Chereads / Soul Alchemy / Chapter 2 - Ep. 2 - Tomb of Snow

Chapter 2 - Ep. 2 - Tomb of Snow

Camran walked through the snow without worry, the sky empty without a cloud to see. "Strange, I don't feel scared of dying anymore. I'm still cautious, but… I'm not afraid," He spoke to himself, "I kinda hoped you would talk back to me if I spoke, Shin." He looked at his werewolf servant. It simply followed behind him, occasionally panting like a dog.

Eventually, they came across a cabin. It was nearly impossible to see, the snow was piled so high that only the chimney was visible. "This is the perfect time to test something." Carman chuckled, 'Let's see if Shin can follow orders even if I don't audible speak them.'

'Dig into the snow until you find the cabin door!' Camran thought to himself. Shin stood there for a second, but then the armored werewolf got on all fours and began digging in the snow near the cabin.

Camran shook the snow out of his hair, letting it show its true jet black color. He then took off his ski goggles, revealing piercing green eyes. They looked like cut jades, perfectly shaped and an even, beautiful shade of green.

Eventually Camran heard a howl and took it as a sign that Shin finished. He looked down at the snow trench that Shin had created and began laughing. At the bottom, Shin sat in front of the door, wagging his tail. It looked like a lost puppy, it was almost cute. Camran slid down the wall of packed snow, landing in front of the door. 'The snow must be at least 4 meters high. Damn.'

He moved towards the little cabin's front door and knocked. Although is was unlikely, someone may have lived there and was snowed in. When several minutes had gone by without an answer, Camran pointed at the door, "Bust it open" and so Shin stood up and charged its elbow at the door, bursting inside the cabin.

It was completely dark, except for the light leaking in through the door. Camran felt around his jacket, eventually pulling out metal rod with a slot in the top. Since they were inside, Camran took the fire mana crystal out of his jacket and put it in the rod's slot. The crystal lit up instantly, providing heat as well. The cabin became illuminated, revealing the state it was in. The actual structure was perfectly fine, but the interior was a mess.

He wandered over to the fireplace and threw some nearby logs from a semi-neat stack and blank paper on it. Camran lit the fireplace with his mana torch, illuminating the entire room after the flames took hold.

Camran is a Druid. Druids are one of four human races. They include the "bound man", which are your standard humans, and go by the nickname of just "human"; the "arcane man", which are highly proficient in magic and typically intelligent, and go by the name of "mages"; the "chosen man" are humans that have a significant percentage of royal blood and are qualified for nobility and even monarchy, and go by the name of "royalty"; and finally are the "origin man", which are humans that blood is so "royal" that they are feared and put down by the royalty, they are extremely proficient mages, but because of their low status in society they have the vast potential of the "bound" man. They go by the nickname of "Druids". Both druids and royalty have royal blood, but what qualifies as royal blood is anyone who's blood is close to that of the Deities, the ancient first species that birthed all intelligent races.

Camran was approached by Shin Faret in a tavern. His status as a Druid made him popular to ask out into hunting missions, but the thought of leaving home typically made him decline. Something about Shin Faret, however, made him change his mind for once. They didn't exchange names or much of anything, just basic greetings. The two spent a month out at sea to reach Throbath, the farthest south continent that is consumed by monsters, which leads up to now: Camran in a deserted log cabin with a pet werewolf.

Other than Throbath, there are 5 other continents. The continent to the north is Estiforis. Estiforis is dominated by deadly a desert and treacherous mountains. The elves were originally evolved from the Deities in Estiforis, and is the most magically advanced continent due to the vast amount of mana crystals and magic springs within the oasis.

The continent to the east is Litscis, the land of fairies. Fairies are a variety of creatures, including imps, spriggans, pixies, sprites, harpies, sirens, and dragonborn to name a few. Litscis is mostly redwood forests and dominates the market in medicines and wood.

The southern continent of Karldinsh is a sight to behold. Rolling hills and expansive quarries, the continent is the largest export of minerals and metals. While the fairies and elves are evolved from the Deities, the golems, the native race is Karldinish, were created by them. Golems are magic-fueled, mineral based beings that were originally dumb and programmed to perform certain tasks, but after many centuries they became intelligent and sentient.

Second to last is the western land of Ghaltdonia, the birthplace of humans. Ghaltdonia's terrain is open plains and woods. It was the last land discovered by the Deities, making the humans the youngest species. Their largest export is humans themselves, as both workers, mercenaries, hunters, explorers, mages, and slaves. Hands are a valuable resource, and Ghaltdonia knew it.

And finally is the Capital Rintros. Capital Rintros, or just Rintros, is between every continent. It is a vast land of swamps and rivers that connect it to the other four continents. It is the trading center of the civilized world, a melting pot of culture, a neutral space between species, and a safe place for Druids to stay away from the royals who want them dead.

Camran finished setting up the cabin's bed. He looked around a smiled, admiring the now clean home. Chairs were properly set up around the table, a rocking chair set up by the fire, books organized on a shelf, and seemingly important papers left in a box. "I don't know if the owner's coming back, but since I'm sleeping here, I'll return the favor" he laid down in the bed, and suddenly the exhaustion Camran's been pushing down took hold, putting him to sleep almost instantly.