Chapter 57

Significant Note: Mix of good and bad news. My semester is finally beginning, so I won't be able to update twice a week, so unfortunately only expect updates every Saturday from now on. Onto the good news, we are nearing the endgame lads, everything is coming to head, so this fic will see its end, not soon but close enough. You'll also be able to vote on my next fic, using one of the G.W.B one-shots as a launch point, but for now, the show must go on.

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(Erlend Mudd, The Eyrie)

What a magnificent view!

Looking from the eyes of his imprint falcon, Erlend observed the breathtaking image of his maternal ancestor's seat.

Despite being the smallest of all the great castles, it held an undeniable charm that made it stand out above the rest. As always, Erlend could not help but appreciate just how advanced the architecture of this planet was.

It was like all the development that should have gone to advance humanity was put into their building skills. An outrageous statement that would probably have the Maesters keel over should they hear it.

Those old foggy's weren't all that bad if what he'd seen indicated, but they were so slow in development, it was just ridiculous. Then again, most of the order was focused on being stationed in influential holds and gaining prestige, a far cry from their original intent of advancing humanity.

Even Valyria could barely be regarded as advanced, and it was by far the most developed of all its contemporaries, only surpassed by the Empire of the Dawn.

Technological-wise at least, truthfully he had no idea how far the Valyrians went with magic.

A shame, returning to focus, Erlend held Jasper gently in his arms, while listening to Egen's report on the assimilation of the mountain clans. At least those that remained after the short but brutal campaign.

Some turned to the North, but they weren't important in the grand scheme of things, he was content to let them freeze their balls in peace.

"Outside of some minor incidents, most of the clansmen have managed to integrate within the Vale under Lord Templeton and Lord Royce's purview." Vardis droned on, without stopping, having been at it for quite a while.

Poor Nestor was still dealing with the aftermath of that Waynwood bitch's murder. Good riddance to bad rubbish, of course, he publicly demanded that her murderer be brought to justice as expected of him.

Erlend was still the de facto Lord Paramount, and that meant a lot to his vassals within the Vale, with how rigid and traditional they were, that title meant more to them than his status as King. 

Good thing the Waynwoods were now in chaos and shouldn't be that much of an issue to Jasper. He wouldn't be surprised if the Hunters took advantage of the chaos to deal with the arrogant chick.

"There has been some attempt to stir trouble among them by unknown parties, but we managed to stamp it out before they could cause any issues."

"They were against Lord Jasper's status as heir to the Vale, even trying to push for the conservative lords to rebel."

"I take it you made an example of them?" Erlend questioned.

Faltering at the sudden interruption, Vardis did his best to get ahold of himself, "Of course, your Majesty. Lord Nestor refused to give them any opportunity and immediately had them taken care of." The old knight assured him.

"Good, no reason to let it go on for too long. The more time spent on these idiots, the less time there is to ensure the prosperity of the Realm." Erlend was hardly going to tolerate such mindless stupidity, they were already outnumbered heavily, and they still desired to rebel.

Honestly, sometimes there was no saving people. To think there were still some idiots pulling nonsense like this even after the Waynwood hag croaked.

Whilst ruffling his youngest's hair, "That's enough of that Vardis, how's your brat Theo doing?"

Grateful for the change in topic, "He's taken to the training like a fish to a pond, your Majesty. Ser Raymond spoke quite highly of his potential." The old man boasted proudly.

If Raymond said the brat could become something, then nine times out of ten, you had a future expert on your hands. It was no joke to say that few warriors alive could stand against his trusted Commander.

"Good, I expect nothing less from my Jasper's future sworn shield." 

The look of shock on the Knight's face said it all, not expecting the King to make such a valuable promise.

Erlend didn't mind the old man's reaction, it was only fair he rewarded one of his key supporters in the Vale. It had been Vardis who had convinced his cousin to support Erlend's claim originally, so there was no harm done there.

As a sworn shield the Egen scion would have the trust and ear of the future Lord of the Vale, giving him a significant say in matters most Knights could only dream of. Not to mention Jasper would naturally arrange favorable marriages for Theo and grant him good lands to rule over once he stepped down as his sword shield.

It was no joke to say that this particular branch of Egen could eventually rival Nestor's Royce branch, given enough time and provided they remain loyal. Who knows, people do change, some for the better and some for the worse.

"Just make sure the boy doesn't fall into any vice. Seven Knows we have enough braggarts in the Vale to fill a whole army." Erlend jokes.

Perhaps taking the joke too seriously. "I will tan the brat's hide black and blue if he dares," Vardis promised.

Considering the look on the old Knight's face, he couldn't help but feel momentary pity for the boy, before throwing it at the back of his mind. His son's safety was more important after all.

Placing his head on Jasper's head, much to the boy's concentration if his pout was anything to go by, Erlend looked forward to what surprises his children could bring him in the future.

He would hand them the keys required to succeed, but it would be up to them how well they used these opportunities.

