The Holders

Chapter 1 - Zara

The snow was deeper this year. Plough trucks had made mountains of snow placed at random intervals on the pavement.

I stepped around a sheet of ice on the ground. Even though I was wearing just a pale blue hoodie over my t-shirt and jeans, I didn't feel the cold.

I caught a reflection of myself in a shop window. My blonde-white hair was swept to one side and the uncontrollable curls were bouncing in the cool wind. A pair of icy blue eyes stared back at me.

The girl in window looked lonely.

Everybody else who went to Iceland's Boarding School For Teenagers had gone home for winter break. I didn't have a home to go to.

I was glad they were gone. They all hated me. I don't know what I did but they decided I was a 'freak'. Maybe it was how everything I owned was coated with frost. Maybe it was how I once pointed out a blue giant I saw in the mountains, before I learnt to keep my mouth shut. Maybe it was simply because I didn't fit in.

I saw something flash pass out of the corner of my eye. I turned around but no one was there. The street was deserted. I wasn't heading anywhere specific, I just needed a walk in the cool air to clear my mind.

I felt a hot breathe on the back of my neck but once again, no one was there when I turned around. Suddenly, a burst of flames shot towards me. I dodged to the side just in time.

My heart was pounding as I ran into a narrow alley between two shops. I emerged on the other side in another empty street. I kept close to the edges of the shops as I quietly made my way down the street.

I heard a loud thud behind me and turned around to face the monster. It had a dragon-like face with dark red scales. It fixed it's red beady eyes on me and it's mouth was filled with sharp white teeth.

It had a body like a snake but with two front legs which made it look strange. The front legs had three talon feet which were made of fire. On it's back were black, folded wings. One look at it and I knew it could breathe fire.

I stared stunned. What was that thing?

It reared back on it's snake end and advance slowly. As it slithered the snow in it's path melted away.

I stood frozen to the spot, unable the move. The monster's right arm got in position to hit me. I dived to the right as it started to swing.

I should've reacted quicker, the thing struck me on my left arm. Pain exploded on my shoulder. My sleeve burned away showing three long claw marks running down from my shoulder to just above my elbow. The marks burned into me.

My arm felt like it was on fire and it was spreading through me.

The monster appeared above me where I was lying on the ground in pain. It's mouth opened, readying itself to shoot fire which would kill me.

I weakly raised my right hand, not knowing what good it would do. I spark of pure, brilliant white started in the center of my vision and soon grew. My head fell to the side and my hand landed next to me in the snow. I thought I saw somebody running towards me but my vision was blurring.

I only had enough strength to lift my head to see that above me was no longer the fire monster. But instead the monster was frozen in completely solid ice.

Then I blacked out.

**********

I woke up in a room with white walls and a white floor. I sat up. I was on a basic singular bed next to an unusually small window. I looked out but all I could see was the stretching blue sky and shimmering sea.

I was in a plane and we were flying over an ocean.

I heard the door open behind me, I turned around and a boy was coming in. My first guess would be that he was 19 but then looking again I realised he could even be 26. I think he would be somewhere between 19 and 28. He had dark blonde hair that was recently cut and dark brown eyes.

"Who are you? Where are we going?" I asked. Instead of answering, he just walked over and started unravelling the bandages on my left arm that I hadn't realised were there.

"It hasn't healed," He muttered annoyingly. I looked down at my arm and saw three jagged scars. "The spray hasn't healed it." He picked up a metal cylinder and pressed down on the lid causing it to spray.

The boy looked at me and then turned around to picked up a small knife. Before I could stop him, he cut his palm. As blood was soaking his hand, he picked up the spray and used it on his hand.

I watched amazed as the blood on his palm stopped and the cut sealed itself. Soon his palm was back to normal without even a scar.

"To answer your questions, I'm The Protector and we're going to East," He told me.

"To East?" I asked uncertainly.

"Yep, we are going to find East."

Before I could ask anymore questions 'The Protector' told me that:"I don't like repeating myself so I'll explain once all of you are here. You're going to have to trust me. After all, I got you away from that monster and helped heal your arm. So do you trust me?"

I nodded.