Yakov's Call Pt. 1

The snow crunched loudly under Yakov's hasty steps as he walked along the snowy, narrow path. The wind howled above him and atop the naked trees and tall green spruce, blowing the snow along the road. Yakov griped his heavy coat, trying to keep warm. Finally, after cressing one last hill, Yakov's small and humble log cabin finally appeared in front of him. He sped up, encouraged by the sight, and the promise of sharing a warm meal with his sister.   He ran to the front door, but stopped himself. The door was already opened. Did i forget to close it earlier? No, its too cold. She would have noticed by now... Taking a sharp breath, he pushed it open. Inside, he was greeted with cold and darkness, as the hearth fire was about to go out, reduced only to small flames and orange embers. He called out his sister's name, but was only meant with complete silence. Did she sleep all day? Or is she outside? He raced towards the back of the house, to the bedroom.   There, he found her, unmoving on the floor, her clothes pierced with numerous bloody gashes all over her body. Yakov fell to his knees next to her, warm tears streamed from his eyes as he cradled her body close to him. She was getting cold. Yakov began to pray. To whom, he wasn't sure, and he did not care. All he wanted to know was who had killed her, and avenge her.   That is when, out of the corner of his blurry, tear-filled eyes, he saw something weird. A white leaf, dropped onto the worn wooden floor, began to shimmer, and then, float upwards, despite the lack of any wind. Yakov's gaze locked onto the little leaf as it flew up and towards a window. As it passed to the outside, Yakov realised that he should follow it. It must be a sign! The gods are answering my prayers!   He turned to his sister, gave her cold forehead a kiss and promised to avenge her, before depositing her body back on the floor and rushed back to the front of the house. There, on the wall behind the hearth, a old steel sword was hanged on the wall. He took it, saying a quick thank and prayer to his father, who had passed away the year before.   He ran back out into the cold, frantically looking around him to try and find the leaf again. He saw it, flying away towards the forest, swirling between the naked tree. Yakov raced through the forest, barely able to keep up with the speeding leaf, until they both finally arrived at a large birch tree. A large eagle suddenly appeared in front of Yakov, perched on one of the tree's crocked naked branch. As he approched, the bird began flapping its wings furiously and croaked angerely at him.   While Yakov had been confused as to why the leaf had led him here, he noticed something weird on its talons and beak. A red substance. Blood, Yakov immediately realised. That bird is what killed my sister. Suddenly, the eagle jumped from its perch and swooped towards Yakov. Thinking fast, Yakov pulled out his newly crafted sword and braced himself, waiting for the exact right time to cut down the bird.   Instead of a red splatter staining the freshly fallen snow, the bird simply exploded into a cloud of fine, blue, twinkling powder. Yakov was left confused and panting as he looked at the powder dissapearing into the wind. That's when a whistle rang around the trees. Yakov looked around, only to find the white leaf again, floating towards the same branch the eagle was just on. The leaf fell onto the branch, and began to glow intensly, so much so that Yakov had to cover his eyes until the light faded away.   "I am impressed" Someone said, and as Yakov looked up, he saw a man standing on the branch, a wide smile painted on his face. He was cladded in a white silken robe, and wore a heavy looking necklace over the coat that radiated a familiar warmth. Perhaps that was the reason that, despite the cold temperatures, he wore no hat, no mittens, nor shoes or boots. How odd...   "Who are you?" Yakov said, eying this new character with suspicion. "And where did you come from?"   "Would you rather have those useless questions answered, or the name of the one who commanded the death of your sister?"   "I... i-" Yakov stutters in his response. The person chuckled to himself before jumping down from the branch, landing quite close to Yakov, who took a step back.   "The Great Bear." The person said, in a half-whisper. "He's the one who tasked that eagle spirit with killing your sister."   "A spirit? But... how?"   "Your enemy is the Great Bear." The person said in a confident tone. "Him alone deserves your revenge. And i can help you get it"   "Wait..."   "And if you defeat this Tyrant" He said, before pausing. A little smirk appeared on his face as he continued.   "I will lend some of my magic to revive your sister. What do you say?"   "I accept." Yakov's words tumbled out of his mouth before he even realised what he had agreed to, much to the man's joy, who now sported a wide smile and a peculiar glint to his eyes.   "Just as i had hoped" The person said. But then, a new question forming in Yakov's mind distracted him.   "But how will i get there, sir? I do not know where this Bear spirit is?" The person raised a hand, indicating his wish to talk.   "I will take you there. He said, before pausing.   "...you will?" Yakov said, looking around, hoping to find a Jrokya or even a meager dog-sled. Really, anything that was faster than running in thick snow.   "Observe" The person said, before snapping his fingers.   A cold wind rose all around Yakov, spinning around him in a large circle, picking up the fresh snow, and soon, Yakov couldn't see anything beyond the whirlwind. It stayed like that for a few seconds before subsiding, and as it did, Yakov found himself in front of a large cave. After a brief moment of hesitation, Yakov began walking towards the cave's entrance.   He gripped his sword tightly, determination filling his heart. This was it, the opportunity to avenge his sister. He would fight this tyrant bear, and bring her back to life. He hoped with all of his heart that the man was truly capable of such feat. However, when he entered the cave, what Yakov found was not a ferocious bear, but a snoring cub, sleeping peacefully on top of a small stack of hay. Standing over that baby bear, was the man with the white robe.   "Kill it" He says in a flat voice. "Plunge your sword into its heart, and your revenge shall be done."   "No, i..." Yakov couldn't believe it. Instead of facing a ferocious bear, he was confronted to a defenseless baby. Did the man lie to me? how can this baby be any kind of tyrant...   "I can't... i can't do it" Yakov said, putting a hand over his mouth. I can't kill a child... i can't do it...   "You can't save your sister?" The man in white said in feigned disbelief. "Don't you love her?"   "I do! I do!" Yakov yelled "But i cannot kill a baby! That is evil"   "Evil, huh?" The man said, before letting out a chuckle. He raised a hand, snapped his fingers, and two disembodied spectral hands appeared in front of Yakov, gripping his forearms, and pushing them down. Despite Yakov's best efforts to try and resist their hold, he couldn't shake them off, nor could he let go of the sword. Yakov gritted his teeth as he saw the sword's tip approach the cub's belly. He looked up in desperation, seeing the man's face morph into something inhuman, and downright evil looking. Red glowing eyes, rust coloured fur covering pointed ears, sharp fangs poking out as he smiled back at Yakov.   "What... the hell... are you?" Yakov yelled as he struggled, and just as the tip of the sword began to graze the bear's fur, a powerful blast of cold wind knocked the sword out of Yakov's hand. It fall to the ground, clattering loudly on the cave's stony floor and waking up the cub in the process. Both Yakov and the man in white turn towards the outside, where the blast had come from. A gasp escapes the former's mouth as his eyes land on a dragon entering the cave with a snarl.   "You!" The man in white yells at the giant lizard. Snow immediately begins to materialize around him, forming a thin white spiral, which disintegrated right as the dragon pounced on him.   "No! He ran away! The coward!" The dragon roared in frustration, before he then took a deep breathe and turned towards the baby bear. The blue scaled dragon asks the cub if he's hurt, and much to Yakov's surprise, the baby bear was able to talk and responds back, saying that he is fine. The dragon then turned towards Yakov, who immediately felt the pressure of the dragon's gaze.   "And who may you be, human?" The dragon said in a deep voice dripping in suspicion. Yakov instinctually takes a step back, and finds himself hitting the cave wall.   "I'm... sorry!" He said, trying and falling to keep his composure. "I didn't know! I didn't realise he... i wouldn't have accepted..." The dragon's gaze soften and he let out a sigh.   "Breathe, young one. I am not here to punish, but to inquire." The dragon explained. "Now, do tell, what is your story?"   And so Yakov told the dragon everything that had happened since he had come back home, his voice breaking a little at the mention of his sister. By the end, the dragon seemed mad, but not against Yakov.   "That little fox" He said with a growl. A Fox? Yakov though to himself. So what i saw the man turn into earlier, that was his real form?   "He plans to take over this realm." The dragon continued. "And he used you, human, to try and kill the little one here" The dragon said, pointing at the baby bear with one of his sharp claws.   "Thankfuly, i sensed his wicked magic when he teleported both of you, so i managed to arrive in time to stop him"   "I just wanted to bring my sister back to life..." Yakov said, letting himself slide down the cave wall into a seating position. "She was killed by that eagle... He told me he could bring her back..."   "That eagle was an illusion, young one." The dragon said. "Just one of his many deceptions. For one, your sister isn't dead" Yakov shock his head, unnable to understand what the dragon was telling him.   "But i saw her..." Yakov explained. "covered in wounds.... the torn clothing... the blood on the bird's talons..."   "Deceptions. Lies. It's what he does, human." The dragon explained.   "So, she is alive?" Yakov asked, but the dragon shock its massive head, before looking towards the cave's entrance.   "No, she is not. But she isn't dead either." The dragon said. "She is in a state in between life and death."   "How... how is that possible?"   "Because her soul was taken from her. Robbed."   "Robbed? By whom?"   "Who do you think?" The dragon said, turning to face the young man. "Remember the man's necklace, the warmth it held? That was your sister's soul"