Chapter 35 - Journey Beyond the Wall 2!

[Chapter Size: 3200 Words.]

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JON POV

Lands beyond the wall, 290 AC, some days after.

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The journey continued northwards, and as he observed through Caraxes, Jon held a map in his hands.

'Damn that liar!' He was frustrated; the old man who had given him the map had deceived him, providing inaccurate information about the region. Jon had not traded the precious Eldenmetal in exchange, only common steel, but still, he felt as if he had wasted six swords on this thing the old man called a map. Overcome with anger, he now found himself in a place not even marked on the map. The giants and wolves that accompanied him also did not know the area, as they had never ventured so close to the Wall, which was frustrating for Jon.

Jon's group spent hours crossing the forest, with Jon feeling increasingly annoyed at being lost. He constantly had to wait for the giants to clear a path for the carts to pass through the dense forest.

After a few more hours of walking, Jon began to notice signs of intelligent life along the way, although they were much larger than usual. He sensed the presence of a group of different animals gathered further north. He didn't know exactly where they were due to the distance, but he had already wasted too much time in that unknown place. Now, at least, he saw the opportunity to start recruiting his own army by finding some tribe in the place.

Using his enhanced powers, Jon intensely examined the area. Over time, his mental strength had increased significantly thanks to potions and training in addition to his natural maturation. Now, he could perform tasks that would previously risk his life much more easily. He began to establish a connection with hundreds of animals, accessing their memories at that moment.

Part of the wildlife had never seen a human before. Most had only seen a human wandering around occasionally. But Jon found something particularly interesting. To the north, near the coast, there was a camp of giants established near a river that flows into the sea. He instructed Caraxes to fly over the area and check if the giants were still there. Confirming that the place was still inhabited, Jon led the group to the camp.

"We're going there," Jon told his group.

"Jon, are you sure? What if they are hostile? We are outnumbered by the number of giants you mentioned..." William said with some apprehension.

"I can handle it, and our giants will help me with this too," Jon maintained his decision and they moved forward.

Upon arrival, Jon felt a sense of nostalgia. The place was a replica of the camp south of the Wall, where he had found his first giants. Instead of abandoned houses, there was a cave in a large boulder. The giants seemed to lead a peaceful life, sometimes fighting among themselves and other times just warming up by the fire when they were not hunting, eating, or sleeping. Jon observed that there were at least about 70 giants and 12 mammoths. They were very well hidden, which explained why no one had found them so close to the Wall.

As Jon approached the camp, the tremors caused by his group attracted the attention of the nearest giants. The sight of the armored giants accompanying Jon frightened the tribe of giant men at first sight. There were five of them, plus two giant children also in armor, wielding weapons capable of taking down at least ten opponents before being brought down with swords, spears, and shields. The giants wondered how they had dressed like that and who was the strange human child leading the group, as well as the giant armored animals that also appeared right behind.

They stared at each other for a while, until a giant, larger than the rest of the tribe, stepped forward to face Jon. Jon pondered how to communicate with them and explain his purpose, knowing that giants are creatures of few words. Then, he began:

"I AM JON SNOW, I WANT TO RECRUIT FOR THE ARTICAN TRIBE, AND FIGHT AGAINST THE EVIL THAT HAUNTS THE NORTH," Jon said slowly, using the ancient tongue, the way he communicated with the giants. Jon thought that, since he needed to create a country there, he should first choose a name for it. It could be the Snow Kingdom, as Ducken suggested, but he wanted something more meaningful and chose a name that matched the icy North.

"I AM LURING AND WHY SHOULD WE FOLLOW YOU?" the giant chief, LURING, replied in the ancient tongue and a deep voice. Jon understood the giant's doubt. He adopted the same strategy he had used with the last giants he convinced to follow him. He took a seed and walked to one side, while the giants gathered to watch what the strange metal group would do next.

Jon removed the snow from the ground, dug a hole, and planted the seed, placing his hands on the soil. Suddenly, an apple tree sprouted from nowhere. The giants were startled, just as those south of the Wall, and began to whisper inaudible words. Jon noticed their alarm. He picked some apples and threw them to the boys in his group, who thanked him; it had been some time since they had eaten the fruit. Happy, they bit into the apples, with Jon eating his in front of the tribe.

Jon began to throw fruits to the giants, who caught them with their huge hands and saw how Jon and his giants were eating. They tasted them and immediately liked them. Jon made way for them to reach the tree, now surrounded by the tribe that had just discovered the new fruit.

The giant leader let his tribe enjoy the small red balls but continued watching the human boy. Jon looked at the leader and pointed to one of the armored giants. He gave a command, and the giant approached a tree in the forest, cutting it in half easily with his sword. This intrigued the giants even more with the weapon. Jon then exclaimed:

"Artican Tribe does not starve and has powerful weapons! Together we can defeat the evil!"

The giant leader looked at him with complicated eyes. "I LIKE ARTICAN TRIBE, BUT ME AND TRIBE FOLLOW THE STRONG. DEFEAT ME AND HAVE MY TRIBE!" he exclaimed. Jon was surprised by the challenge but was ready to accept it. He was about to confirm when Ducken intervened.

