12 Chapter 12

Ste stood up and observed her surroundings, upon noticing Richard she got on her knee

"How may I server creator?"

Richard could already hear the long-suffering sighs that are to come after he did something stupid again.

"Do you know why I made you?"

"Yes, creator. I-I had a dream where I learned everything. My purpose is to take care of your land, correct?"

"That is correct Dryad, I guess I should name you first. I can't call you Dryad all the time"

"I would be grateful for the name Creator."

"Could you Stop with Creator stuff? I'm Richard nice to meet you"

"Wery well Richard, what would be my name?" ,

"Your name will be Amara." Richard decided, it sounded Dryad enough "So can you tell me about yourself?"

From the discussion they had Richard found out few things.

First, Amara was in a dream-like state before she was born where she learned everything I needed her to do, I guess CM did create what I wanted after all.

Second thing is that her consciousness didn't reside in the humanoid body but in the tree itself. They were connected from what he could feel with the similar bond he has with Ashara. That means until the tree itself, newly named Soul-Tree, is not destroyed they are functionally immortal.

If their humanoid body is destroyed they would go into hibernation and in a few years grew a new one.

The third is that the Soul-Tree could propagate but it would take years just for one of the Seeds to be generated and then another few years to grew enough to create a body for itself. The reason for the quick growth of the first one was that Richard pumped it full of natural energy when he created it.

After finding that out Richard was extremely elevated. Now he could push all the paperwork and boring things about running the eventual kingdom on them and best of all, they would not die like humans and need replacing and were completely loyal so no corruption could happen in the upper sphere of his future government.

He immediately after finding that out ushered her to his solar, showed her the papers, and ran like hell.

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(Warning! I could not find a lot of info so I'm making stuff up as I go!)

A few weeks later, with a lot of reprimanding from Richards mother and a massive amount of long-suffering sighs they finally admitted, after going over all the work Amara did, that she was competent and could run his lands.

Anyway, the Trading Centre in Dorne finished, and with a Nydus Network Roots slowly but surely making their way to it meant that Richard started his moves on Stormlands, he sends a declaration of war to Renly Baratheon what will be probably taken as a joke with very weak casus belli that this is the revenger for actions of his father towards house Trant. His first target, Weeping Tower, a market town in the Stormlands containing a thriving port that handles much of the Stormlands' trade. The plan was made, beasts were sent through Nydus Network to wait for deployment, and Arthur was alerted to start loading soldiers on the boats.

Attack on the Weeping Tower happened at night, the Nydrus Network opened the ground, and beasts raging from bears to panthers rushed the wooden walls. Cats climbed them up and rip the guard's throats out while bears in lead with Ripmaw with the support of treants destroyed the gate.

Velka and her flight focused on archers, when they saw one they would swoop down and kill them instantly. After the defense fell, the beasts rushed the crooked alleys. Killing everyone that stood against them, only ones that didn't carry the weapon or hid in their homes survived.

While the chaos was going on in the main city Arthur approached the docks on ships. He had all of his soldiers under his command loaded on Carriers that dropped them off at the docs while Carracks rained fire on watchtowers.

While all this was going on Richard stealthily entered the keep, dispatched the guards, and killed Lord Whitehead and his heir Addam Whitehead.

The morning after was greeted by the bloody sight, the alleys were covered in bodies of humans and animals, Soldiers of house Trant moving around them in their wooden armor trying to establish order. Some of the braver humans already on the streets looking at the carnage that happened at night. Temple of Seven in ruins destroyed by treants and priest killed by it falling down.

Restoring an order of the city was not as much a problem as it could be. Seeing 10m tall treants walking through alleys was a good deterrent to the idea of resisting.

In the keep, Richard and Arthur were currently standing before kneeling Whitehead woman and her daughter, debating what to do with them.

Killing the Lord and the Heir was unavoidable, they were loyal to Baratheon and would not bend the knee but defenseless women were another story.

"There are only two ways this is going to end, either you will die here or I will send you to my Island without your name to live rest of your days in peace" Richard decided that he give them a choice. They choose an island to Arthur send men to escort them to the ship that will transport them.

Now that he had Nydus Network on the mainland and his forces moved here he could feel that his domain expanded, it now encompassed the town and several kilometers around it. In few days he established an outpost, build walls from the hardest wood they brought, and build watchtowers thanks to the help of Treants and Arthurs soldiers. The city was under a lockdown and it would stay that way until his soldiers managed to rein order and Richard moved on the other one.

Richard ordered for Arthur to start recruiting from the populace when they calm down and in the meanwhile, he started preparing to take over the next House.

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