Ice As Dark As Life, Darkness As Bright As Black

Chapter 1: New Beginnings

       After a few people said a few words about the dead man, Jack finally went up to the stage. He looked at everyone, and saw that had their teary and red eyes on him. All except his upset and depressed mother. Sighing softly, he claimed a look of determination and courage on his wet face, and opened his mouth.

       "Today, we are talking about a dead person." Everyone's eyes bulged out of their eye sockets, shocked that they were hearing such malevolent words from the normally kind-hearted and shy boy. "Today, we are mourning the lost of my father, a man who was caring and considerate to everyone. But, we must keep in mind, today is also a day for change."

       With that, Sarah looked up at her child, gaze holding a silent question about what her son meant. Jack faced his mother, lips quivering slightly as he choked out his words. "T-today, we are to start a-anew. We w-will not be focusing on the decreased man we all loved, b-but how we can honor him. How we can improve our town, how to survive together, and more importantly, how to value each other for years and years to come. We will honor the d-death of a leader, by showing how much he has taught us, and using it to our ability. I hope this is a message we can all agree to, and one that will stay in our memories for many lifetimes. Th-thank you, everyone." Jack quickly walked off the platform, and ran into his mother's open arms. They both cried together, ignoring the sound of clapping hands and the sniffles around them. Sarah pulled away, and cupped her baby's face in her palms, smiling lovingly at the brunette.

       "Sweetheart, you are most definitely correct. Today, we remember a lost family member, but now, we open the doors to new beginnings. Thank you, Jack. I needed someone to show me that, and who better to do it than you?" Looking at the clouds, she grinned, her pearly white teeth showing in the sunlight. "Today, we turn to a new leaf."

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Five Years Later After The Funeral

       "Come on, Snowflake, I know you can go faster than that!" A snow-white steed neighed in reply, before moving even quicker, nearly throwing its rider off. "Bloody hell, Snowflake, it would be nice if you were to give me a warning next time!" The horse only gave a snort.

       "Fine, I'll buy you some apples the next time we stop at the market, but only if you behave!" Jack pulled the horse's reins to a stop, and took a moment to look around. It was getting late, and the winter nights never seemed to get any warmer. "We need to be careful, especially since it snowed last night. There could be ice on the ground. But, we have to speed up a bit, if we want to be home before sunset."

       Just then, a loud crash sounded, making the two jump in surprise. Jack looked in the direction the noise came from, and steered his stallion that way. They were met with a tiny forest of naked trees, all of them dusted with mounds of snow. After a few minutes of exploring the small cluster of trees, he found a broken wheel laying on the ground, splinters here and there. "Snowflake, move ahead. There might be someone injured, or in need of assistance." The young teen gripped the reins with worry, wondering if there was anyone out there in danger, or if they were severely hurt.

       I hope they are alright. Hopefully, it won't turn out like the last time a loud sound was heard...

       He flinched, pushing away the images of his bleeding father on the floor. Jack surveyed the ground, looking for any mangled pieces of a human. Suddenly, the bared trees parted to reveal a turned over carriage, and people littered around it. Jack's eyes widened as he looked around in horror.

       Oh gods...what happened here?! What happened to these poor people?!

       A sharp gleam of light caught his eye, and he jumped off his steed to investigate further. Keeping a close eye on the nearly blinding brightness, he stepped closer and closer to one of the fallen men. Peering at the older male in curiosity, Jack wondered if the man was still alive. A sharp groan pierced his ears, and Jack froze as he saw the man before him, turn onto his back. Gasping quietly, he stood stiffly while panicking in his head.

       Oh dear gods, it's the bloody king!

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Author's Notice:

       Hello, everyone. I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday, and I wish you a happy new year! I dedicate this chapter to all my followers and readers, and one of my resolutions this year, is to get a total of fifteen chapters (for this book) done. I hope all of you reading this now like the story so far, and I promise I will update more of it as soon as I can. Farewell, and have a wonderful night~!