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Chapter II

Oldtown, The Reach, Westeros

"Bring forth the Maesters of Higher Mysteries. And wake the Seneschal!" A masked man with blue robes and an iron rod for a walking stick ordered a young Acolyte.

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King's Landing, Crownsland, Westeros

One man, known as a Wisdom, a full member of the alchemist's guild in King's Landing, darted from shadow to shadow to avoid detection.

He moved like a phantom and hurried as fast as possible until he reached a solid black door located on the Street of Sisters, close to Visenya's Hill. One of three great hills throughout King's Landing, named after Visenya Targaryen, a Sister-Queen of King Aegon I Targaryen, the first monarchs of the seven kingdoms.

The man pounded his fist against the door and waited for an answer. The moment the door opened, he pushed himself inside and slammed the door shut behind him. "Has Gargius and Belis returned?"

"No, Grand Master," The acolyte replied

"Hmm, so it seems I am the last wisdom alive. I guess that does make me the Grand Master. Fetch everyone and have them gather in the stone cells." Ordered the Grand Master, he rushed down the black marble hall and into the guild's library.

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House of the Undying, Qarth, Essos

The House of the Undying is a grey and ancient stone ruin that stands with no other buildings near. It is long and low, without towers or windows, and is coiled like a stone serpent through a grove of black-barked trees. The leaves of which are used to make Shade of the Evening.

Black tiles cover the palace's roof, many of them fallen or broken, and the mortar between its stones is dry and crumbling.

Within the House of the Undying, a pale man with blue lips sat in his chamber, sipping a glass of Shade of the Evening. Its liquid was thick like honey, and its color was deep blue, matching the pale man's lips.

He read over an ancient tome of magic as the doors to his chambers blew open.

"That's a lot more powerful than usual. Have you found a hidden knowledge you'd like to share, Asmos?" The pale man asked the intruder.

"Pyat, the red comet has come. And with it, a power that has been untapped since the Doom of Valyria… I have found no new knowledge. But the power I wield is far greater than the power I had last night." Said Asmos

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Around the world, the last practitioners of dying magic were beginning to feel the effects of the red comet the graced world and reinvigorated magic.

But little did they know, the magic that they all felt was already present in the world, merely repressed by R'hllor. Now that he was imprisoned, the world could reclaim their lost arts.

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Thenn Valley, Beyond the Wall

Dawn had come, and Daimion had instinctively woke. He had experienced an odd dream. It wasn't of battles, doom, or blessings to come.

"Lakes of fire, catacombs of smoke and salt," he muttered to himself.

Dreams not spoken are dreams easily forgotten. Daimion wanted to remember this dream.

He rose from the ground and folded his fur blanket, and stepped out of the tent. The cold struck him and shocked him wide awake. Channeling his Mana, he warmed himself just enough so that his body could catch up.

"The outsider is a wake…" a feminine voice spoke softly behind him.

"Aye, I just got up. I'm ready to leave. Are your spearwives ready?" Daimion asked.

Only one other person slept in the tent, so it wasn't hard to guess who was speaking.

"They will be here. Give me a moment." Ingrid replied, "Are you hungry?"

"I would like ale if you have any"

Ingrid grabbed a wineskin and tossed it to Daimion. "You owe me for that as well, Outsider."

Daimion smirked and nodded before taking a few gulps of ale. "You mind adding to my debt? I have a sword, but a dagger, bow and arrows, and some rope will be nice."

Ingrid squinted, "You were tossing and turning like a girl all night. You tell me about your dream, and the rope is yours—Svalbard Reindeer for the bow and arrows, a fox for the dagger. Or you can take Diana's net and catch a Narwhal. The Narwhal will cover the cost of everything. Tent as well." she said

Daimion took another swig of ale, then licked his lips to catch the few stray droplets. "Deal"

Ingrid smiled. She dived back into her tent and rummaged through some things and appeared a few minutes later with a large net, a dagger, and a bow with a quiver full of arrows.

Daimion put his head and left arm through the quiver's belt and wore the arrow holder on his back. The dagger attached to the quiver's strap, and the net had to be carried.

'I should really make a storage ring when I get a chance,' he thought. 'I can't believe people manage to travel without them.'

"Thank you, Ingrid. I promise to pay you back when I return."

"You better, or I'll have your balls, Outsider," she replied. "I'm going to my sister's for my lessons. Ayana and the spearwives will be here shortly. If you need anything, Ayana will take care of it. Don't make me regret this, Outsider, I gave you my only dagger and my best friend."

