Chapter Ninety-Nine: Druid
2014-12-05
Author: Floating Tower
The natural world always moves as one.
In previous years, if winter came, the monsters in the wild would attack other nearby creatures due to a lack of food. Now, with snow starting over a month early, the frequency of their attacks on others is likely to be even higher. Many of the locals, although lacking sufficient knowledge, have the experience passed down through generations that tells them this winter will likely not be peaceful. Soren was leading Vivian down, and as they reached the entrance of the inn, they heard a familiar voice.
“Hey, hey, hey!”
“I’m over here, down below, I’m below.”
Aladdin’s small stature was completely out of sight; they could only hear his voice. The innkeeper looked around and then poked his head out with a smiling face, saying, “Hello. Halfling. What can I do for you?”
Aladdin was so mad he almost jumped onto the table. Taking a breath, he said, “Have you seen a man and a woman with a little girl come here to stay? I saw their carriage outside.”
Soren’s mouth twitched as he walked down the stairs and said, “Aladdin. We’re here. Didn’t you say you were going to the Iron Dwarves?”
Hearing this, Aladdin was quite happy. He clapped his hands and said, “Thank the goddess of luck, you really haven’t left!”
“What a misfortune.”
“I walked quite a bit yesterday, and I finally found a sleeping cave. By the time I set traps and woke up, I found that the heavy snow had blocked the entrance. I dug with a little shovel for a long time, and when I got out, I realized the snow had collapsed, and I was trapped under several meters of snow. I was planning to head to the Iron Dwarves, but the snow was too deep; it was up to my thighs, making it impossible to proceed.”
“So I came back the way I came, hoping to join you in the Elf Kingdom, where there’s said to be a lot of good food.”
Soren looked at his legs. Sure enough, they were soaked from his feet up to his thighs, and even the waist had traces of melted snow, meaning the snowfall outside was likely worse than here. The small halfling’s movements looked like a carrot in its hole. The innkeeper’s expression gradually turned serious. He glanced at Aladdin’s height, calculated in his mind, and said solemnly, “Not good! This thickness of snow has started to seal for winter.”
The other guests in the inn also changed expressions.
Even if the snow only reached above Aladdin’s knees, it was nearly thirty centimeters thick. Looking at the snow inside Leaffall City, it was not so serious. However, if the snow outside was truly this high, it would mean a complete snow seal. “Sealing for winter” and “opening for spring” are colloquial terms here; when the sealing for winter season arrives, beasts begin to hibernate, and many wilderness monsters will rely on stored food to survive. Generally, it is only after the cold winter ends that starving monsters will be more active.
……………
Within the tower of Leaffall City.
A crowd of oddly dressed Druids gathered on a certain floor, consisting of elves, humans, and half-elves, with the majority being half-elves and the least being humans. However, the leader was a tall elven Druid with deer antlers. Around a rectangular table sat more than ten Druids. Some had already started arguing due to differing opinions.
“Quiet down!”
The tall antlered Druid banged the table and said solemnly, “One at a time. Thorn Walker, you go first.”
The one who stood up was a pure-blood elven Druid. His sharp gaze scanned the room and he said seriously, “This early heavy snow has proven that we have been too weak in the past! This is the punishment from the nature deity and the goddess of ice and snow for the relentless destruction! We should have long ago brought the wrath of nature upon those foolish humans!”
“The Grosso Plain in the southeast is already severely desertified. The endless cultivation of farmland and environmental destruction have caused the land there to lose its vitality and soon it will gradually become barren, turning into part of the desert. In the southwestern forest, in the last thirty years, humans have chopped down more than a third of the trees.”
“Nature is roaring!”
“This is its punishment for the entire world. The early arrival of cold winter is a sign. If we don’t do something, even more terrifying natural disasters will happen in the future. I suggest we send the Thorn Spike Patrol Team to let those foolish and ignorant greedy humans, blinded by immediate benefits, feel what the wrath of nature truly is!”
“I oppose!” An elderly human Druid stood up, furrowing his brow as he glanced at the speaker, slowly saying, “The destroyers of the environment are not solely humans; dwarves, gnomes, and elves all contribute to the destruction to some extent. The world is developing with civilization, and civilization will inevitably conflict with nature. What we need to do is find a new balance between civilization and nature, rather than strictly guarding the old ways of nature and always using violence to solve all problems.”
