ruin that took generations to adapt to.

I pause my dash for my life and freedom only a moment to drink some water and catch my breath. The forest is still; no birds sing, no bugs chirp, utter silence. This is not right, something is very wrong. I hear it then, a twig snap. I grasp my fighting staff and cock my head toward the sound. I am as still as the forest as I wait for another signal of a human being. I strain my eyes against the white trees and their shadows, but to no avail. I move to put my staff away when I hear, no I feel, the slightest change in the air. I whirl around, my staff raised and meet the face of a man. He has a dagger raised that I knock away with my staff. He looks a bit shocked that I have managed to disarm him, but he does not get the chance to react as I reach for my ability. I enclose the man in walls of air, solid as any wall made of wood. He looks enraged as he pounds against it. I cannot let him see which was I go lest he tell someone else. I sigh and steal the air from the mans lungs and his eyes bulge, the string connecting him to me, a string only I can see and only have ever been able to see, thrums with panic. I pluck the string twice, his eyes flutter twice and his back arches with pain, I do not break the string, I do not wish to kill the man. I wait until I see him crumple to the ground, unconscious, before I give him air back. I release my hold on my ability and turn away. Preparing to run as a dull throb begins at the back of my eyes. I shake myself and break into a light jog on the path, keeping my ears open for another human. It seems that the man was traveling alone.

I continue to to run for a while, giving myself frequent breaks along the way to listen and to drink water. I have not encountered anyone else so far, but that could change at any moment. The sun is at its highest point in the sky now. I see the trees begin to thin and I move cautiously forward, leaving the path for the safety the trees can provide me. As I move along slowly, I see the first buildings of the outskirts of a town. A small gasp escapes my lips, the nearest town to my home is nearly two days ride away. I have been there with my father and mother before my brother came along. I should not have been able to run this far, no human should be able to. I shudder a little and move back into the thicker trees. If memory serves, a small pool should be near here.

I stumble into the clearing where the pool is, it is half frozen with the spring "thawing", if it could even be called that. A set up a weak air perimeter, using my ability. No one will enter here without my knowledge. At least I can provide myself that much protection. I quickly shed my clothing and jump into the pool, washing the sweat and dust off me from my run. The water is fridged, so I make quick work of cleaning myself. Once I finish, I pull the set of clothing my father put in my pack out and put them on. I wash the other clothing I had been wearing, trying to get it as clean as possible because I know that it will probably be the only other pair of clothing I will have for a while.

Throwing on my cloak, I hold my fighting staff as a walking stick and make my way towards the town. I reach the wall at dusk, walking takes far longer than running. The gates are about to be closed for the evening when I slip inside. First I must find a place to sleep, then tomorrow I will find a map and possibly a transport. For now, I make my way to an inn called The Frosty Mug, I enter with the hood of my grey cloak shadowing my face. This inn is not in the past part of the town, street whores and thieves lurk near by, I know no one will remember another shady person staying the night at an inn. A thieving urchin attempted to rob me until I smacked him with my staff, possibly breaking his hand. He growled by skittered back into the night. I enter then in and slam two coins on the innkeepers counter.

"A room and meal for the night," I say, pitching my voice an octave lower to keep my identity a secret, people will not question a shady man, but a woman might attract unwanted attention. The man swipes the coins into a purse and leads me into the dining room.

I am seated in a darker corner of the room, giving me a decent vantage point over the crowd. No one seems to notice me, a few eyes glance my way but they quickly turn back to their card games or groping the serving wenches. A hot meal of beef stew and bread. I eat slowly, watching the crowd with suspicion. Anyone here could report me to those who are looking for me, anyone at all. And while they seem to not care about my presence, they could be spy's for my enemies.

I shake my head, accusing everyone will not keep me safe, it is more likely to drive me to madness. I finish my meal but stay down here a while longer, a cocky grin splayed across my face, a look that says that I am privy to a joke that only I know. To all other, I look as if I am just another man on the wrong side of town. After sitting in the dining room for near two hours I retire to my bed for the night, side-stepping whores that wish to join me. I set up a weak ward around my room and collapse on the bed into the dark world of sleep.

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I hope everyone liked chapter one, I kinda really like this story even tho it's only chapter one so far lol. I am going to try to keep all the chapters this length or a little longer so yeah. Keep reading, comment, and vote!
~Evie