Daimion nodded. Ingrid exhaled sharply as she grabbed the wineskin before walking away.

A few moments later. A small group of five spearwives arrived, packed and ready. They were led by Ayana, the blonde-haired woman that Daimion had met the night before.

"Are you ready, Outsider?" she asked.

"For a while now. Please, lead the way." He says with a half-smile and a small gesture.

After half a day's walk, Ayana had led the hunting party to the Thenn mountains. Instead of taking the natural valley path, Ayana wanted to avoid as much trouble as possible by sneaking through the mountains.

Daimion had no objections. He silently followed and let Ayana lead the way.

When the sun began to set, the party stopped and set up camp. The spear wives passed around ale and dried meats. Daimion used his sword and started digging.

"What are you doing, outsider?" Ayana asked

"Digging a hole for a fire," he replied without stopping.

"No fire, outsider. The Thenn will see it, or the snow leopards will lead them here to the heat. No fire, you will lay with us tonight," said Ayana.

' Hmm, I can always use my Mana if it gets too cold. It might even save one of them a toe.' Daimion thought in his heart.

"Aye, no fire. But I sleep with my sword." Daimion replied.

Taking off his quiver and bow. He placed them near his net and rope. A spearwife named Gail tossed him a bundle of furs with a smile, "You can lay next to me, Outsider, now help me lay the pallet." she said.

Gail is a cute girl, it didn't look it, but Daimion was sure he and Gail were around the same age. He had entered the dimensional gap when he was 17 years old, a few months before his birthday. But, due to his vicious training regime, the energy and supplements used to aid him. He looked to be around 23 or 24 years old.

He had tightly packed muscles that rippled with power, and only enough fat kept him healthy. His amber golden eyes were battle-hardened, and he towered over all of the spearwives at a total height of 6 feet and 5 inches tall. He was even sporting a light scruff around his face.

Compared to the young and tender, green-eyed, ginger-haired Gail, Daimion seemed years older. And her soft skin, elegant hands, and delicate features told Daimion that she was new to conflict as well.

'Even in an old primitive world such as this one, my childhood was still abnormal. Haa, the life of a battle mage will always be an extraordinary one,' he thought.

Gail and Daimion prepared the pallet for the hunting party in silence. He could feel her gaze on him from time to time, and he could hear the erratic beating of her heart. Daimion unrolled another fur bundle and looked towards Gail.

"What is your name?" he asked.

"Gail, Esther's daughter."

Daimion was intrigued by the way she introduced herself. "So, your mother is famous?" he asked.

"Aye, she is a warrior sorceress like my Shield Maiden and her sister, Diana. My mother taught them, ya know. She said I didn't have the gift, but they did. But it's alright. I can still make her proud by becoming Shield Maiden someday and birthing a strong girl to wield the magic I couldn't."

Daimion smiled as he listened. It warmed his heart, hearing Gail speak. She reminded him of his sister and would be his wife if she hadn't died young. His beloved, Andromeda, wasn't as strong as him, but she was still strong because she worked hard to become his sword, to make him proud and repay him for always being her shield.

Gail had someone she wanted to make proud, someone worth overcoming her weaknesses for.

"I think you'll become one of the strongest shield maidens your village has ever had."

Gail's emerald green eyes sparkled as she looked at him. "D-do you really?"

"Yes. And you will start by making these women your own. I make pallets because I have yet to build a reputation in your village, and I respect hierarchy because when I reach the top, I want others to respect my station. You and I are the same, Gail Esther's daughter."

"And how will I make these women mine, Daimion, the outsider?" She moves close, and the shoulders touch as they work in tandem on the hunting party's pallet.

"You will become the huntress. Shoot fast, straight, and true. You will kill the prey and protect your fellow spearwives like a shield maiden should. On this hunting trip, we will build a reputation. And when we get back, I'll teach you to fight. You will best men and women alike, and if war comes, your name will rival that of your mothers."

Gail had unknowingly stopped working and starred at Daimion. She had no idea if he was just a dreamer or the real deal. If he was a warrior, why not leave her wanting village and move onto bigger things. But she also thought the near inhumanly beautiful man might take a liking to her. With him, she knew a powerful child was all but guaranteed. But soon, all thoughts lost out to the warm feeling in her chest.

"You really believe I can be someone?" she asked.

