Chapter 1: A rude and cold awakening
I climbed out of the watery hole while gasping for air, crawling into the snow covered shores. I turned my back towards the ground as I looked towards the darkened sky. I then started laughing.
“I’m alive…” I said as I was still laughing, “How am I alive?”
I then stopped laughing as I felt my numb body slowly waking up after what felt like a long nap in freezing water. I raised my right hand towards the sky and moved around to test if it was still good. After testing my right arm, I tried to raise my left, but I couldn’t feel anything on my arm. Was it still numb? I looked to my left and saw that my whole left arm was gone. Not just the forearm, but also the shoulder as well, leaving nothing more but a small stump where my arm was supposed to be.
What happened to me? How did I get here? I thought to myself. I tried to remember how I ended up here but my mind came up blank. Why can’t I remember anything? Some part of me wanted to panic while the other part just didn’t seem to mind.
I was deep in my thoughts when the cold wind washed over my body as I snapped back to reality. What was I doing? First, get out of the cold, find shelter, and find help. Then you can start having a damn crisis.
I sat up straight and shifted my legs to feel comfortable. I then realized how tattered my clothes were. There were multiple holes and tears everywhere, and if I don’t act quickly, I may probably die from the cold before finding shelter.
I then started searching for whatever I had on me. I first checked my pockets and found nothing. I noticed a leather strap on me and saw a dark brown satchel hanging from it so I checked it out next. I opened it and found a sheathed knife, a pistol that strangely feels old, 2 magazines to what I presume is for the pistol, and a water canteen.
Well, at least it’s something. I grabbed the knife and placed it on the ground. I then unsheathed it to check if I can still use it. I was expecting it to be a bit rusted or dull but to my surprise? It looked quite sharp, and clean too. It has something also engraved on it, the symbols were quite foreign as it was a mix of lines and squares from what I’m guessing.
I sheathed my knife then stood up and looked around for shelter but all I could see was a forest across a snow ridden plain. As I can’t seem to find anything else, I guess I’m going to the forest instead.
I felt my spine tingle as the winds kept blowing and felt the temperature slowly dropping. I looked at the storm, then back to the forest in the distance, I sighed and started walking, “Well, into the cold white wasteland…”
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I was busy eating my food while looking back at the last book I read before dozing off last night. It was the story of the Windigoes. Starswirl read this to me when I was young, so did my mum. So, why was I reading a foals tale anyways? I don’t think this had any relevance to my studies. Perhaps it was just out of boredom. Perhaps.
While deep in my thoughts, my ears twitched as I heard a knock on my door.
“Who is it?” I asked
“It’s me again, sir,” It was the servant from awhile ago, “I’m here to deliver the weekly report on the supplies.”
“It’s that time of the week again?” I said as I closed my book, “Alright, I’ll get it.”
I stood up and walked towards the door and opened it to see the same mare that delivered my food awhile ago.
She handed me the papers of the report on the supplies, “Here they are, sir.”
I thanked her as I grabbed the papers and levitated it towards my desk. She nodded back at me and left without saying anything else, like she was in a hurry or something. I started noticing something about her, it’s somewhere at the tip of my tongue but I couldn’t think of anything.
I closed the door and started walking back to my desk where I placed the reports at. I sat down and drank a small cup of water and started reading the weekly reports. Well, building materials were quite abundant, homes and facilities were still being maintained as usual, some minor frostbite from a few citizens, nothing but a little bit of magic and first can’t handle, and so far, no deaths yet. Food was, also, surprisingly looking well.
The report was looking good until I looked at the firewood. The fuel consumption rate drastically increased from the past days ever since the temperature dropped making the fuel only able for about 2 weeks at most at this rate.
I was hoping to find a report for the watch posts but found none. It’s been nearly a week and I haven’t heard any news from them, strange.
I heard a knock on my door again.
Annoyed, I sighed and placed the reports down, “Who is it?”
“Sorry for disturbing you again sir,” The same servant from before said, “But Princess Platinum is demanding for your presence immediately.”
“Alright, alright…” I sighed feeling more annoyed today than usual, “Inform the Princess that I will be going there now.”
“Yes, sir.” I heard her leaving.
I got up and grabbed the papers but after doing that, I suddenly realized how smelly and dirty I was. Well a little quick wash wouldn’t hurt any pony. I placed the reports back down and headed for the bathroom to take a quick bath. I gotta make myself presentable after all.