…

(Catelyn Mudd, Firmridge)

Looking at the piles of paperwork in front of her, Catelyn finally understood why her husband decided to retreat to the Eyrie.

'Letting Jasper get used to his future seat my delightful ass, that rogue just wanted to escape.'

Pinching the bridges of her nose at her husband's antics, the redheaded Queen quickly got to work, wanting to be done with this hell. It would be hours before she was done.

Edmund sat on a chair nearby, reviewing any paper she finished, preparing for when it was eventually his turn. His diligent work made her want to pinch his cheeks.

It wasn't uncommon for her son to work alongside his father, something she knew Erlend cherished, as he preferred to spend time with his children instead of working all day.

The whole reason he traveled to the Eyrie was to spend more time with his youngest.

Her son reminded her so much of when she was a child, helping her father when he dealt with affairs of the Riverlands. Sure there was that characteristic mischief that ran rampant in the Mudds, but all in all he was quite the brilliant child.

For hours one could only hear the turning of pages and the movements of the quill.

The atmosphere was calming in its own way as they fell into a rhythm, working without trouble and dealing with the affairs of the realm.

Occasionally she'd find papers that required Erlend's personal attention and placed them on a specific pile for him to look at once he returned.

…

A sudden bang broke the duo's concentration.

The doorway saw a sudden figure rush towards Edmund before the young prince found himself sprawled on the ground, on top of him standing a very familiar frame.

Rhaenys stared at her betrothed looking aggrieved as if he had done her a great wrong.

Catelyn could practically feel the tension in the air, though she did nothing to interfere in this minor spat, watching her son intently, curious at what he would do to solve the dilemma he found himself in.

The little prince's eyes seemed to dart everywhere, trying to look for an escape, "Hey Rhae… What's up?"

"You promised to be there when we saw Aunt Shara off!" Her tone made it seem like her favorite pet had been killed much to Catelyn's amusement.

A look of embarrassment flashed on her son's face as he realized his mistake.

She was well aware that the little dragon princess was exaggerating her anger so she could extract benefits from her son, but she let it be. Edmund would eventually recognize he'd been duped and would retaliate.

As long as they didn't drag Saera into it, she was content to let it be. That girl could be very vicious when motivated.

The children could sort things among themselves.

Going back to her work, Catelyn did not pay much heed to the negotiations happening right next to her, turning a blind eye to her son's plight. One really shouldn't make promises that can't be fulfilled.

Come to think of it, she really should make sure that girl kept to her lessons. Outside of Erlend, there wasn't anyone capable of setting that excitable girl straight at the moment.

Right now, she reckoned the girl was probably chasing the wildlife in the godswood and making those poor swans flee for their life. Lyanna was of no help, the she-wolf seemed out of it since that night. To the point of that she didn't even mock the Dayne Knight at all.

Catelyn felt that perhaps having Erlend let her experience the same thing he'd done to the Stark was proper compensation for saddling her with this.

Yes… She would insist on it.

…

(Bloodraven, Beyond the Wall)

One of the creatures had escaped his gaze.

He could feel the loose connection between them stifle before going silent, never to be felt again. Only horror could be felt before everything went dark.

The terror brought him some pleasure before logic washed over him.

Now, there was no anger nor joy in his gaze, the great bastard only felt pity at the loss of such a useful tool. Not for the first time, disgust filled him at the thought of working with these wretched unnatural creatures.

Forcefully pushing the bile that threatened to escape him, he kept his crimson eyes on the leader. "You failed."

The look of unwillingness on her face was satisfying in its own way, but now was not the time for such pettiness.

"He has too many eyes and ears, we still do not know how he managed to get ahold of our kin." Helpless, perhaps now she felt what he did when they forced him into this accursed position.

Immortal in the worst way possible, forced to cling to life, unable to leave and the chances of finding a successor strong enough to replace him and take this burden away was but a pipe dream. How could Brynden feel nothing but resentment towards them?

"It matters not, you cannot touch him for now, best we direct our attention to your creation." He ordered gruffly.

Such a remarkable vessel could not be pushed too far. His abilities fascinated the old spymaster, such power could perhaps help bring his beloved back to life. It was one of the main reasons he was cautious when dealing with the brat.

"THAT ABOMINATION IS NOT OUR CREATURE!" Still, she refused to acknowledge her race's worst mistake, even ignoring his words concerning Mudd.

Brynden's lips curled in disgust, again with this pointless argument and their self-righteous attitude. "It matters not if you keep denying it, for the world itself has judged you guilty." His words came down like a hammer, there was nothing they could say to contradict.

Even now the former bastard could tell, unless they aided him in ending the threat they brought into this world, their race would die out, just like their most reviled enemy.

How ironic.

If their creation failed to do so, there was no denying the world itself would take the step to do it themselves. Even now infertility is not uncommon among them.

"He was a Stark, it was only fitting he would pass his curse on to another of his blood." A chuckle escaped his lips, there was always a Stark involved.

