章 1: Chapter 01: The Frozen Exile
'Cold,' Kaden thought as he opened his eyes to the endless white that surrounded him. The air itself felt heavy, like it was pressing down on his chest, making it hard to breathe. He sat up slowly, snow falling from his shoulders as he tried to gather his bearings.
The landscape was barren. An expanse of ice and snow stretched in every direction, with no sign of life, no hint of shelter. Just the wind, howling across the frozen ground, and the bitter cold that gnawed at his bones. Kaden shivered, pulling the tattered cloak around his shoulders tighter, though it did little to stop the chill.
His right hand ached. He glanced down, noting the faint lines of a Nordic symbol tattooed on his skin—something that felt deeply familiar, though he couldn't remember why. The Vegvísir, a compass of sorts, the symbol of protection and guidance in even the worst storms.
Yet, no amount of symbols could help him now. He had no idea where he was, or how he had gotten here.
'I don't remember…' He closed his eyes, trying to think back to before this. To before the snow. His memories were hazy, fragmented. There had been a battle—no, a war. A throne, shattered into pieces. People, people he knew and loved… they were gone now. And then there was the voice, a voice so deep and old it seemed to echo through time itself.
"Run."
Kaden gritted his teeth, the voice still ringing in his head, distant but commanding. He had been forced to leave, exiled from everything he once knew, his destiny torn away from him. But there was no time to dwell on the past. Not now.
The cold would kill him if he stayed here.
Pushing himself to his feet, Kaden surveyed the land. Snowflakes whipped around him, and in the distance, he could see the mountains of the Farlands—massive, jagged peaks that seemed to rise into the sky like the teeth of a great beast. The rumors were clear: the farther into the Farlands you went, the colder it became. And at the very center of the island, they said, it was so cold that time itself stood still.
He couldn't stay here for long. His survival depended on finding something—anything—that could lead him out of this wasteland. And as far as he knew, the only people brave—or perhaps foolish—enough to live here were scattered among the outer islands, scraping together their existence in the harshest of conditions.
The only thing he carried was a compass—or at least, that's what it looked like at first. The object was smooth, round, and covered in ancient markings that seemed to shift and shimmer in the dim light of the snow. Kaden clenched it in his hand, feeling its weight, knowing that this was no ordinary tool. This was the Wyrd Compass, a relic that had been with him since… well, he couldn't remember.
The compass remained cold in his hand, unresponsive, its needle spinning slowly but never settling on a direction. That had been its state for days now. Ever since he had arrived in this cursed place, the compass had done nothing but spin.
'Not helping,' he thought bitterly, sliding the compass back into his pocket.
The wind picked up again, stronger this time, and Kaden pulled his hood low over his face. He needed to find shelter—soon. His fingers were already starting to go numb, and he knew that if he didn't get out of the cold, it wouldn't be long before frostbite set in.
With no other option, Kaden started walking. Each step was a struggle, his feet sinking deep into the snow, and every breath felt like it froze in his lungs. But he couldn't stop. Not now. The only thing driving him forward was the faint hope that somewhere—somewhere beyond this frozen wasteland—he would find a way to survive.
After what felt like hours, Kaden spotted something in the distance. At first, he thought it was a trick of the light, a mirage created by the endless expanse of snow. But as he drew closer, the shape became clearer—a shadow, standing tall against the white horizon.
A figure.
Kaden's heart skipped a beat. Someone else. He wasn't alone.
He quickened his pace, moving as fast as his frozen limbs would allow. The figure stood still, unmoving, as if it were waiting for him. But as Kaden approached, something about the figure made him stop in his tracks.
It wasn't human.
The creature towered over him, its massive form covered in thick, white fur. Its eyes, glowing with an eerie blue light, locked onto him with a predatory gaze. Steam rose from its nostrils, and the ground beneath its feet was littered with patches of ice, as if its very presence was enough to freeze the earth.
Kaden's breath caught in his throat. He had seen beasts before—monsters of war, creatures of legend—but this… this was something different. Something ancient. Something powerful.
The creature growled, low and deep, and took a step forward.
Kaden's hand instinctively went to the Wyrd Compass, gripping it tightly. He had no weapon, no plan, no idea how to fight something like this. But he knew one thing for certain—if he didn't do something, the beast would kill him.
The air around him grew colder, the snow swirling into a violent storm. The creature lunged, its massive claws cutting through the air with deadly precision. Kaden barely had time to react, throwing himself to the side as the beast's claws slashed through the snow where he had been standing moments before.
