11 King's Road

Off the ledge of a ravine, a hand suddenly appears as one's gaze lingers on one will find that a human being has emerged from what can only be described as a den for the most dangerous wildlife in the cold tundra of the North. Dan emerged from the ravine with scratches and marks all over his body.

'Let's get going then we need to make it to the Kingsroad and on our way to the Capital', Damian's voice rang out. Dan gave a nod and began jogging in the southern direction in order to find a town or a village to forage for food and information. The aim was to hitch a ride with one of the northern merchants on their way to sell winter wears to the south which while relatively warmer, was still affected by the winter.

When they emerged from the dark forest they saw a sight to behold. Amidst the serene stillness of a winter's day, a breathtaking scene unfolds across the vast expanse of snow-covered grasslands. As far as the eye can see, the landscape is transformed into a pristine wonderland, a canvas painted in various shades of white and blue under the cold, clear sky.

The grasslands, once adorned in vibrant greens, now lie dormant beneath the thick blanket of snow. The snowflakes delicately cling to every blade of grass, creating a mesmerizing, sparkling effect. The ground is like a soft, fluffy carpet, cushioning the earth beneath it, and the slightest movement sends little clouds of powder into the air.

The horizon stretches endlessly, with gentle, rolling hills dotting the landscape sporadically. Each hill is adorned with its own cap of snow, forming a natural tapestry of shapes and textures. The distant mountains, their peaks also dressed in white, stand majestically against the horizon, their grandeur adding an extra layer of awe to the already impressive scenery.

"Woah!"

'Damn'

"I really missed my home, even though it was nothing but torment and gruelling slave work, I always had an affinity with the cold winter mornings. Being forced to fetch all that water sure did end up in a magnificent sight of sunrise"

'Dan look, the Sun'

As Dan stood there basking in the warmth of the rays a single tear drop fell from his eyes. The void was an easy place for the divine to exist in but for mortals, it took a toll. Dan had seen nothing but darkness for 50 years inside the void just to make his mind and soul stronger. That single-minded purpose drilled into him by Agni was very helpful but everything has its own good and bad side. Seeing so much around him overwhelmed his senses as Dan just stood there for minutes on end enjoying the beauty of Planetos.

'Dan we must get going'

Jolted back into reality from his dazed state Dan began to walk again with no particular place in mind but his newfound resolve to live his life the way he always desired to. On their way, Damian and Dan even hunted a snow wolf to satiate the ever-growing hunger in Dan's body. He was tall now reaching a height of over six feet but since his body was still not completely healthy he looked more like a giant stick rather than the formidable warrior he was supposed to be.

It took the duo 3 days to finally make it out of the grasslands and reach a small village in the distance. In these three days, they had performed multiple blood art ceremonies to rapidly gain some strength and after Dan retained a healthy-looking body he stopped utilising the blood arts to boost them any further. Agni had told the duo that the blood arts if used beyond a certain threshold would yield more harm than good and it was better for Dan to gain strength through strenuous training rather than cheating his way to it through magic.

Dan walked in the direction of the village which was snow-covered almost knee-high with not many villagers in sight as it was still early morning but he could hear the sound of cattle and sheep from which he figured it was not an abandoned village, to say the least. He approached one cottage and knocked on its door.

"Anyone in there?", Dan inquired, yet there was no response. Choosing to knock on the door again Dan proceeded with caution.

"Anyone in there"

'They are there but they might think suspicious of you as no man walks around almost naked in such a cold winter wearing nothing but fox fur on him. You need to alleviate their fears.'

Dan understood what Damian was implying and realised that now he was back within civilisation and needed to survive by its rules.

"If anyone is in there I mean no harm I am just a lost traveller from the woods not too far away from here. I'm only looking for some information and will be on my way soon enough."

As Dan waited finally a voice came from the inside, "We...we have nothing to give you please let us be", it sounded like a girl was the one responding. After hearing the response Dan wanted to smack himself in the face for the stupidity of these people.

"Listen girl I'm not going to harm you I don't even want to get into your house I just wanted to know what year it is and where this place is. Tell me as much and I will not bother you any further."

"It...it's the 88th Year since Aegon's Conquest and you-you're in Falls village South of Hornwood"

Without any further care, Dan just shouted thank you and began sprinting southwards again. 'So we just need to reach White Harbour and then take a merchant vessel to the capital'.

At Dan's statement, Damian chimed in 'We also need to secure some money so that we may pay for our safe travels'.

"Yeah, that too. Woohoo! I'm seven and ten years now. This is amazing Damian we spent 50 years in there but only 7 have passed out here and by the looks of this winter it seems summer will not be coming for a year more to Westeros."

'It would seem so and Congratulations Dan I guess you could celebrate but popping your cherry at the local brothel in White Harbour', Damian sneered.

"What's that?"

Damian realised Dan was still unfamiliar with many of the terms he used from his homeworld, he then elaborated on his thoughts. 'I meant that you could go to one of those adult places in White Harbour and you know bed a woman'

All of a sudden Dan stopped running as his face became redder than apples, seeing the expression Damian would not be leaving this God-given opportunity. 'Aww my friend are you seriously blushing at the prospect of bedding a girl? Don't you remember I taught you all about how to do it when we were training, after all, one must train for everything you know even S-E-X. Hahahahahaha'

As Damian's laughter echoed in his head Dan was both pale and puzzled as to the course of action he should take and the fate that was both enticing and troubling to him. White Harbour was about to have one hell of a day as the Emperor would be popping his cherry in the two-bit town.