Chapter 1: The beginning of something better

-Calgary, Alberta (Canada)

A boy was running terrified through the streets of the crowded city. He had brown hair and brown eyes. He was 13 years old and his name was Michel Clark. He was wearing a yellow shirt, some brown shorts and a pair of white sneakers.
At that time, Michel was fleeing from some boys of his school. After a while running away tirelessly, he fell on the floor, getting his knees and arms hurt. A few seconds after, his pursuers found him on and began to beat him up, just like a boxing bag. When they were satisfied, they left him lying on the pavement and walked away.
Michel felt every hurting second as an endless eternity. After a while, he got up with many difficulties and went limping to his house with his ankle in a deplorable state because it was twisted.
When he hardly arrived home, his parents received him with an expression of horror and pity on their faces. Michel, having already been healed and bandaged, went to his room to recover from their injuries.
Once he was there, he went to bed and quickly fell asleep: he didn’t want to see what those bullys did him.
Michel's life wasn’t the best, and he knew it. He hadn’t friends to rely on. Almost everyone (except his parents and a few more people) didn’t want to stay by his side too much time for some reason he didn’t know. He had always thought that his fate was to spend his entire life alone, but he was unaware of how much wrong he was, yet he would have to pass several trials…

-The crystal

The next day, Michel was happy to recall that it was Saturday and that he hadn’t to go to school, the place where those thugs waited him almost everyday for no good reasons.
His ankle felt better, so he decided to go to the roof to relax.
He slowly climbed the stairs, opened the door and went outside. His house was near the Brooklyn Bridge, and, in the morning, light was beautifully reflected in the water that flowed in the East River, emitting a bright flash that he loved.
He approached to the wall and carefully sat down and leaned on it. His whole body still hurt him, but he didn’t mind it because he felt safe there.
-There is such a good breeze today... -Michel said with a smile on his face.
He always stopped everything he was doing just to feel the air stroking his cheeks.
His time of relaxation was interrupted by a sudden impact that seemed to come from down the street. Michel stood up and slowly approached to the roof to see what had happened.
- What was that…? –he wondered.
Without considering how much hurt he was, Michel went down the emergency stairs. A few seconds after, he arrived to the place the noise seemed to come from, but there appeared to be nothing. When he was about to leave, he noticed something that was glowing softly on the ground. He caught it with his hands and realized that it was beating very lowly.
- What is this? -he said quietly.

A dark sky

In a dark alley of New York, a boy was walking slowly. He was blond and had green eyes, bright as emeralds. He was over 18 years old and was wearing some clothes that he had been stolen not long ago: a black and white t-shirt, black jeans and a pair of brown leather boots.
His name was Sky and was one of those ruthless fighters anyone could see in the suburbs.
Sky smirked as he felt a change in the direction of the wind, after which he directed his gaze at the shadows of the innermost part of the alley.
-It looks like your other half has been found -Sky said, apparently to no one.
-Do not underestimate the kid, Sky. It’s not sensible to prejudge the situation -said a mysterious voice that did not seem to come from anywhere in particular.
-I guess you’ve got a point... -said Sky, and an even bigger smirk appeared on his face- After all, I am involved in this too, and you know better than anyone.
The mysterious deep voice didn’t say anything more, so Sky left the alley and got into the crowd.

A new friend

Michel was lying down while looking fixedly at the ceiling, with no reason in particular. On the left side of the bed, was the object he had found a few minutes. It was a crystal blue sky that had within it a statue of what seemed to be a dragon.
At that time, he was thinking how that strange object could have appeared from nowhere. Despite he wanted to keep his head on it, he could not prevent to think in something he had always been thinking, every single day.
-I guess I will have to be alone indefinitely - he thought, after what he turned to the right- I wish I only have someone to talk to…
Suddenly, an intense gleam that came from the blue crystal filled Michel’s room, blinding him. When it stopped, he slowly opened his eyes and directed his look toward the light, but what was there wasn’t anything like that.
In front of Michel, standing on the floor, was a white mouse with a blue patch covering his entire back. It had a pair of little wings, too. He was wearing some tiny brown gloves and a little cap with goggles, just like the ones pilots usually wear.
Michel stood up and approached him slowly. He ducked to watch him more carefully. He realized that its small ears were shaped as little wings. It had black, round and bright eyes, too.
- How did you come into my room, little one? -Asked Michel, even knowing that the mouse could not understand him.
The only answer he received was one that a mouse should not give.
- Gaga?
- Huh? –Michel heard someone climbing the stairs.
-Michel, are you there? -asked his mother when she was next to the door.
The boy was nervous because he knew his mother was not very friendly to mice.
-Uh ... Yes, yes! I am here alone, mom!
-Well, -said the woman- I just came to say that dinner is almost ready.
- OK, OK! Thanks mom -Michel was relieved to hear his mother going down the stairs.
After that, he sat on the floor. The little mouse went flying from a corner of the room to his right shoulder.
-Now I'm sure you're not a normal -said Michel, surprised to see what the little animal had done.
He gently stroked the mouse under his chin, which seemed to be OK with him. Michel gave a little smile, for when he ever tried to get near to an animal, it always hurt it. But that time was different.
-This is the first time I feel something soft in my hand, you know? -the boy said quietly-  Every animal I've tried to pet as a child always hurt. It’s the same in my school. For some reason, everybody seems to hate me... You might end hating me, too...
The mouse saw how sad Michel felt for being alone. What the boy did not know was that his partner had felt his loneliness even before they had looked each other for the first time.
After that, the animal saw a tear slid down his face. It fell on top of the mouse, getting him wet.
-Excuse me, little one -said Michel while he was wiping his cheek-. It always happens to me when I think about those things.
The mouse shook and jumped down onto the boy's right knee. Then he took his hat and started to dry the water that had fallen on it. Michel, feeling better, started to giggle.
-Thanks for that, little one –said Michel.