'Too close,' Kaden thought, scrambling to his feet. His heart pounded in his chest, his breath coming in ragged gasps. The cold was worse now, biting at his skin, freezing his blood.
The beast roared, a sound that echoed across the Farlands, shaking the ground beneath Kaden's feet. But something strange was happening. The colder it got, the more aware Kaden became of the cold inside him—the cold that was his own.
His right hand began to burn, but it wasn't heat. It was freezing cold. The Wyrd Compass in his hand started to glow, the ancient runes pulsing with energy. Without thinking, Kaden raised his hand, and the air around him seemed to crystallize. Ice formed in the air, jagged and sharp, like shards of broken glass.
The beast lunged again, but this time Kaden was ready. He thrust his hand forward, and the ice responded. The shards shot forward, striking the beast with a force that sent it reeling. It howled in pain, its fur freezing where the ice touched it, its movements slowing.
Kaden didn't stop. He couldn't. The power surged through him, wild and uncontrollable, but he let it flow. More ice formed, wrapping around the beast's limbs, encasing it in a prison of frost. The creature struggled, roaring and thrashing, but it couldn't break free. The cold was too strong.
Finally, with one last, desperate lunge, the beast collapsed, its body frozen solid, encased in black ice.
Kaden stood there, panting, his hands trembling as the cold receded. The snowstorm had calmed, the wind no longer howling in his ears. The beast lay still, a frozen monument to the power Kaden had unleashed.
But that power—it scared him. He hadn't controlled it. Not really. It had just… happened. And now, standing over the frozen corpse of the beast, he couldn't help but wonder:
'What am I?'
He looked down at his hand, where the Vegvísir tattoo glowed faintly before fading back into his skin. The compass had saved him, but at what cost? He didn't understand this power, didn't understand what the compass was or why it was connected to him. All he knew was that it was dangerous.
And it wasn't going to stop.
Kaden took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm inside him. He couldn't stay here. He needed answers—answers he wouldn't find in the middle of the Farlands. There were people out there, somewhere beyond the snow. People who might know more about the compass, about this world, about… everything.
He glanced at the distant horizon, where the faint glow of a settlement flickered in the distance. It was far, but it was his only chance.
'That's where I need to go,' Kaden thought
He took a deep breath, his gaze locked on the distant glow. It was far, further than he'd like, but he had no other choice. The cold here, in the outer edges of the Farlands, was already dangerous—he couldn't imagine what the center was like, where legends said time itself froze.
He took a cautious step forward, his legs still shaky from the surge of power that had coursed through him moments ago. The black ice that had encased the beast shimmered in the faint light, a reminder of what lay within him.
He started walking, though his mind was still racing. The beast—its eyes, its movements, its raw strength—it had all seemed familiar. Like something out of the ancient stories he'd been told as a child. Stories of powerful creatures that roamed the lands of Asgard, creatures that defied time and death.
'I shouldn't be here,' Kaden thought, clenching his fist. 'I don't belong in this world.'
But the Wyrd Compass had other plans for him. He could feel its weight on his hand, even when it wasn't physically present. It was like the compass was a part of him now, guiding him through this world whether he wanted it or not.
His mind wandered to the fragments of memories that were still intact—his home, his throne, his people. They had all been taken from him, leaving him stranded in a world he didn't recognize, a place filled with cold and death. He couldn't remember everything about the battle that had led him here, but he remembered enough to know that his exile was no accident.
He had been forced to leave. But by who? And why?
'Doesn't matter now,' he told himself, shaking off the thoughts. 'Focus on surviving. Answers can come later.'
The wind picked up again, biting at his skin and pulling at his cloak. Kaden pulled the fabric tighter around his shoulders, his breath coming in quick, visible puffs of air. He had walked for hours, and the distant settlement didn't seem to be getting any closer. His legs felt like lead, his body protesting with every step. The cold was relentless, wearing him down slowly.
But he couldn't stop.
He pushed forward, driven by a mix of desperation and determination. The faint light in the distance was his only hope. Whoever lived there might have the answers he needed—about this world, about the compass, and maybe even about how to control the dangerous power inside him.
After what felt like an eternity, the faint glow of the settlement began to grow brighter, the outline of buildings becoming visible through the snow. The structures were crude but sturdy, designed to withstand the harshest of winters. The air smelled of burning wood, and Kaden's heart lifted slightly at the thought of warmth and shelter.
He approached cautiously, not wanting to draw too much attention to himself. The last thing he needed was to be mistaken for a threat. From what he had gathered, the Farlands were a place where people rarely ventured, and those who lived here didn't take kindly to outsiders.