"Jon, don't do this. Ask some giant to fight for you, but you will only kill yourself if you accept this," Ducken said firmly, concerned for Jon's safety.

"Ducken, I could do that, but as a leader, I have to fight up front. I have a plan, so don't worry. And if I leave these giants here, the darkness will kill them sooner or later," Jon said firmly. Ducken was still skeptical, but Jon left the spot and walked with the giant leader to an empty field, preparing for the confrontation.

The giant came empty-handed, and Jon, realizing this, threw his swords away, surprising everyone. Did the human intend to fight empty-handed too? The giant already felt respect for Jon because of his courage. But before they began to fight, Jon took potions and began to drink them one after another... five, six, seven potions. This worried everyone who accompanied the boy from south of the Wall.

"Will he be okay? He won't be, will he? This won't kill him afterward, right?" William asked questions in despair to Ducken. He did not like what he saw and was fearing the worst. Jon had never taken more than three potions, and he was debilitated for a whole day after taking them. Now, he was taking seven. "His body won't explode, will it?" William wondered, concerned.

"Begin!" said the giant opponent, and Jon wasted no time. He leaped towards the giant, but his movement was interrupted when a punch hit him squarely, making him fall ten meters away. Jon rolled through the snow until he stopped, slowly getting up with a bleeding nose, obviously broken by the impact. He cursed himself for being so reckless. The potions had not yet started to take effect, and he wanted to have a head-on fight in the first seconds of the confrontation.

Jon assessed his situation but still faced the giant, who maintained a neutral face. If he wanted to conquer the tribe, he would have to show power, while the former leader would use all his strength to face the boy. Breathing deeply a few times, Jon began to run to fight the giant again. With each second, his body manifested explosions of power due to the doses of potions he had taken. His strength and speed were gradually increasing.

It didn't take long for him to gain a speed greater than that of an adult man. Jon leaped to attack the giant, but again, he received a strong punch, being thrown in the opposite direction. His nose, already broken, bled even more, but unlike the last time, the impact was not as painful. His body was getting stronger every second.

Jon stood up again and faced the giant, waiting for a moment until his body was ready to attack. A minute passed without either side making a move, with the onlookers watching attentively. Some of Jon's companions were ready to intervene and not let him die there. This impasse lasted until Jon took his first step, running directly at the giant with a speed now so fast it resembled an animal.

In the jump, he caught the giant by surprise with his new speed and delivered a strong punch to his face. The giant leader, taken aback, had no time to react and fell backwards, still looking at Jon, who had just landed from his leap.

Everyone was stunned by what they saw: this human child had knocked down a giant with a punch! The giant began to get up, spat out a tooth and smiled, preparing for the hand-to-hand fight. They resumed the battle, and the giant leader became more cautious with his opponent. They began to exchange intense punches.

Jon dodged as many punches as he could, but sometimes he was thrown back. Still, he kept getting up, even with his face marked and his left arm broken in the middle of the fight. He was not going to give up now. The pain in his battered body was intense, and he only remained conscious thanks to the effects of the potions, his regenerative magic, and the adrenaline of the battle.

The battle between Jon and the giant was epic. All the giants watched excitedly, while Willian and Ducken watched open-mouthed. Caraxes, the enormous bird, was screaming, wanting to fight in Jon's place, but Jon was determined to fight his own battle. His opponent was also in a pitiful state, covered in blood, with more teeth lost and black eyes. The fight lasted 30 minutes, until Jon was finally knocked out.

The moment Jon tried to deliver a kick, he was caught off guard by a knee strike from the giant. He felt some bones breaking and his vision darkened immediately.

When Jon regained consciousness, he felt the true pain in his body. He wanted to scream but held back, focusing on his healing magic. Jon had developed the ability to self-regenerate and, therefore, was sure he had been unconscious for much less time than a normal person would endure, even considering all the side effects of the potions and the damages suffered.

After treating some more of his internal wounds, although still far from ideal - more because of the side effects of the potions than the fight itself - Jon got up and left the tent where he was. He realized he was still in the giant's camp and was surprised, as he had lost the fight. "We should leave after this, right?" he thought, confused.

Lost in thought, Jon felt the ground tremble and had a bad premonition. He saw Seryna, without her armor, running towards him. Defenseless and injured, he thought in despair: "DAMN IT!! AM I GOING TO DIE LIKE THIS?!" But, to his surprise, Serena stopped and looked at him cautiously.

"Is Jon okay?" she asked, concerned.

"I need some time to heal, Seryna. Tell me, how many days have I been out and why are we still here? Didn't I lose the fight?" Jon wanted to understand.

"Jon has been sleeping for 3 days and lost the fight, but Jon was the winner!" she said, looking happy. Jon looked at her, puzzled. It didn't make sense. How could he have lost the fight and still be considered the winner?

"The giants decided to follow you, my king," said Ducken's voice, arriving next to Jon, and he continued: "You may not have won the fight, but everyone saw the potential of a child punching the tribe leader. They want to follow you and see you become the strongest." Jon understood and was immediately happy, knowing he could take these giants away from that place.

