Cold Devotion

Prolougue

       Nicholas ran.
       Running was the only thing that he's ever known. Running from the home, running from the army when they invaded Nocolla, running from the jailors when he got caught in his troubles, running away and acting dead so that he wouldn't have the face the disappointment of his mother, running away just like his deceased father told him too.
       Running away from the love of his sisters, Zahida and Meara. Their warm hugs and happy-go-lucky smiles. He couldn't imagine how they were taking his faked death. How they were going to take care of their mother. How Zahida was going to be able to take care of Mother, Meara, the farm, and Grandmother. He sighed and kept running his thoughts. Why did you leave them, asked a voice in his mind. A true son and brother wouldn't do that to his family. You are a traitor to the Toa family. A disgrace to his village.
       He started to cry as the harsh wind and hailing snow made home on his face. His eye lashes started to frost and his jacket and thin clothes gave no warmth to him. His heart felt as cold as he did, freezing his blood cells and numbing his body. His boots were full of ice slush, seeping into his socks. His mittens didn't give him any warmth either, all thought they were in the protection of his jacket and close to his body. His ruffled brown hair carried icicles that got longer and heavier as he trudged. His brown skin started to turn whiter by the second with covered snow. His tears stuck to his eyes and froze and kept his eyes opened. The new, salty tears streamed out but there wasn't a point any longer.
       As he was running, which turned to crawling with the growing slush, he saw something shiny covered in the snow. He gasped and started to crawl faster. The snow whipped at his face and flipped him onto his back. The trees around him seemed to get larger and trying to block his path, but he was determined. His boot got stuck in something, most likely a root underneath him, and he tried hard to unhook it before leaving it there and crawling on top of the snow, slipping and falling. When he finally got to the shiny thing, he picked it up and realized that it was a necklace.
       The necklace had a golden chain and a soft, silver blue geode at the bottom. It looked like a necklace that he could open, so he did. But when he looked at it closely, he realized there was a lock with no key. His hopes dropped. How was he supposed to open it without-
       Something warm fell on his hair and he reached up to get it. It was a key with a ruby stone. He gently shoved it in and the geode opened. It said:

        For those who find and search these treasures, they find and search for their liking. They find and search of a palace of snow with maids tall and silver walls and won't escape until all is done. They shall run and run through the halls until all is good and they see the sun.

      Nicholas didn't understand. What did it mean? But just as he finished, he transformed into something he never dreamed off. A Phoenix that would carry him throughout the sky and travel with no trouble. He could keep himself warm and be fast at the same time! He looked down and saw that the necklace was there no longer, but instead on his neck where it ought to be. He flapped his wings and flew over the white wasteland. He flew and flew and flew until he saw two small girls in the distance.