As he neared the first building, a tall figure stepped out from behind it. Kaden froze, instinctively reaching for theCompass beneath his cloak, though it remained dormant for now.
The figure was human—an old man, wrapped in thick layers of fur to protect himself from the cold. His face was lined with age, his beard frosted over with ice, but his eyes were sharp and full of life. He looked Kaden up and down, clearly sizing him up.
"You're not from around here," the old man said, his voice rough but steady. "A traveler, are you?"
Kaden nodded, his body tense, though he tried to relax. "Just passing through," he replied, though the words felt hollow. Passing through to where? He had no idea what lay beyond this settlement, or if there even was a place beyond the Farlands.
The old man's eyes narrowed. "Not many pass through the Farlands, lad. Not without a damn good reason." He paused, giving Kaden a hard look. "You sure you're just passing through?"
Kaden didn't have an answer for him. He wasn't ready to reveal too much—not yet. Not until he understood more about this world, and why he had been brought here. "I'm looking for shelter," he said instead, sidestepping the man's question. "The cold's getting worse, and I don't know these lands well enough to survive on my own."
The old man grunted, seemingly satisfied with that answer for now. "You'll find shelter here, but don't expect any kindness from the folk around these parts. We don't trust outsiders."
"I understand," Kaden said, pulling his hood lower over his face to shield himself from the wind. "I'm not here to cause trouble."
"We'll see about that," the old man muttered, before turning and gesturing for Kaden to follow him. "Come on, then. You'll freeze out here if you stay much longer."
Kaden hesitated for a moment but then fell into step behind the old man, his gaze sweeping over the small settlement. There were a handful of people out and about, all of them bundled in thick layers of fur and wool, moving with purpose but sparing him only quick, suspicious glances. It was clear that outsiders were a rare sight in these parts, and he wasn't about to win any friends by being here.
They passed a few buildings before the old man stopped in front of a large structure that looked like a tavern or gathering hall of some kind. A sign hung over the door, though the letters were faded and nearly illegible. "You'll find warmth in here," the old man said, pushing the door open. "And food, if you've got something to trade."
Kaden stepped inside, grateful for the sudden warmth that greeted him. The interior was simple, with rough wooden tables and chairs scattered throughout. A fire crackled in the hearth, casting a warm glow over the room. A few people sat at the tables, talking quietly amongst themselves, though they all paused to look at Kaden when he entered.
The old man followed him inside and nodded toward an empty table near the fire. "Sit there. I'll see about getting you something hot to drink."
Kaden nodded his thanks and made his way to the table, his body finally relaxing as he sat down. The heat from the fire felt like a blessing, warming his frozen limbs and chasing away the lingering cold. He leaned back in his chair, letting the warmth wash over him, though his mind was still racing.
'Where am I, really? And why does it feel like…' He hesitated, his hand brushing against theCompass beneath his cloak. 'Like I'm being guided?'
The compass had led him here. Of that, he was certain. But what for? Was this the start of something, or was he simply meant to survive?
The old man returned a few minutes later, setting a steaming mug of some kind of broth on the table in front of Kaden. "Here. It'll warm you up," he said, then pulled out a chair and sat across from Kaden, his sharp eyes never leaving him.
"Farlands aren't for the faint of heart," the old man said, taking a sip from his own mug. "So tell me, lad—what's a man like you doing in a place like this?"
Kaden's heart skipped a beat. He had been dreading this question, but he knew it would come eventually. He couldn't tell the truth—not yet. There was too much at stake. Too much he didn't understand about this world, or about the compass that had brought him here.
"I don't know," Kaden said, his voice quiet. "I don't remember much. I'm just trying to survive."
The old man watched him for a moment, his eyes narrowing slightly, but he didn't press the issue. Instead, he leaned back in his chair, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Well, lad, survival's all any of us can hope for in the Farlands."
Kaden nodded, taking a sip from his mug, though his mind was still racing. The Wyrd Compass was silent now, its power dormant for the moment. But he could feel it there, lurking beneath the surface, waiting for the next time it would pull him toward something—or someone.
He didn't know what lay ahead of him in the Farlands, but one thing was certain: his journey was just beginning.
クリエイターの想い 
NotYggdra
NotYggdra Alright everyone, the first 20 chapters are already in draft form and will be released in the coming days. I'll try to upload the chapters as quickly as possible so you can get a better picture of the story. Up until chapter 20, there will be 2 more 'summonings,' so stay tuned!
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