108 ASOIAF - Chapter 1 Part 1

- Narrator -

Colors slowly introduced themselves to Aragorn's eyes, blinking away his confusion at the new change of scenery, or the absence thereof. He slowly regained control of his body's faculties, being finally able to move freely. But it seems getting back his senses was not as pleasant a feeling as he would've liked, as it made him realize the danger he was in.

Aragorn could barely see any light, and had it not been for the invisible moon's light, he would believe the world was plunged into eternal darkness. Cold particles impacted his face, the excessive coldness seeping through his skull, jolting his brain awake and running at full throttle to the extreme sensation. His body temperature started dropping dramatically, as he stood there doing his best to comprehend his current situation.

* DING *

< Emergency Quest Received ! >

< Title: Surviving the storm. >

Description: You have found yourself in the middle of a deadly Winter Storm. Your body temperature is dropping dramatically, and it won't take long for your body to shut down.

Requirement: Do not die.

<>

Aragorn's eyes widened, as the severity of his situation finally settled in, having absorbed the information the system was giving him. He moved forward, but met with resistance he was unused to. Looking down, he noticed the layer of snow reaching up to his knee, making what used to be an effortless movement insufferable. But Aragorn was nothing if not durable and relentless, as he tore through the offending snow with all his might, survival being enough motivation to boost his strength.

Though he quickly found the a few things getting in his way, namely the heavy backpack he was somehow carrying now. Quickly summoning it to his inventory, not bothering with the content yet.

The diminished visibility was eating at his nerves, as he could not see anything beyond ten feet. Not knowing what direction he should go, what his next action ought to be, or how far he should cruise through the seemingly endless snow, made it worse, his sheer willpower preventing him from having a mental breakdown.

The cold was seeping through his bones, hindering his every move. His lower limbs were painfully becoming paralyzed, as he gradually lost their feelings. Just when he believed it could not get any worse did the situation escalate.

*GRRRRRRRR*

His neck jerked to the side in a painful motion in response to the first sound he heard since coming to this world that wasn't the deafening blowing winds. If the growl was not enough deterrent, the threateningly glowing red eyes that sprang to existence, contrast the darkness he could not get away from, sure as hell were. He did not need to be told twice that the local residents were not happy with his intrusion.

He was unable to make out their silhouettes, but the eye-level told him enough about the size of the creatures not to want to mess with them, least of all in his distressful situation, where all cards were stacked against him. He changed directions immediately, accelerating even more than he was, not wishing to try the savage animals' patience. Thankfully, they didn't seem willing to challenge him either.

< Stamina (SP) : 200/450 >

Aragorn had never been more grateful for the cheat he was given, knowing full well if it hadn't been for his accumulated stats, his legs would've given out by now. He had been running for an hour, not stopping for a second, fearing he'd lose his momentum should he do so. The storm did not give any signs of stopping. If anything, it was getting worse and worse.

At the first half hour spent running mindless through the fields of snow, he realized that it doing so would lead him nowhere, that it was only a matter of time before he could not longer sustain such plan of action based solely on... He couldn't fathom what he was wishing for, the urgency of the situation did not leave him much time to ponder over it. But he eventually realized something different about the area he was in. The trees... were abnormally large.

He was certainly expecting different flora in the world of Planetos, but this was something he could use in his favor. He started paying close attention to the trees he passed by, memorizing their lower shapes and instantly adding notes to their location on his map, that proved to be instrumental on giving him a sense of direction.

< Stamina (SP) : 150/450 >

His stamina was reaching dangerous levels for his comfort. He could not afford to go below the hundred mark. His breathing became ragged from all the efforts he exerted. But lady luck finally smiled upon him, as he came across a large tree, with an opening large enough to fit a human, leading to a small cave within the tree. And despite the heavy darkness inside, all his could feel was the desperate need to get inside.

*HISSSSSS*

He didn't question why a snake of all thing was living in such a cold climate, nor did he particularly care. Even the threatening hiss was not enough to stop him from seeking refuge in the cave, the painful frosty death waiting for him outside won over any fear he might have held against the animal.

Activating [Detect Presence], the hostile lifeform was now similar to a beacon of blinding light in the middle of darkness, his eyesight completely unnecessary to know its location with extreme precision. He took out his trusty Bowie, and slowly crawled forward, expecting the reptile to jump him at any moment.

The snake, having his back against the wall, lunged desperately at him to defend its home, but the larger human was even more desperate, and outmatching it in both size and strength, as it was cut down in a swift motion.

Aragorn took out his large backpack, and used it to block the entry to the cave in order to prevent the cold and snow from getting in. But that wasn't enough to comfort his shivering body. He needed to generate heat, he needed food to recuperate the energy he spent.

He took out his camping stove, a cylindrical metallic shape made to hold flammable content and preserve the heat to be used either for warmth or for cooking. He opened the tiny door, and stuffed through it the small tree branches he was lucky to found laying around the ground inside the cave, breaking them down to even smaller pieces to facilitate the operation, before throwing a matchstick inside and closing it.

He took out a packet of instant noodles with some utensils he always kept, mixing them with some water, before placing them on top of the stove. Not willing to lose any time waiting for the food the be cooked, he took out a tiny shovel, and started clearing the ground from the snow, pushing it to the sides of his dwelling. He took out his sleeping bag next, covering himself from head to toe to resist the cold.

He slurped the noodles, savoring the taste, the warmth that propagated through his body breathing life back to him, and using the sides of the hot container to warm his hands. The past hours were not how he expected his trip to this world to be. He wondered if the system humored spawning him right next to some white walkers, because that a would just be the cherry on top.

He couldn't tell where he was exactly, but he could make an educated guess. He knew the only place in the known world where it snows is northern Westeros, so that already gives him a general idea of his current location, but hardly enough for him to get by.

But looking at his attire, warm clothes made up of animal fur and skin, hardly processed, just stitched together to make for practical clothes for such extreme conditions. It seems that aesthetics were never a concern for whoever made them, indicating a more primitive lifestyle. And he knew there is only one kind of people in Westeros who dressed like this... The Wildlings / Free folk. Which means it is safe to assume he was currently north of the wall.

He was reexamining his plans for the future, mostly the immediate future when the storm would subside. He was lost with no contact to any fellow human being. And the pack of what he assumed was wolves ought to be enough to tell him how dangerous being alone in this place is.