-Nightmares

After dinner, Michel went to bed. The mouse stayed by his side.
In the middle of the night, the little animal was woken up by Michel’s whimpers and gasps. He was having a nightmare, one that he used to have very often.
-No ... no ... Leave me alone. I didn’t do it ... Please ...
He was breathing hard and sweating.
The mouse flew up as fast as he could because he could get crushed by the boy’s head.
-No, no! – he cried- I'm sorry. I didn’t hurt anyone, I swear it. Please...
Whatever the dream was about, it wasn’t good. The animal was frustrated, he didn’t know how to help. Then, he decided to land on his face and stay there the rest of the night. Suddenly, the boy's breathing began to come back to normal.

In the dream

Michel was running. He was being persecuted by a crowd of people. Soon, he reached a dead end, and when he turned on his steps, he found his persecutors standing up no too far from him.
-There you are! -cried one of the men.
-You killed our families, monster! -yelled a woman with a brittle, but menacing, voice.
Michel was really scared.
- I didn’t do anything! Please, let me go! -he cried as he felt his back touching the wall behind him.
The people were getting closer and closer. Anger was reflected in their faces. Seeing that he had no escape, Michel closed its eyes and resigned to the imminent pain, but it never came. Everything he felt was a cold breeze that caressed him gently.
He opened his eyes and, for his surprise, found himself floating high above the floor. He couldn’t believe it, he really was flying. He couldn’t help to let a big smile out of his face.
- This is absolutely incredible! – he shouted.
Then the wind started to swirl around him.
- What the...? –Michel stopped flying.
The air become a great tornado. When it started to fade, Michel observed a body emerging from it. What he saw surprised him a lot: a large dragon-shaped creature appeared in front of him.
The dragon was white with a blue patch covering his entire back, from his head to the base of his tail. He had three dark blue claws on each foot. His ears looked like two small blue wings. He was wearing pilot’s hat with goggles and a gold necklace with four red rings hanging from it. Two golden rings were pierced at each one of his white, feathered wings. On his front paws, he had brown gauntlets with blue brooches on them. The hair growing on his head was thick and blond.
Michel did not know what to do but stay still staring at the bright blue eyes of the dragon.
- Who-who are you? -he said while his heart was beating very quickly.
The dragon didn’t say anything in a big period of time that seemed like years to Michel. He finally spoke with a deep and calm voice
- So that you are the Wind Saga...
- What? -Michel asked. He was confused.
- I noticed you were having a nightmare -said the dragon with a sympathetic look- Do you have those dreams very often, kid?
At first, Michel was surprised by what the dragon had said, but his surprise quickly became sorrow, and then looked away.
-Y-yeah. I have had them since I was four, but I still don’t know what they mean... They make me feel guilty for harming those around me, although I don’t know exactly what I’ve made them...
The dragon was silent a few seconds. He looked to be thinking deeply, and then said:
- Then I will help you to have a good dream, at least tonight –he said smiling.
A pleasant wind began to blow around Michel.
- What...? Wait! I don’t know even if you have a name! –he shouted when the breeze became a tornado again.
- Do not worry, kid –the dragon said- I’ll see you again in this form very soon. I promise.
Michel was confused by his words, but before he could say anything more, an intense light filled the sky.

-Back to the real world

Michel was awoken by the bright morning sun. He felt something soft on his forehead. Slowly, he opened his eyes and moved them upward. He saw the white mouse laying on him. He gently caressed him with his hand. The animal stirred, after what he woke up with a yawn and then flew up.
The boy opened his hand so he could land on it.
- Good morning, little one -Michel said- I had a strange dream tonight. At first, I was having a really bad time, but then I found myself flying and then I saw a great dragon. He said something about me being the Saga of the Wind or something. I was scared of him at first, but I have to admit he was very cool. Before leaving, he assured me that we would meet soon again. What do you think?
The mouse only said a thing:
- Gaga?