The snow…it's such a beautiful thing. When it falls it looks so clam and serene; covering the earth in a soft spacious blanket. But its beauty fades the moment that it gets painted a scarlet red.
The small wooden cabin stood like a solid mass among the dark trees of the forest, a soft yellowish glow coming from its windows and colouring the fresh white snow that covered the ground. Noelle sat in the small square window of the living room staring up at the bright full moon that hung low in the sky overhead. A gentle fire roared in its stone Hurst and made the small house feel cozy and warm.
"Papa, is it wizards who control the phases of the moon?" Noelle asked as she looked away from the window and over at her father who was sitting by the fire with his feet resting on the center table.
He removed the black pipe from between his lips and blew out a puff of smoke as he chuckled.
"It would seem logical wouldn't it little kitten, but to be honest I don't know." Dropping his feet down, he stretched out his sore and tired muscles as he came to join her at the window.
Noelle smiled as the soothing sent of tobacco met her nose and she cuddled up against him as he wrapped his strong arms around her.
"The moon of Fiore is sure a pretty sight, but as for your question, I honestly don't know. I know that there are wizards who can beckon the stars to their aid in battle and they are known as Celestial Wizards, but as for the moon, well it seems like it has a magic all of its own."
Noelle nodded her head as she looked up at the moon once more, its glowing light seeming like the purest thing that existed beyond the realm of heaven.
"Papa, how come I have never seen a wizard?"
Her father let out a deep sigh as his eyes slid to the side and made contact with his wife who was sitting quietly in the corner. She furrowed her eyebrows and quickly glanced down at her knitting, her pace quickening with the anxiety of her daughter's question.
"I mean, I've lived in these woods my entire life and the only other person that I have seen has been Uncle Arthias and no one else. I know that wizards exist because you and mama have told me about them, but I want to actually meet one. How come we never leave the forest? Is Fiore a scary place?"
She looked at her father with intense eyes, the deep vibrant blue growing hard like ice. He stared back at her with softness in his own as he sighed and ran his fingers through her short blonde hair.
"No, Fiore is not a scary place, but like every world it has its dangers, and it's for that reason that we made our home out here. You see mama and I were scared for you kitten, we didn't want anything bad to happen to you because we love you."
"What your papa is trying to say kitten is that we never leave the forest because though there are good wizards, there are bad ones as well and before you were born it was the bad ones who came to our village and destroyed it, so seeing a chance to make a new beginning we decided to settle down out here in a safe place where wizards have no reason to travel. I promise that someday you will meet a wizard, but for now, well you are still growing, we pray that you stay here within the safe shelter that this forest provides, can you do that kitten?"
Noelle looked at her mother who was smiling enough to make her gentle eyes glow and nodded her head.
"Of course I can, I don't want to leave mama or papa and besides I'll meet a wizard when I'm older."
Noelle smiled at her parents and hugged her farther tightly, breathing in his warm soothing scent once more before her mother decided that it was time for bed. Snuggling beneath her covers she kissed her mother good night and closed her eyes against the darkness of the room. Her thoughts began to wonder and flow as she drifted off, the moon appearing like a silver beacon before her; its bright light causing her to close her eyes and look away.
"Noelle, my child, you must listen to what I have to say." A deep mystical voice said.
She squinted her eyes as she tried to look at the bright being as the shape of a ghostly white man began to form before her, his robes billowing out as though they were made of air.
"From the day since your birth beings have been after you, scouring the landscape in search of you and for years you have been safely hidden away, but your serenity is soon about to end. They have found you and are coming upon you as we speak. You must now wake my child! And run, run to the south and head for Magnolia, there you will find Fairytail. Trust in these people my child, for they are the only ones that can save you now!"
As the light grew viciously brighter Noelle shielded her eyes with her arms as she watched the elder begin to vanish back into the moon.
"WAIT! I don't understand what you are saying! Mister WAIT!"
The light consumed the world and Noelle shut her eyes as a loud roaring quickly filled her ears. Suddenly she felt a violent shaking take over her body and hard pressures began to push into her shoulders. Noelle opened her eyes in a panic and the world seemed to come back into focus in a rushing wave. The roaring from her ears vanished to be replaced by the desperate voice of her mother as she was being quickly hustled out of bed.
"Noelle, honey, you have to wake up now, come quickly and put this on over our nightgown!"
Noelle blinked her eyes in confusion as her mind took on a hazy sense. What's going on? She asked herself as she quickly kicked off her covers and stood on the icy wooden floor. Her mother was wrapping a red hooded cape around her shoulders and buttoning it up at the neck as she knelt before her listing off instructions that Noelle struggled to grasp.
"Noelle, you have to listen to me now and do exactly as I say! We are going to be heading towards where uncle Arthias is ok, it will be a long trek in the cold but we have no choice, now quickly put on these boots and I'll grab us a torch globe!"