Daimion looked up to the starry sky with a pondering expression, "Gail… Goddess of the hunt. Gail...the green eyes demoness. No…" Daimion looked down to Gail and said, "Gail of war, The name that will cast a shadow over all others. I really believe it. But you have to believe it as well."

Daimion patted the pallet and stood up. He held out his right hand, and Gail latched on to it as he pulled her to his feet. The crown of her head was level with his sternum. Gail had to take a step back to look up at him. Even in the night, the shine of her deep emerald green eyes could be seen. They were all the more mesmerizing in the night.

"None has ever believed in me before," she spoke in a low voice.

"Now, someone does."

"Outsider, hands-off Esther's Daughter. She'll have your head if the girl returns pregnant." Ayana interrupted, and the Spearwives giggled as Gail pulled her hand back instinctively with a mild blush.

Daimion chuckled a bit himself as he watched Gail's reaction. "Aye, it seems she's frightened of me anyway."

"Am not!" she interjected

Daimion puts on a toothy grin that attracts all the women, " I stand corrected," he said.

"Outsider... open your mouth." Said Ayana.

"Umm, no," Daimion replied, confused.

"Please, Outsider. " Another asked. "We have roots to take care of our teeth, but yours..."

"Are snow white and straight like a child's. But fully grown, like a man's. The two do not go together."

Daimion nearly face palmed himself. "Really?" he asked rhetorically, "I'll teach you all a few things during this hunting trip. Let's sleep first. If the Thenn are dangerous as you all say. It would be wise to leave as soon as possible."

Daimion and the five Spearwives found their spots on the pallet and covered themselves with furs as they cuddled together. Like she had said, Gail slept on Daimion's left while Ayana took her place on his right side. It was warm and cozy for the first hour. Two women actually managed to fall asleep. But after the first hour, the temperature dropped, and the hunting trials began.

Unlike the older women in their 20's, Gail was young. She had a full bosom and plump arse for her size. On her slender body, Gail looked curvaceous and mature. But she lacked meat on her bones like the other woman. Daimion could hear her teeth chatter, and so could the other women.

Daimion felt hands snake in between him and Gail. They wrapped around Gail and pulled her close. The women then nudged Gail to move closer to Daimion for added warmth.

"The hunting trails are simple but very dangerous. This is also why women decided not to join men's parties. Though we are equal as warriors, Gail is young and beautiful. And we are young enough and beautiful… If the party is not raided, then our clansmen will take us in the night. It's why we have so many bastards. It's the reason Gail and myself are here."

Ayana whispered in Daimion's ear. It was the first time he sensed a chink in the spearwives armor, emotion in her voice.

"And what makes you think I'm any different?" he asked.

"Y-y-you are d-diff. different, Daimion." Gail stuttered.

Daimion grinned, but it was dark, and no one could see. "Shut up, girl. No one asked you. Go to sleep," he said. He heard a soft hum and felt Gail's slender fingers trailed up his chest and grabbed his coat. He felt a few tugs but didn't respond.

"Ayana…"

"Outsider…"

"What are the chances we all make it back?"

Daimion knew he would survive, but none of the spearwives had the abilities to protect themselves from the elements. So, he was asking for the sake of his hunting companions.

"The hunt is the easy part. The cold and the cannibals are the tests. One of us will die." she said honestly, and everyone awake knew her words to be true.

Ayana and Gail felt Daimion's muscle tense. His muscular arms were big enough to move their breasts that were pressed against him.

"Does she not care?" he asked. The spearwives understood and felt a bit sad. Gail was clueless.

"Outsider, that is none of your business. It is not ours either," Ayana replied.

Gail immediately thought they were talking about Ingrid and her jaw clenched. 'I will make these women mine.' she told herself.

"She'll be surprised when we all return. And then you will take me to have words with her, Ayana," Daimion spoke in a commanding voice that thrummed with power.

"O-of course, Daimion," Ayana replied.

The spearwives quietly thought the same, 'Aye. Daimion, indeed'. They then felt rustling under the furs, and the woman holding Gail cried out, "What are you doing?"

"Be quiet. We still in dangerous lands." Daimion barked, and the spearwives went still.

He then removed his top and pants and stripped Gail of hers. Daimion pulled Gail on top of him to straddle his waist. She wanted to protest, but she felt nothing but trust for him. They were naked and exposed, their sex pressed against each other's as the spearwives watched conflicted.

