01: Darius
The chirping noises from the birds echoed throughout this serene, snowy village. Everything was blanketed white without exception.
Amidst this freezing morning, a 16-year-old boy plowed through the thick snow with his scrawny legs, trudging down the hill toward the village below with a ragged fur jacket and a pair of old leather boots.
He lived in the Undine Village, legends say this village was blessed by the Goddess of Water, Undine.
His name was Darius, white-haired and he had otherworldly bright golden eyes, an angular handsome face, and a symmetrical nose.
He didn't have many memories about his deceased parents who left him when he was three years old or even their origins to explain why he looked so different from the other villagers who mostly have blonde hair and blue eyes.
On his back was a makeshift basket made from clothes and twigs that he sewed together.
Lucky for him, the morning weather was clear so he didn't need to worry about the cold too much and focused on bringing food for the kids at the orphanage.
Well, it's not an actual orphanage, but Darius' parents' house where all orphans in the village hang out together, and before they knew it, that place had become their home by default.
"Hey! Darius! Come by my shop! I need help with my roof!" shouted an old aunty from her porch.
"Right away!"
Darius skipped on the snow like a fleeing deer, in his thoughts, he could already imagine the delicious, smoky flavor of a smoked horned fish that she sold in her shop.
He opted to climb the roof and fixed the thatched reed that was slightly displaced due to the heavy snowfall last night.
"Thank you! You are a lifesaver! Here, take it, it's not as many as usual, though. The catch is getting fewer due to the ice that blocked the sea route."
"Ice blockade? That's strange, spring is coming and the weather's getting warmer, and the icebergs should have drifted toward the south by now." Darius pondered a little.
"Anyway, thank you for the smoked fish! If you need anything, just call me, Darius!"
Afterward, once the villagers heard Darius' loud voice, they began to walk out of their houses, calling him alternately to do some chores for them.
By dusk, his makeshift basket was filled to the brim with food and his pocket bulged with many copper coins.
On his way home, he saw the oil lamp on the porch was lit, beckoning him to hasten his pace.
The house was a simple wooden house, far from the world of luxury, however, for Darius this was his castle that he was proud of.
"I am home!"
"Welcome, Darius!" Maria, the red-haired young lady, greeted him by the door.
She wears a plain gray dress, framing her petite and tall figure, albeit the dress has so many patches on it.
Her gentle, motherly aura screams elegance as she gazes at the young man on the porch.
She was also an orphan, her parents died to the pirates during fishing season when she was three years old. There's not much she could recall about her parents, but she still remembered vague images of her parents in the corner of her memory.
Although they were the same age, Darius didn't see her as his suitor or as a woman since they grew up together like siblings. It just doesn't fit in his heart to romance her.
Soon after, the four kids ranging from 6 to 10 years old began to swarm him.
"Biggest brother! What do you get today?!"
"Bring down the basket, come on, hurry!"
Bam!
Darius put the basket onto the table, spilling its contents.
"Woah, look! This must be Aunt Esther's smoked fish!"
"This is old man's bread! This one is mine!"
"No, it's mine!"
"Hey! Give it back you little shits!"
Bonk! Bonk! Bonk!
Before things escalated, Maria gave each brat one good knuckle on the head.
"Enough!" She roared, and the brats cowered and sat in order.
"Yes!" Said the kids in unison.
Soon, they were in full motion, doing the chores that they were in charge of respectively. cooking, cleaning, etc.
After they had dinner, Maria lulled the kids to their slumber. Once every one of them had fallen asleep, Maria walked toward the living room. She found Darius sitting on the long chair, his golden eyes shone brightly as he stared at the fireplace blankly while sipping a cup of lukewarm tea.
"Thank you for your hard work," Maria said.
"You too. Thanks for the housekeeping."
"How is today's work?"
"Just the usual chores."
"I see. Erm, about the money. Do we have enough for the next month?"
"Fishing season will start around next week. I'll look forward to it."
"Alright, don't force yourself too hard."
"I know."
Though it was a mundane chat that they had every night, Darius appreciated her companion so he wouldn't feel alone at a time like this.
Although Darius seemingly had a cheerful personality, Maria knew for the best that Darius was a shy, introverted person at heart. Socializing and working miscellaneous chores for the villagers must have taken a toll on him.
Thus, she sat beside him, leaning onto his shoulders, enjoying each other's warmth.
Dong! Dong! Dong!
Suddenly, the distress signal echoed throughout this village, alerting every villager of the imminent danger.
"Frost pirates are coming! Frost pirates are coming!"
A man shouted aloud on top of his galloping horse, hitting the small gong on the saddle.
Torches and swords held high above the sea level, moving up and down following the wave. Three dinghies approached the village's beach hastily, and thus, the carnage followed suit.
"Frost pirates?!" Darius flinched, he sprang from his seat and opted to pick up his father's sword that was hidden in his bedroom.
"Get the kids to safety!"
"Where are you going? Fighting them? Don't be silly!" Maria stopped him.
"I won't do anything stupid. I promise."
"Alright, just be safe. Meet us at the hideouts."
"Understood. Now go, before it's too late."
****
By the time Darius had arrived at the Village Hall, the villagers were already rounded up by the Frost Pirates. Darius hid behind the wall while peeking anxiously.
Darius saw their hands were cuffed with frost chains. Even from just a glance, he knew the chain was fabricated with magic.
The brawny, middle-aged man who brandished a staff in his hand walked closer to the village's chief and said: "Where is the red-haired girl? The time has come to give her to me!"
"She's not in this village anymore. You guys are too late!"
"Is that so?" The pirates' captain then takes a deep breath. "Liar, she is still around here, I can feel her Flame Arcane lingering in this place. Ahh, yes. So warm and endearing, I want her on my bed tonight."
As the captain clicked his fingers, his crews began to butcher every villager with each passing second. They laughed cheerfully as they did so.
"Shall we try again? Tell me where she is and I shall put a good word about you to the Baron, hm?"
"Kiss my ass, you filthy animal!"
The captain rolled his eyes, and then swung his staff, with just a simple attack spell, the village chief fell in one fell swoop.
"Alright, kill them all, guys. Leave no witnesses!"