As her mother turned to head out into the living room a sharp piercing howl came from outside that made Noelle's hair stand on end and her blood run cold. Her mother seemed to freeze in her place and a chill ran down Noelle's spine.
"Mama?"
Her mother quickly slammed the door to the bedroom shut and helped Noelle get her winter boots on. Noelle felt a queasiness in the pit of her stomach as a cold sweat broke out on her forehead. Her mother quickly drew back the curtains from the bedrooms small window and lifted open it's glass pane. Kicking her legs up, her long skirt dragged out behind her as she felt out into the snow.
"Ok Noelle, hurry!"
Noelle's feet felt like lead as she headed towards the window and her mother's open arms. She was quickly lifted out the window and set down in the soft powdery snow. Her mother pulled the red hood up over her head and squeezed her hand tightly as they set off away from the cabin at a run, heading north towards the inner boarders of the Mount Hakobe Mountains. Noelle's breath came out in fast puffs of fog as she ran alongside her mother, the snow feeling cold against her bare legs as they weaved a path through the trees. As they ran, Noelle's mind seemed to spin faster as she tried to make since of all that was happening. The man from my dream said to head south, because I was in danger, and now we are heading north to Arthias, because something is chasing us. It doesn't make since, I don't understand what is going on here! Noelle's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sound of a loud wind gun going off. Her mother suddenly stopped to look over her shoulder, her features looking anxious and distorted by fear in the moonlight. Noelle starred up at her and went to ask what was going on when a loud blood curdling scream split the silent air and Noelle felt everything freeze. It all seemed to move in the slow motion as her mother screamed out her husband's name, tears dropping from her eyes and crystalizing in the moonlight. Noelle followed her mother's gaze back towards the cabin and felt all of the air leave her chest as a haunting creature became silhouetted by the moonlight. Its yellow eyes seemed to stare right into her own as its breath fogged out around it. Standing the height of a man it sent the taste of metallic liquid into her mouth as it turned its wolf shaped head towards the moon and let out another spine tingling howl. Noelle could only hear the fast pulsating rhythm of her own heart as the creature leaped towards them in a thrust a speed. She felt herself falling backwards as her mother shoved her out of the creature's way and blocked its attack using her own body. Noelle let out an ear piercing scream as the creature's clawed hand smashed through her mother as if she were air. The snow around them suddenly became a haunting red as tears began to flow from Noelle's eyes. The coldness of the snow was muffled by her red cloak as she hit the ground, her mother's face turning to look back at her. A soft smile spread across her face as she spoke.
"Run kitten and be who you were born to be."
Noelle screamed as the creature ripped back its hand, taking her mother's final breath with it. She watched as her mother fell to ground in a bleeding heap, the snow turning a deep scarlet around her. Noelle felt her muscles suddenly tighten as the creature shifted its gaze from her mother to her. Its long lips pulled back to reveal sharp rows of flesh cutting teeth. Noelle could feel a violent shaking beginning to take over her lips as she sat there in the snow looking up at the creature that not the darkest corner of her mind could've created. It took a step towards her and Noelle felt herself lean back and raise up her arm in a pitiful defense, she squeezed her eyes closed and prepared herself for death. Mama, Papa, I love you. Time seemed to stretch out into an eternity as images of her parents and the beauty of her home in summer time flashed into her mind. Her mother had told her to run and become the person that she was born to be, but running wasn't an option, her legs had no more strength in them anymore, her life had no more meaning, only death awaited Noelle Casavell at the age of 9. Then she felt it, a rush of air coming in and zooming passed the side of her face, she braced herself for the pain but opened her eyes in shock as a sharp snarl of rage rang out from in front of her. Before her the creature stumbled back with a long metal arrow protruding from its chest. Noelle spun around from her place in the snow to see the black haired Arthias running towards her with his bow housing another arrow. He let it fly and it hit its mark directly beside the first.
"ARTHIAS!"
"NOELLE! RUN! GO!"
Without a thought in her mind she fled, sprinting through the deep snow as if it were flowers in a field. Her nightgown and cape were soaking wet but she couldn't feel the cold, she couldn't feel anything; all she understood was that she was running but running where? The dark black tree trunks continued to move passed her as she headed in some sort of direction with no destination in mind, only a scared flight in hopes of putting distance between herself and the living creature of nightmares. Head south to Mongolia. Noelle heard the man's voice loud and clear inside her mind, the dream had given her a direction to run in a destination to seek. Feeling desperate and having nothing else to relay on she looked up at the stars to track her position like Arthias had taught her to do well hunting and she set her running pace for south, for hope, for Mongolia, for Fairytail the only ones who could have save her now.
