Chapter 1

I stared out of the frosted window of the heavy metal doors etched in Charter marks wondering what I should do next. The Clayr's glacier was experiencing its perpetual cold weather.

My straight, black hair fell down to my waist and my eyes were a dark brown. I had skin that was so white that it easily burned in the harsh, reflected light off the snow. I was different from the nut-brown Clayrs with their blue and green eyes and their blonde to light brown hair.

I had been living at the glacier ever since I was three years old. I do not remember who my father or mother were or let alone what they were like. Supposedly my mother came up to the glacier during trading season left me here one chilly autumn night.

Rosaline saw her walking off into the distance. No amount of screaming could reach her with the shrieking wind. The last thing Rosaline saw was a figure in a blue overcoat walking off into the distance. Rosaline found me shivering in my cradle and a silver ring with a red stone.

"Kalla what are you standing there by the freezing door?!" yelled my friend Damiel.

He was one of the few male Clayrs in the Old Kingdom. His golden curls were tousled from running down the halls. His tan cheeks were flushed pink and his breath was uneven. I looked into his blue-gray eyes framed by long, sun-kissed eyelashes.

"It's time for Hansele's Awakening ceremony" said Damiel.

I gasped and picked my white winter jacket off the bench and put it over my blue gown as I thought about what Rosaline would think of me. I never really liked the ceremonies because I knew I could never be one of them. I appreciated the loving years Rosaline had invested in me. She was more of a mother than the woman who left me out in some cradle all alone.

I ran off to the ceremony with Damiel and huddle behind all the other Clayrs at the ceremony. Since I knew I wasn't a Clayr by blood anyways, I didn't have to stand with the unawakened Clayr.

I stood with Damiel at the ceremony. Hansele had her sapphires placed on her head and donned a white gown, the sign of a sighted Clayr. It was the happiest moment of her young life right now. She walked down the isle to join the sighted Clayr while receiving many congratulations along the way. I was starting to lose patience at the ceremony when it finally ended.

"Damiel let's go out near to the Ratterlin and catch some rabbits" I mouthed into his ear at the end of the ceremony.

He agreed with me and we sneaked out into the open skies with her warm winter coats and snow gear twelve minutes later. We got out our crossbows and arrows.

A rabbit ran across the snow after about thirty minutes of constant searching. I shot at it and missed by a hair. Literally, I saw a few gray hairs fall off onto the pure white snow.

Damiel shot a few seconds later and hit the rabbit on its side. I felt the usual twinge when I experience when something or someone dies. Only Damiel knew about my strange feelings. He thought perhaps it was because I was such a great Charter mage. He was with me while I rampaged the library and practiced my spells with him in unused rooms in the gigantic glacier.

Damiel looked at me with a smirk as he picked up the rabbit. What can I say, his ego could use some deflating sometimes. I pounced on him and shoved him face-first into the powdery snow. Then I took the rabbit from him.

I felt bad for the dead rabbit and pulled out the arrow. Then there was this strange jolt and I was thrown into the edge of a cold, gray world. Somehow the rabbit got out of my hands and was on the ground. I grabbed its still form and thought about getting away from this spirit-leaching place. The place pulled at me to let everything go and let the strange, dark river take me on. I was about to go, but then I shook off the feeling. I had Damiel to worry about. He was still rubbing his arms last time I checked.

Then suddenly I was back and found Damiel's face staring frantically down at me. "My god I thought you had froze to death! You just suddenly frozen over and there was nothing I could do. Thank god you're alright!" He brushed the icicles off my clothes and gave me a warm embrace. Then he kissed me on the forehead.

While all that was happening the rabbit had jumped out of my grasp and was slowing hopping away from us. I was quite stunned by the whole experience.