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Ch.1 Not ded

After dying, the abyss that he once saw from afar, consumed him completely, but he didn't see it looking at him back, as a smart man once said. It was the opposite, his mere existence was so insignificant that it didn't even notice him, he was completely ignored and the suffocating silence was enough to drive a man mad.

"How long have you been here?" A feminine voice reached his 'ears'.

"Between forever and never?" he whispered sarcastically as he looked everywhere, but failed to notice something in the complete darkness that surrounded him.

"Is that how mortals treat deities?" Her voice once again bloomed, but now, an enormous blob of pale colors entered his 'line of sight'

'Deities? fuck me, now I have to deal with this s…' he thought, but he quickly looked straight into the colors "I'm sorry, I was extremely confused, I thought that I was hallucinating? And I suddenly appeared here, I don't know for how long I have roamed this… place?" He said slightly confused.

"Hmmm, It's been a long time since I met a mortal, since you appeared here then you must be able to become my champion." Her voice was becoming louder as the cloud of pale colors was coming near him.

"I have never worshiped any god or deity. I don't think I can become a disciple or something like that with my personality as well, so my greatest apologies." He said while 'bowing'

"Pffft" She started holding back her laugh. "I didn't mean it like that, first, let me see where you come from, little mortal."

He just felt a tingling sensation on his forehead but after that, nothing, pure silence for a few seconds.

"Hmmm, you come from a wonderful world, don't you?" She said softly.

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, for those who were born in the dark had it difficult to find color within the black and white." He said monotonously.

"Indeed, but isn't it wonderful to feel, grow and live?" The colors showed a small reaction but it died as soon as it started.

"More often than not, ignorance is bliss."

"True! Now, my depressed champion, I'll give you a life worth living! You seem to be fond of a certain book, so there you'll go! I've never had a champion in that world, I wonder what'll happen." The lights started shining again, this time with extreme brilliance "I'll give you something that you'll enjoy!" The lights consumed everything, even him, and his existence was once again used and moved as someone else wished.

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House Fowler is one of the ancient houses of the kingdom of Dorne, descendants of First Men, who titled themselves Kings of Stone and Sky and Lords of the wide way, along with the Daynes of Starfall and the Yronwoods. This petty kingdom often warred with the marcher lords, lords of The Stormlands and The Reach who have a border with the Dornish kingdom, with these conflicts, many renowned men arose, and one of those was Ferris Fowler, who led 10.000 through The Wide Way against The Reach, but unfortunately they were defeated by king Garth VII Gardener.

The last king of the Fowlers was Garrison Fowler, who took the black to save his family and realm as the warrior princess Nymeria was conquering the whole of Dorne. A now-sworn house Fowler helped Prince Martell and Princess Nymeria with their conquest, culminating with Fowlers and many other Dornish houses battling against the Yronwoods and their vassals. Since the Fowlers were one of the most powerful and the ones spearheading the conflict, the Yronwoods declared a feud between the two houses after they submitted to the now, sole Princess of Dorne.

Born in the year 243 after the conquest, Franklyn Fowler was raised in Skyreach, where he developed himself as a formidable knight and fighter, as well as a more than capable diplomat and money maker. When he was of 17 namedays, he participated briefly in the Ninepenny Kings, where he earned knighthood with his martial prowess as he killed multiple sellswords of Essos.

His father died when he was of 20 namedays and after a year he married a decently capable servant of the same age, Malessa, a Dornish woman who liked to help her lord whenever she was capable of doing so.

In the year 269, the couple finally conceived and in the second month of the next year, they had a pale, blue-eyed infant who they named Sylas and in the last month of the year 270, they had twins, Jeyne and Jennelyn. The two girls with blue eyes were fair-skinned and had wispy blonde hair, just like their older brother.

Sylas wasn't an energetic kid; like many others, he was quiet, calm, and loved when he was fed. His mother loved him dearly and his father did as well in his own manner, a smile could always be seen on his face if he was with his family or a teat in his mouth.

Sylas was raised to be the next heir of house Fowler, and as such, he was expected much, he learned everything with Maester Mateo taught him and was distinguished as a genius by the old man. Sylas didn't have many problems learning things; it came easily to him as he could learn things easily, he spent most of his time playing with his little sisters and some of the other courtiers of Skyreach, the seat of House Fowler.

When Sylas was of 6 namedays, martial training was added to his schedule. Thankfully, his little sisters accompanied him while he practiced, they even cheered for him. After another three years, news from Sunspear said that Oberyn Martell was back from his exile due to his poisoning of the Lord of Yronwood. Franklyn managed to make Sylas his squire and also got his little daughters to go with their brother to The Water Gardens, the retreat house of the Martells and Oberyn's residence to be fostered along with their brother as the father and mother didn't want to separate them with how much they loved each other.