"Great, get ready to leave in a few days. I will talk to them about my plan," Jon said. He watched the giants living, occasionally eating apples from the tree, and noticed that they seemed anxious as the apples were running out. Deciding to act, Jon walked to the tree, even limping. The giants, noticing his presence, greeted him, saying just one word: "Snow." Jon made new apples grow, making the giants happier, and continued on his way to speak with the former tribe leader.

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POV BEJEN STARK

4 days after a long journey.

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Bejen Stark was returning to Castle Black after a mission to track the movements of the wildlings gathering in the North. He needed to prove to the Lord Commander that the situation was worrisome. Bejen had seen several wildling camps and discovered that their leader was a man named Mance, a former member of the Night's Watch who was now known as the "King Beyond the Wall" by the wildlings. Mance was gathering more wildlings than any other leader, except the Thenns, and he would soon attack the Wall with a large army.

Bejen knew that the Night's Watch would face dark times in the coming years. That night, he was camped with nine companions. Looking into the fire, he thought of his family in Winterfell and how much he wished to see them as soon as he arrived at the Wall. The journey had been dangerous and he had nearly died here.

His thoughts turned to his brother, Eddard, and his nephews, but he was particularly worried about Jon, his nephew who should have been at the Wall many moons with him, but had disappeared for eight moons. Bejen was desperate when he learned of Jon's disappearance and ran South to help in the search, but to no avail. After two months of searching, he received a letter from Ned, almost six months ago, informing him that Jon had reappeared and was fine. The boy, only eight years old, was facing bandits and causing a stir in several towns, becoming a small hero in the North.

Ned had mentioned that Jon would send a letter and stay in isolation for a while, but would then resume his journey to Castle Black. Bejen, for months, waited for Jon, worried. He had high hopes that Jon would arrive at Castle Black when he returned from this expedition or that some raven would inform him that the boy was in Winterfell.

"We are under attack!" Bejen was ripped from his thoughts when one of his companions shouted. He quickly got up, realizing that the wildlings were emerging from the forest. They were surrounded, at a disadvantage of 20 against 10. The wildlings had bones piercing ears, noses, and lips - cannibals, Bejen concluded.

"Look what we have here! Crows that look juicy, Theu!" one of the wildlings exclaimed.

"Folks, we're going to have a feast tonight, fresh meat for the tribe!" shouted the wildling, inciting roars from the others. Bejen's group was scared of the fearsome cannibals. Luckily, they had no archers. When the first wildling advanced, the others followed. Bejen, with his sword, confronted the first attacker, throwing him aside and thrusting his sword into his chest. After knocking him down, he turned to the second, who tried to attack him on the flank. Bejen managed to parry the wildling's weapon and initiated an offensive.

Managing to breach the opponent's defense, he cut off the wildling's sword arm and, without wasting time, decapitated him. Advancing to the third opponent, suddenly, an enemy spear pierced his leg. He roared in pain and realized that only three of his companions were still alive. Bejen could only look at the wildlings with hatred, thinking that this would be his end.

"It seems we have a good fighter here, I want him alive. I'll make him scream to avenge my companions," growled the cannibal leader, but his expression changed as he was about to thrust another spear into Bejen's shoulder.

A tremor and a disturbing noise began to form in the forest. The entire group became fearful, hearing the sound of trees falling. Whatever it was, it was coming their way.

"Prepare to fight!" shouted the wildling, as the trees began to fall. From the forest emerged a black wolf in 3.5 meters tall armor, with a boy on top as a mount, shooting arrows. Beside him, more trees were toppled by giants in armor, wielding huge swords, starting to kill the cannibals' companions. More and more giants appeared, and the group of cannibals had no chance to react once the giants reached them. All were decimated.

Bejen and the rest of his companions were stunned, having never seen such terrifying wolves or giants, especially dressed in armors with designs worthy of a king and green-toned steel, comparable to Valyrian steel. They wondered why this group was helping them. Bejen took a closer look at the boy with the bow. He had killed four men and was at the forefront. The boy looked at Bejen with concern, and Bejen lost his footing as he recognized who it was: his nephew. His nephew was fighting and killing men, despite being less than 10 years old. Bejen was speechless, unable to form a coherent thought in the face of this revelation.

"UNCLE BEJEN!" shouted Jon, running towards Bejen as soon as he jumped off the wolf. The first thing he noticed was the wound on his uncle's leg, and his eyes showed a mix of emotions.

"Ducken, go to William and get the healing herbs and potions in the cart!" Jon issued an order, still with a childish tone. Bejen could only look at his nephew, unable to say anything, noticing the concern in the boy's eyes.

"Thank the Gods, I arrived in time!" exclaimed Jon, relieved to have arrived in time to help. Bejen, however, could no longer contain his confusion and concern, and, ignoring the pain in his leg, confronted his nephew.

"JON! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" He couldn't believe that his nephew was beyond the Wall at that very moment. Jon sighed and replied:

"It's a long story, uncle, and I will tell you, but for now let's take care of you." Shortly after, Ducken arrived, bringing the healing herbs and the necessary potions.

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