Gail was the one they all expected to fall, but she was still one of them. Daimion wrapped his arm around her back and pulled her close to his chest as he laid back.

Gail found it surprisingly warmer this way. She enjoyed the feeling of her nipple pressed against his hard hot body and the way the girth of his shaft spread her lower lips and grazed her pink bud. She moistened at the feeling, and Daimion could feel himself being coated in her untasted juices.

But it wasn't what Daimion wanted at the moment. Daimion's newly refined body was naturally higher than theirs. By also using his Mana, Daimion was like a human furnace.

Daimion spoke to the women who looked lost, staring into the darkness.

"Come closer to me. As close as you can get. And remove your clothes. Use them as covers." Daimion whispered. But the Spearwives could hear him with ease.

"You want us to lie naked with women?" Ayana asked, flabbergasted.

"Yes. Just do it. I promise all of you will survive every night." He spoke in a soft tone, calm and sure.

The Spearwives waited, and Ayana was the first to move. They soon followed her lead. They undressed. Their clothing became more insulation to protect against the arctic weather.

Ayana spooned Daimion's side and was struck by his warmth. She instinctively wrapped her legs around his right side, and his left side was soon taken. The remaining spearwives quickly piled in. The hunting party became a human replica of a snake's breeding ball once Daimion channeled his Mana and warmed the entire party.

Before dawn came, Daimion was awake. The party was wrapped around him and pressed against each other airtight, which was now uncomfortable as his sleeping Python had awakened for a morning battle.

Enlarged, long, and unyielding, it was held snuggly between the girls' legs and cupped by numerous hands that sought warmth in the night. Daimion took long slow breaths and allowed everyone to keep their place. He gradually retracted the heat of his Mana. As the dawn came, Daimion could see the steam coming from their entanglement.

The spearwives began to stir. Daimion's cock and balls were squeezed, grouped, and jerked. He took it second by second and continued to breathe.

Ayana woke first and felt the pressure of her fellow spearwife atop of her in order to get closer to Daimion. But then she felt the hand groping her breast. Realizing it belonged to a woman on the other side of the pile. She was appalled and began to stir.

"Be still," Daimion hissed, and Ayana froze. "Breaking the pile will cause you all to get sick. We have been sweating and gaining heat all night. If we expose ourselves. The cold will do serious damage to our health. Please, do not move, Ayana."

Ayana relaxed and let the offense be. She knew that everything that happened in the night was survival. Ayana's thoughts were surely enforced when Ayana realized her arm was trapped between Gail and Daimion while her hand was gripping his cock in the night. She held it there and remained silent. If it wasn't for the ever so slight moves, Daimion would have believed that she went back to sleep.

One by one, everyone had awakened. And like before, Daimion had told each one of them to be still. The Spearwives did as they were told and remained silent as they slowly realized they had all reached for each other's warmest spots in the night.

"Daimion, why are we waiting? We should get moving," Said Gail with a red tomato face.

"In a bit. We're almost there," said Daimion. A few moments later, his heart had slowed, and his body temperature dropped again.

Daimion became cold to the touch drawing in the heat from the women. After their temperature had dropped some more, Daimion allowed them to move.

They all moaned with relief as they untangled themselves from each other. The Spearwives regained feeling in their limbs and laid on their backs under the furs.

"What are you all doing?" Daimion asked.

"Well, the situation broke more than one of our--" Ayana was interrupted by Daimion.

He said, "Who gives a shit. You fondled my cock and sought warmth between the legs of another woman. You are all warriors. Still your minds, regain your senses, and push on. Now get dressed. We have to leave."

Daimion then slipped away from the pallet, and the cold air chilled their moist bodies, kicking them into action.

It didn't take them long to dress, but before the hunting party finished, Daimion made his way to Gail and handed her his tunic. She looked at him like a spoked deer. He cupped the left side of her face gently. "It wouldn't be the first for me. And they all understand. Take these. They'll help."

"Bu--"

"It's fine. I can manage. Finish up, and then we'll move on," Daimion said and walked away to dawn his gear.

Ayana walked up behind him and spoke quietly, "Many men would have beat the girl for what happened. Lesser men might have beat her to death."

"Would you like me to beat you for bleeding on me at night? To kill you for something you can not control. Though it can be considered... unappealing, to some, it is ultimately harmless. Do you deserve death, much less a beating for that, Ayana?"