Followed by a small entourage, the whole House Fowler departed towards Sunspear, where Franklyn spent most of his time talking with Doran Martell, as for Malessa, she was accompanied by servants while she looked around and bought things for her children.

Sylas continued his studies while on the road, his diligence was obvious to his sisters, who were with him all day long, and this served as motivation so they worked as hard as their big brother. A week later, Franklyn and Malessa said goodbye to their children for a few years, as Sylas would be Oberyn's squire and Jeyne and Jennelyn would be fostered in The Water Gardens along with their brother.

Just as the carriage with the three kids was nearing the Water Gardens, a sleepy Sylas awoke, but his eyes were unexpectedly sharper and more mature this time.

.-Sylas-.

I felt an intense throbbing pain in my head, causing great discomfort that made me whine internally. I thought, my eyes scanning the surroundings. Suddenly, the world seemed vivid and alive, relieving me of the previous sense of desolation and monotony. With one hand pressed against my face and the other grasping my aching head, I struggled to contain the memories that flooded my mind.

"Are you okay, big brother?" I heard a sweet voice to my right, as I looked, I saw a fair-skinned, blonde little girl, Jennelyn, my youngest sister.

"I'm okay, it's just a headache, maybe it's too hot," I said while patting her head as a reflex. She smiled and started looking outside again.

After a few minutes of sand, the sea and some palm trees filled the sight. Another thirty minutes went by and we finally heard a household guard of our family, ser Dareon, the sworn knight of House Fowler, spoke into the carriage. "We are here young lord, ladies."

"All right," I said while smiling as I saw my sisters trembling with excitement.

'Thankfully I have somewhat processed everything extremely fast and I'm adapting quickly, it has to be the gift that the woman mentioned, although I was a social chameleon it wasn't so extreme as to become another person entirely, the warmth I get from just seeing my new little sisters isn't something that the past me had experienced before… The body makes the mind, and the mind makes the body,' I thought while standing up.

Getting out first, I helped my sisters to get out of the carriage while I heard the guards getting our luggage. After looking after my sisters, I finally had time to look around. Many horses were in front of an extremely large villa, imposing itself on the beach over the sea.

There were many kinds of trees and bushes around, it seemed like a small oasis on the beach. The architecture, exquisite as marble and different kinds of stones was used to enhance the base of the design.

After containing my sisters for a little bit, we started making our way into the villa as it was a big place, we passed many rooms and the hall of the place and made our way to the center of the villa and the reason for its name.

The place was adorned with exquisite pale pink marble, complemented by meticulously maintained gardens. Hidden within, numerous pristine pools glistened under the sun's rays, while the sound of children's laughter filled the air as they played in the largest pool. Overlooking the tranquil pools and elegant fountains, several terraces provided shaded areas, along some orange trees.

At the side of the kids playing, I was able to see a tall and fit man with sharp black eyes and hair who was wearing a pale red silk cloak over a yellow tunic and pants. 'Oberyn.' I thought as we walked towards him.

When we got to them, he made all the kids stand behind him, and he shook hands with Dareon, our household guard, as they spoke some things that Sylas couldn't hear quite well.

"So, is this my new squire?" Oberyn said with a wide smile.

"Sylas Fowler, Ser," I said while looking into his eyes directly. He stood there, quiet and with his hands on his back, and after a few more seconds he started laughing.

"I like the kid." He said while ruffling my hair

'Every thought and doubt that I had could wait.' I internalized while looking around.

"And these beautiful ladies?" He said while smiling softly at my little sisters.

"This is Jeyne, my little sister, she's a bit rowdy but she is a nice girl." I said while patting Jeyne's head "And this is Jennelyn, my youngest sister, she is rather shy so please take care of her." I patted Jennelyn's head as well.

Jeyne smiled and with a small bow, she said hi, while Jennelyn who was hiding behind me did the same.

"Hahaha, all right, let's get you little guys settled, but first, let me introduce everyone here, This is Obara, my oldest daughter." He said while putting his hand on the shoulder of a tall short haired girl, she looked to be around 10 or 12 'Damn, she should be either 8 or 9, she looks much older' I thought.

"This is Nymeria, my second daughter." He said while patting a pale-skinned, black-haired little girl that has Asian-like eyes above her high cheekbones. "And this is my third little girl, her name is Tyene." He said while grabbing her and putting her on his shoulder. Tyene is fair and has golden hair with blue eyes a little bit more dull than mine.

He then grabbed a blonde girl who had some freckles on her face "This is little Sylva Santagar, she is just three, be careful when you play with her with her." He said while smiling at my sisters. Then he pointed towards two kids with honey-like skin and black hair. "The one with straight hair is Andrey Dalt, and the one with curly hair is Garin, he is the son of the wet nurse of My niece, Arianne, she should be with her mother, Lady Mellario. Also, there is another boy, but I don't know where he is, his name is Daemon Sand, you'll recognize him because of his blue eyes, although not as beautiful as my squire's, his still shines brightly." Oberyn said the last part with a smile.