"The meddling of the White Shadows had nothing to do with us, no one could have foreseen such a change and one so dangerous at that."

"Regardless you are to avoid any camps under the Watch or Wardens, there is no reason to make an enemy of the Mudd just yet, not when he could be of use against the cold one."

The stronger the watch, the fewer bodies that would go to feed the cold one's army.

As if she found driftwood she could use to float, "Yet you tried to have one of his most important persons killed." The girl snapped triumphantly.

Looking at her with disdain, "You would have me stand aside as she and her father bring ruin upon the continent."

"Those abominations are gone, and even then, the Hightowers would have failed no matter what. You can't forget that it was your failure that would've forced their hand."

Fucking Hightowers, half of the problems he'd faced as a hand could be traced indirectly to the Dance, a Dance that was caused by their House and a second son's undue ambition and greed.

This time, it was his turn to look like he'd sucked a particularly sour lemon, "Euron's fall was not my fault, he was far too weak to hold on when the Night King consciousness found him."

Not caring a wit for his excuses, "The problem has been dealt with, that Mad Kraken is dead now, so that Harpy and her father present no threat to us." She spoke confidently.

"Stupid girl, you continue to underestimate your enemies despite all that has happened. This is how you and your people got us into this mess in the first place."

This time, the one who called herself 'leaf' chose not to respond, briefly glaring at him before leaving him to his own devices. Brynden could practically feel the thinly veiled disgust they mutually shared for each other.

He did not care, his only goal was vengeance and satisfaction. Knowing full well that they needed each other if they wanted to escape this disaster unscathed.

Fatigue filled his mind as he felt overextended powers wash upon him, every day he grew weaker. It wasn't ideal, he needed a new vessel, and the only one that would suffice had enough magical power to permanently put an end to him, perhaps that wouldn't be too bad…

NOO! He couldn't give up now, there was still time. The Mudd was young, he'd make a mistake eventually, and all he needed to do was bide his time.

…

(Erlend Mudd, Undisclosed)

A circle of pitch-black shadows quietly rose from the ground beginning to encircle his body. Rhythmically dancing around him, as if he were the star of their planet.

There was a feeling of death surrounding the cavern he was in, the grim reaper's attention starkly upon him. Yet he stood steady, uncaring of the endless gaze upon his very soul.

Sat cross-legged in front of an intricate runic circle, Erlend released his aura, shrouding his whole being like a warm blanket, guarding him against the harmful effects of these shadows.

Unseen by the naked eye, Magic swirled around his heart in a cocoon of spectacular colors.

Using his Aura, he created a path by which the black shadows were guided into the living flame that stood by his side.

The flame trembled violently as the shadows rushed directly towards its core, with his aura carefully guiding them.

Fluctuations could be felt in his surroundings, as the terrifying concept merged with the living flames core, its body swelling severely and power surging madly.

His aura reacts instantaneously to this change by covering the flame, carefully shaping it to his ultimate goal. A change that would make this world tremble, should he succeed.

Erlend patiently watched the change, entranced by his own defiant experiment... Seconds, minutes, and even hours passed as the two energies collided with each other, refusing to give in.

They were equal, but at the same time, they were not. Each side vying for dominance over the other.

Eventually, a change occurred, forced on by the powerful aura surrounding them, pure blinding white flames and pitch black shadows merging into each other, creating a striking gray marble-sized ball that floated obediently close to him.

It was diminutive in size, looking harmless to anyone who knew little of its origins and the power within.

Retracting his aura, Erlend watched in fascination as the marble gently touched his skin, turning into shadows once more, before disappearing altogether.

Only once he was sure everything was back to normal and there were no violent fluctuations within his body, did his magic stop shielding his heart. One could never be too careful. 

Silence filled the cavern, as the Conqueror collected his thoughts.

The ritual was done, its very essence completed and the path to victory now lay squarely on his shoulders.

With a gentle wave, everything within the cavern turned to ash, leaving nothing behind. As if no ritual had occurred within it. He could sense faint hums of approval before the endless gaze returned to the abyss, awaiting its price.

Old and new, approving of his actions, some grudgingly, others by necessity.

Erlend did not care, it was far too late for them, this was his age and there would be no room for discussion. As he exited the cavern, a small victorious smirk emerged from his lips.

Finally, he had a solution, and only time will tell if it worked as intended. Just as he was about to apparate away, a faint tug could be felt.

Looking up he saw a beautiful golden falcon moving towards him with purpose. Allowing his imprint to land on his shoulders, Erlend collected the small scroll attached to its legs.

While rubbing its head, Erlend opened the scroll only to be greeted with baffling news.

"To think they could do something so foolish… How interesting."

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Note: Minor spoiler, this little ball will be very useful against his upcoming enemies. Erlend still has his living flame, this new form is just a variation. I can confirm, this is technically less of a power-up and more of a new dagger he can stick into the heart of his enemies.