Ayana looked at him strangely, and due to the quiet atmosphere, the other woman heard and looked at Daimion with similar looks. To them, he was a very strange man.

'N-no," she replied, "But we aren't your women, Gail is not your woman."

"You are all my women until this trip is over. Now, shut up and get ready," he looked to the other spearwives. "All of you!" he added.

'Fucking primitive people,' he thought.

"Daimion put the net and rope in my pack. It'll be easier to draw your sword." A brunette spearwife spoke, and Daimion didn't object. They spent a few minutes packing the net and rope and the other spearwives helped by adjusting the space in their packs.

When the hunting party finally stepped off, Ayana led the way, and they marched hard until it was time to rest for another night. And like the night before, they slept on the pallet together and pushed on the next day. By the end of the third day, they had reached the mountains' foot and entered the edge of the forest below.

"Where are we?" Daimion asked.

"Further South is called the haunted forest. Here it's just the forest. Here, you will find everything from snow hares to snow bears. We are close to the tree line. So a couple of hours north and you'll reach the shivering lakes. Dangerous, but if you want a narwhal or mammoth. It's the place to go. Further north is a thicket of woods, Mammoths' woods. It's where they flourish. But they can be found elsewhere also. Just like giants. Where there are mammoths, there are giants." Ayana explained.

"Well. Let's hunt in the forest. But the first animal you see, we kill. I need skin. So we kill everything, don't worry about storage."

The Spearwives didn't argue, they simply nodded, and the hunting party traveled further into the forest.

The Party crept quietly through the woods. And gently stepped through the snow to avoid the crunching sound. Daimion led the party as he tracked hove marks and paws. "They're everywhere," he finally admits after half an hour.

"Aye, I told you hunting is the easy part. Things will get harder if you fight the bigger animals. But everything else is flourishing this high north. But you have to be quiet. The enemy can be here with us."

"Hmm, if it's like that, I can only cheat, '' he muttered. His eyes closed briefly and then reopened to reveal his golden hue, The eyes that see all—Mana vision.

'I will repay my debts and then some,' he thought.

From the corner of his eyes, he saw a snow fox about twenty yards out.

He knocked his arrow and drew back his bow. The spearwives watched as he aimed at nothing and released his arrow. It flew free and suddenly disappeared. The next time it appeared, it was pinning a lifeless fox to an ironwood tree.

'Concealment magic, it never gets old,' he thought.

Daimion walked through the forest and retrieved his arrow and the dead fox. It was about 4 feet long and weighed about 30 pounds.

Daimion drew his dagger and skinned the fox right there. He cleaned the meat and fur with melted snow. And used palm fire to dry the skin and cook the meat. The spearwives were shocked to see that Daimion had the ability to wield magic.

Taking care not to ruin the hide, Daimion tracked the process. It took a lot to tan a hide, But Daimion did what he could to exponentially shorten the process. It wasn't the best, but it was enough. After the party ate, they hunted a few more snow foxes, hares, and Svalbard reindeer.

Daimion did his best to avoid Direwolves and snow bears. It didn't take long for the night to come. As the women were preparing the pelts the way, Daimion instructed them. Daimion was draining blood into a small earth pit. He craved a pencil from the branch and dipped it into the blood pit. When it was adequately coated, he began to write on the tanned and stretched fox hide.

"Daliah, can you skin another fox for me?" He asked as he focused on his craft.

"Aye. We can eat the meat for dinner and save the dry stuff for the trip back." She replied. Daimion looked up and smiled, then returned back to his work.

While Daliah was skinning the fox and cleaning. The other spearwives watched as Daimion drew foreign symbols on the fox hide. His hand moved fast and fluently like second nature.

When Daliah had finished her cleaning of the fox. Daimion had finished his work. He allowed the blood script to dry by pinning the hide to a tree with arrows.

" So, how long have you been able to use magic?" Ayana asked as they sat around the cooking fire.

"My entire life. Deep in the land of always winter. Magic is common enough. Not everyone can use it, but those of us that can use it are trained from a young age to be warriors." Daimion told a variation of his truth.

"Then why stay? You hunt to prove yourself to a village that you do not need," Gail added.

"Hmm, I like Uhtred. Diana has a vision of Uhtred. Diana and Indrid can use magic--"

"My mother can use magic. But not as easy as you do. With you, it is instant. This obviously means you're stronger. What can you learn from them?" Gail asked.

