FrostFire

Chapter 1

   "Zara! Come help me with the dishes."  

    I sighed, closing my leather journal, leaving my room, heading downstairs.

    Each time I stepped on the old wooden stairs, they would squeak. My family didn't have much. But it's all we needed. We never had money for want. Any presents we got were mostly handmade. Like a beaded bracelet, or the handmade doll my younger sister got last year for her birthday.

    "Sure Mom." I knew not to argue with my parents, we were having a hard time with money right now, my mother didn't work, my father did, but as a full time waiter and chef at a small dinner.

   "Hey Zara?" My sister came bouncing cheerfully into the room. "Yes Valerie?"

  "Guess what? The draft is tomorrow night! I'm so excited, but scared, i mean, I'm not old enough to be entered, but you are! I don't know what I'd do if you left.." Valerie huffed.

     "Don't worry Valerie honey.. why don't you head on down to the town hall? There's a small tv over there, you can watch the Regal channel."  Mom suggested, vigorously scrubbing the plates with the wash cloth.

   "You mean the ONLY channel..." she complained, wrapping her hair back in a bun.

   "Bye Val." I called, as she slammed the door behind her. The town hall was only a two minute walk in our small village. We didn't even have cars, there was no need for them here.

"Hey Mom? Has Valerie mastered her frost breath yet?" I asked eagerly. She'd been working on it for months now.

"No.. not yet, she's barely gotten a little puff of air yet.. she's really having a hard time with her powers." Mom sighed, wrapping the wash cloth on the drying rack.

"Well, I'm gonna go head over to see what the royals are talking about on the regal channel." I explained, swinging on my coat, and leaving the house.

I followed the small dirt path through our village, waving to all the neighbours and small shop keepers.

My face didn't feel cold, like most Frost Casters in my village. There was only three medicine weavers, who were the people that used their magic to heal others. That's what made it almost impossible to get in to the doctors if you were sick or injured.

Once my powers grew stronger, I would barely feel the cold wind at all. Since I lived in the 5th land of Arentica, the Frozen Lands, almost everyone here except medicine weavers were Frost Casters. The other lands of Arentica had different Elemental Casters.

*****

Finally, I arrived at the town hall. My boots brushed against the bristles on the small door mat leading to the huge oak wooden swing doors.

I slipped my coat off, and tied it around my waist, since there was really no coat hangers here. I pushed past the two huge doors, and ran over to Valerie, who was standing beside a huge tv. 

    "Hey Val. What's on tv?" I placed my hands on her shoulders, causing her to jump.

   "Shhh! Be quiet! The royal family's making an announcement!" She whispered, cupping her fingers together.

    I watched as the prince strolled came into view beside the king and queen of Arentica.

    "So your royal highness, rumour has it the first Arentica draft will take place tomorrow night!" Randy, the news spokesmen of Arentica, questioned the royal family.

   "Well." King Richard stated, "The Magic Order Council is the ones planning all that, you'll have to interview them for further information." King Richard didn't seem to know much about this whole draft thing..  "well, then what's you're opinion?" Randy urged.  "Hm. The Magic Order council said in the draft around 10 people from each Land, so you've got it, 80 young adults, will be chosen from the draft, and sent to the castle Opamia, private property of the Magic council, to train to become soldiers who will protect the Eight Lands." King Richard finished.

    "Okay okay.. now, Prince Kal, what is your opinion on this so called draft?"

   Prince Kal, brushed his brown hair out of his face, then answered. "Well.." he looked to his father for guidance.

    "I would think it's a good idea to have some more protection in Arentica..." His opinion was very vague, which didn't seem to quite please Randy yet.
   "Ok then, what to you think about girls also being entered in the draft?"

  "I think it's different then normal. But change can be good sometimes.. so, I'm happy some women get a chance to be picked."

    "Alright. You heard it right here folks, and that's all for tonight! Join me on my next report, every Saturday afternoon!" Randy flashed a pearly white smile at the camera.

*****

"I'm so nervous Zara! Honestly, what if they pick you? Or my friend Dayla? She's two years older then me, she could be chosen!" Valerie groaned, running fingers over her golden haired bun.

"Don't worry Val, I won't get chosen.. there's a couple thousand kids my age in the Frozen Land, I doubt I'll be one of the ten that gets picked from our land. " I mentally added up the odds on my head, which were extremely low.

"Alright.. before we head home, can we stop at Dayla's house for a few minutes? She said her mom baked some cookies for our family." Dayla pleaded.

"Fine, but let's hurry.." we scurried out the town hall, and down the snow covered path, until we reached Dayla's porch.

Her Sphell awaited us at the door. Sphells had always fascinated me, they looked like an old extinct animal I read about called Cats, except Sphell had wings and came in almost any colour you could think of.

Val absolutely adored the creatures. She ran up to it, gently tickling the Sphell all over.

"Come in!" Called Dayla's mother. Val and I squeezed through the door frame.

"Sorry about Sanielle, she's a little hyper today." Dayla's mom admitted, patting her baking apron.

"Is Dayla here today?!" Val squealed, trying to contain her excitement.

"No sorry honey, Dayla's out with a few friends, they went down to the ice pond to hang. But," seeing the sad look on Valerie's face, she reminded her, "I've got some prisma chip cookies fresh out of the oven!" Val followed Dayla's mom into the kitchen.

"Mm!! I love Prisma cookies! The prisma is soooo sweet and delicious!" Valerie coughed, as she scarfed down the Prisma cookies.

"That's good, make sure you tell your mom I want to have a drink with her soon!" Dayla's mom called, as me and Val carried the cookie tin back home.

*****

"Mom!!" Valerie called, bursting in through the door. "Dayla's mom baked us some prisma cookies!! They're really good and sweet!" Valerie took the cookie tin out of my arms, and placed it on our small table.

"Mother, can I go up to my room for a little bit?" I asked, smoothing out my very plain, grey dress.

"Oh alright, but I'll need your help to set the dinner table soon." Mom answered.

Happy to have some quiet time, I sighed, and fled the kitchen quietly, racing up the stairs, and closing my room door behind me.