A stunningly beautiful half-elf Druid tapped the table gently and said softly, “Many people are already dissatisfied with us lately, especially after the last attack; the wizards’ attitude towards us is very precarious.”
“The power of nature’s wrath should not be abused. We should send someone to warn them first; if that has no effect, then we can send the patrol team to drive them away. Unless necessary, I suggest we do not engage in large-scale war. Those felled trees can have apprentices sent to plant them as their new task. In at most ten years, the planters can turn that place into a new forest.”
The Thorn Walker looked at her and said solemnly, “And then what? Let those humans continue to chop down trees?”
“Their demands from nature are endless; a tree takes more than ten years to grow, yet they can fell thousands in a single day. In the civilization they are developing, I only see endless destruction and disasters. Do you wish to see the rise of another alchemical city?”
The antlered Druid banged the table and said solemnly, “The disaster of the Arcane Empire must not be repeated! Civilization must never surpass nature!”
“But we cannot always resort to violence. Do not allow your anger to blind your eyes, Thorn Walker!”
“This may simply be an accident.”
“Perhaps we should restrain others’ destruction of nature. Not just humans, but also gnomes and dwarves, and many elves have forgotten the way of nature recently. Perhaps we should send someone to remind them of respect for nature. Sudden seasonal changes are definitely not a good phenomenon. I will send someone to the Dream Forest to inquire of Your Excellency, the Earth Walker.”
“The current issue is that the sudden winter will cause great disaster. Animals should have stored fat to survive during this month, but the early heavy snow has forced them into hibernation. Monsters in the wild also have not stored enough food; if they eat all the food, they will attack other beings. Animals are the first to suffer harm, and then they will begin to attack other races. The biological chain of the natural world will face a significant imbalance. We must ensure that all species can continue to reproduce after the winter.”
“As long as we get through this cold winter, the power of nature will rebalance these beings.”
The other Druids nodded in agreement. The Thorn Walker took a deep breath and said slowly, “Your Excellency the Stag, with our power, we may not be able to maintain balance; the area covered by this heavy snow is too large. I suggest seeking help from other Druids.”
The tall antlered Druid nodded and said solemnly, “I understand.”
“Begin your actions. Eagle Eye Walker, go observe whether the ogres in the Thorn Tooth Highlands can survive the winter. Remember not to let them leave their gathering; these foolish creatures will only cause greater destruction. Withered Tree Master, check the conditions of the northern forest; it would be best to count how many animals may not survive this cold winter. We must provide them with help when necessary to ensure their population can continue to reproduce.”
One command after another was given.
Finally, the antlered Druid looked at the beautiful half-elf Druid beside him and said slowly, “Your Excellency Nightingale, I hope you can visit the Elven Forest first, to consult with the Earth Walker and inquire if there are any issues with this seasonal change. Then visit the Earth Elemental Gate to see if that dragon is still sleeping.”
The delicate-looking half-elf Druid nodded and said, “Alright. I will go now.”
“Be careful,” urged the antlered Druid once more, “that place connects to a certain altar in the earth elemental plane; do not disturb the sleeping spirit of the earth, and do not disturb that dragon. Their tempers are quite bad.”
The half-elf Druid smiled, stretched out her hand, and a beautiful nightingale landed on her shoulder. The nightingale groomed its feathers with its beak, then circled above her head, emitting a crisp and pleasant chirping sound. Soon, only the antlered Druid remained in the hall; he gazed worriedly into the distance, standing motionless on the balcony, as ice and snow quickly covered his entire body.
Outside, there were frozen migratory birds that, caught too late to migrate, died overnight.
The temperature continued to drop.
A few days ago, one could manage with a coat, but now many were forced to wear winter clothing. This was merely the beginning of winter; if the weather continued to be this cold, it would be a disaster for races like humans, half-elves, and dwarves. Through the white-blowing snowstorm, the antlered Druid saw crops buried under the heavy snow, and villagers with lips frozen blue were busy in the fields, trying to dig through the ice and snow to transport food and vegetables back, while thinly dressed children dared not step outside, huddled around the ground fire pit inside their homes to keep warm.
Nature is balanced.
Those wild beasts and monsters are part of nature, and these humans and half-elves are also part of nature.
……………(To Be Continued…)