Daimion exhaled and looked into the dancing flames. "Everything," he said, "Or nothing. But I won't know unless I try. But the fact of the matter is, I know nothing of the world south of those mountains" He pointed at the mountains surrounding the Thenn Valley.

"Uhtred has told me about the Westeros and the distant Essos. He has told me about the Land Beyond the Wall and the Night's Watch. But I can not take his information about the Seven Kingdoms at face value. When was the last time that someone from your village climbed the wall and returned with a full account of the Seven Kingdoms? Even now, time is flowing, and things are changing. Even the events in the haunted forest are obscure to us."

"You want to follow us South. To battle through the lands and make it over the wall. But like Uhtred, you're waiting on something. Like him, you take small, efficient steps and leap when you know you can reach the other side," Ayana spoke with her small understand of Daimion's personality.

"Like when Uhtred took the mantle of Magnar��� He killed the Magnar's brother for his daughter, Elaine. He put a babe in her to provoke her father. With the old Magnar's brother gone and Uhtred his killer, the village was divided. And with a babe in Elaine's belly, the old Magnar brought Uhtred close like family.

Uhtred waited for months. When Elaine had her baby, she gave birth to death. The Magnar wanted her head as is custom for a herald of death. But Elaine was Uhtred's Herald of death. He disobeyed the Magnar and Diana appeared and fanned the flames. It wasn't long until Uhtred challenged the Magnar and defeated him." Said Daliah

"Aye, then that death whore and Uhtred slaughtered the Magnar's family. Even the pregnant mistress. Diana fears the bitch. But she wants Uhtred. Ever since she saw the damned Serpent appear in the Gods light up in the far north and had that vision, She has been pushing to run south. But Uhtred thinks, and Elaine can't wait to kill Diana, so Diana waits as long as Uhtred waits." Gail added

Daimion's interest was thoroughly piqued, "What did Diana see?"

"The truth is only for her to tell. But she says the long night is upon us. The dead will walk, and the world will freeze. As long as Uhtred leads us south, the Gods' Great Serpent will protect us." Gail replied

Daimion squinted. "He's waiting on the Great Serpent or Diana's bluff, whichever comes first," he said

Gail pointed to a finger at Daimion, "And there it is. Ingrid thinks the same. But here's the thing, Diana isn't bluffing. Ingrid, my mother, and I were there when the Great Serpent appeared in the heavens. She was just the only one to collapse with visions."

Daimion looked at the browning meat and abruptly stood up. He pulled out a small pouch and crushed its contents well. He then added some snow for moisture and mixed the contents well. Making a meat rub.

"So, what is here plan, Gail? If this Elaine is as deadly as you say. She will kill Diana before she seduces Uhtred. And then she'll have Uhtred burn the witches. You, Esther, and Ingrid will die. If these women or your mother's fight, they will die,'' Said Daimion.

He then moved the thick contents onto the fox meat and rubbed it in. He then cleaned his hands in the snow as he looked to Gail and then Ayana.

"Well? What's the plan? I need Diana, I'm not going to let Gail die, and I plan to use Uhtred to get to the South. This land is foreign to me, but politics are the same no matter where I am."

"Seduction," Ayana spoke. "It's the only option. Diana is a seer and a poisoner, Ingrid can wield the ice, and Esther --water. But if they go to war, they will lose. Uhtred has the manpower and is the only deterrence against that crazy whore who gains spearwives by the day."

"It won't work." Daimion replied, "Elaine has to die. And the Serpent has to make him do it."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" asked a spearwife.

"Nothing, let's eat. We have to hunt for the rest of the day tomorrow and head back. Uhtred only gave me a week"

The party ate and thought about village politics and what it meant for them. They then thought about a life further South, life away from the northern tundra's bone-chilling death.

Daimion sat quietly as he drew on hides. Like he did the fox hide. When it was time for bed, the party slept without him, but he kept the fire going to keep them warm.

When all of the blood patterns were dry. Daimion took the fox hide and began to make pouches. He muttered many incantations, infused the blood designs with magic until he finally created low-grade storage bags.

'So enchantments are alive and well. Perfect. Now I can carry all these damn animals and store the meat for a longer period of time. Larger animals can be clothing, bedding, tent material. I should make a scabbard as well. Make a quiver and bow of my own.' Daimion continued to think of things he needed to build a good foundation in the village without others' help. Most of it was just preparation to conceal the depths of his real power.

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