My sisters went immediately towards the girls as they were around the same age, I just stood there, looking everywhere while Oberyn was talking about some details about our stay with Dareon.

"Here she comes, my beautiful sister-in-law and the cutest girl of the seven kingdoms!" Oberyn said loudly as a pretty tall and slender woman made her way into the gardens with a little girl that resembled the woman holding her hand.

"Oberyn, you should watch how you address me in front of other people." Lady Mellario said, then she looked at me with a blank stoic expression "Is this your new squire?"

"Obviously, only I can get such a pretty squire!" He said and then proceeded to burst out laughing, little Arianne was also giggling while looking at me.

"Teach him how to fight with the upper head, not the lower, he seems decent enough." She said nonchalantly.

"As my squire, he shall see and try everything he wishes to experience, no matter what, I shan't stunt his growth, no worries my Lady," Oberyn said with a slightly crooked smile.

After the two adults exchanged pointless pleasantries, Oberyn took me to my chambers while other guards took my sisters to theirs.

"All right brat, since from now on I'm your teacher, as I said, you are able to do whatever you want whenever you want, but you first must be able to protect yourself, I will teach you how. I will also prepare you for court bullshit and how to make a good coin as well, but you must start somewhere, right? Tomorrow you'll start the day early, you'll find me in the gardens and I'll make you exercise, then I will teach you how to wield a sword and a spear, and you'll have a few hours to play with the other kids then you'll train bowmanship and horse riding, any problem with everything I've said?" He said looking me directly in the eye.

"None, I'm accustomed to training early in the morning," I said politely while looking around my room.

"All right, today you can look around."

As he left the room, I lay on the bed, looking at the ceiling.

'Being a kid will be a pain in the ass, and I have to look after my little sisters and see that Nymeria doesn't corrupt them, I won't be able to do anything in Robert's rebellion, but maybe I can convince Oberyn to send some guards for his sister, maybe I can take Oberyn towards The Tower of Joy and help Arthur, It would be great to get such a knight, but how do I convince such a stubborn dumbass… Oh yeah, shouldn't I have a gift? What would it be? Was it easy to adapt? I wonder, maybe I'm talented with magic, I wish it was something like talent for the sword though, I still have to try the most stupid shit that comes to my mind… System? Does the system open? Status?' Suddenly a window popped up within Sylas's sight.

#

Name: Sylas Fowler

Age: 9

Affiliation: Personal / House Fowler

Skills

-Inspection: Ability to see people's natural affinities, name, age, affiliation, and loyalty.

-Swordsman: Ability to develop extraordinary swordsmanship that someone without the skill can't hope to match. (Martial ability grants natural advantage of focus, calmness, instincts, reaction speed, and thought speed in battle)

-Administration: Ability with numbers and letters. A gifted person when it comes to administrating people and their needs. (Diplomacy ability grants thought speed, charm, and charisma.)

-Noblesse: Natural born beauty, ability to move people easily with your charm and charisma. (Diplomacy ability grants thought speed, charm, and charisma.)

-Sword blood binding: Ability to bind a sword with the user's blood to upgrade and grant special abilities depending on the quality of the sword and the user's powers and will. (Granted by the goddess)

-Blood Binding: This ability allows the user to form a powerful connection with another being by binding them with their blood. Through this bond, the recipient is bestowed with unique abilities and experiences an enhancement in their physical prowess and appearance. Additionally, if the binding takes place near a river, it facilitates the regeneration of lost body parts, the healing of scars, and the recovery from illnesses. However, in exchange for these benefits, the bound individual becomes incapable of betraying the host. By default, the user can establish up to 10 bindings, but this limit can be increased depending on the user's will and intent. (Granted by the goddess)

-Champion of the goddess: Ability to control fertility, maintain youthfulness and beauty, and immunity to illness. (Granted by the goddess, cannot be shared.)

-Bloodline

-Mother Rhoynar descent: Closeness with rivers, animals, and magic. If near a river, all body functions will be enhanced by mother Rhoyne as you are one of her children, with the possibility of "Bonding" with one river or seafaring animal. Water magic is a possibility with enough meditation and willpower, as well as Mother Rhoyne's will.

#

'Damn, with these skills I'll be super broken, but I still will have to work hard though, since I can get to be a great swordsman I'll need to get a Valyrian steel blade, and I can bind some people as well, I'm able to go to Valyria and not worry about greyscale, and some other bullshit diseases that I'll find in Old Valyria, although just ten men to face supposed small dragons than can spit fire… it won't go so well huh.' I thought as I started to get up from bed to see my sisters

As I made my way through the Water Gardens, my mind was filled with plans. I couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement at the prospect of honing my skills and becoming a formidable swordsman. However, I also understood that these talents alone would not be enough to achieve my goals, blood, sweat, and tears will have to be shed for it, and I'm more than willing to if it means to live a good life this time.

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