83 The Lioness of Casterly Rock
The flames darkened, and the darkness dwindled.
Kai stared at his prize, his everything. The risks he had taken to get his hands over it were nothing short of madness. A tear escaped the binds of his eyes and trickled over the book. 'This is power,' he reminded himself. 'Pure raw power!'
Kai had already learned the necessity of power. 'Without it, one shouldn't even think of loving anyone, caring for anyone,' Kai had concluded. 'Without power, there is nothing but endless suffering.' That's why in his previous life, Kai had devoted his entire time to achieving greater power. And this was the case after his resurrection too.
The only thing that had changed was his goal. They were different but of equal importance.
Revenge! And Resurrection!
In his previous life, Kai had sought indisputable power for vengeance. Now he was seeking the absolute power to resurrect his parents. 'If I am not aiming for the highest peak,' Kai told himself, 'then I should better forget mother and father here and now.'
This ambition to stand over everyone, this Will to surpass everything, this hunger, this thirst, and these feelings turned into what one could call extreme emotions.
The thing that would have been impossible for most became as simple as reminding himself of his aspirations. Kai held the cover and opened the book casually, and not for the first time. He had already opened the book once in the Primordial Tower, and then near the Hand, Jon Arryn.
Both times he had got the same notifications.
[
Story: The Wizard and the Hopping Pot
Story Status: Complete (locked)
Warning: To access this story, the Contestant must take the help of an main-storyline character who can translate the runes
]
Kai flipped the pages until he could make out the beginning of another tale from the bold, runic title over it.
[
Story: The Fountain of Fair Fortune
Story Status: Complete (locked)
Warning: To access…
]
…
[
Story: The Warlock's Hairy Heart
Story Status: Complete (locked)
Warning: To access…
]
…
[
Story: Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump
Story Status: Complete (locked)
Warning: To access…
]
And then the final one, which Kai had found odder than its brethren. He could feel it. Emotions! There were hidden emotions in this tale. Alas, it also had the same notification hovering over it.
[
Story: The Tale of the Three Brothers
Story Status: Complete (locked)
Warning: To access…
]
Kai also knew the reason for these tales to be locked. There wasn't some mystery to it. He knew Mr. Beedle, the old fool, was supposed to decipher the tales. But Kai had stolen the book before the legendary wizard could have done so. He had got one of the mightiest Items from the Magical World of Harry Potter, Kai knew. But like an exacted price, Kai did not know where to go, whom to go to unlock these tales.
'One step at a time,' a voice echoed in him. 'Take one step at a time.'
'Yes, mother,' Kai nodded. He flipped the pages, reaching the end of the last tale. The book had many pages, and no matter how much Kai tried to reach the end, he couldn't. 'Magic!' Kai had given himself the reason. 'It could have been nothing but Magic.'
'It rejected Jon Arryn's tale,' Kai recalled. 'When I opened the new page in his presence, the book closed itself almost instantly.' But Kai had a notion this time would be different. The Book's Skill, Thousand Tales Parasite, won't reject Cersei's tale, Kai knew.
This notion wasn't baseless. Kai was right.
The moment Kai turned the last page, Kai felt a jolt. It wasn't a true tremor, though. Kai felt as if the entire world was trembling, and only he was motionless, rooted to his post. The yellowish crispy page gave a blinding blue-red flash, lighting up everything around Kai.
By now Kai knew only the owner of Item could see these colors, much like how only he could see the colored notifications even in the darkest parts of the sewers. It was as if these things weren't happening outside but inside his very eyes.
Odd! Magical! And sensational!
Kai squinted, and let the things run their course. When the flash receded, Kai saw words materializing at the top of the page. Letter by letter! Full of pride and mysticism!
'-The Lioness of Casterly Rock-'
This wasn't the end, though. When the title of the tale flailed like a banner in a storm, more words appeared under it in smaller font. The Book was writing a tale, and its character was within 10 ft.
The Song of History! Kai recalled which Skill the Book was using.
Word by word, letter by letter, the Book kept writing like a hungry beast gnawing on bones for the marrow. Cersei's birth. Her childhood and relationships. Her encounters. Even her thoughts were narrated into a magnificent tale.
Kai sucked on those words as if his life depended on them. He couldn't help but think how much Cersei's tale revolved around her brother as well.
Then came the part where Cersei thought her betrothal to Prince Rhaegar would soon be announced. She brought two of her friends to a woods witch, Maggy the Frog. Cersei demanded the witch to do a prophecy about certain things for her. The witch initially refused, but on Cersei's persistent demands, she gave in. The price the witch asked of Cersei was a drop of her blood, which Cersei paid without thought. Then the witch gave prophecies Cersei had desired, and much more.
There the tale ended. Abruptly!
[
Story: The Lioness of Casterly Rock
Story Status: Incomplete
-Primordial Theater-
Act 1: Blood Prophecy
Grade: E+
Specification: The Skill will let the Contestant prophesy certain things depending on the blood sacrifice. More blood sacrifice would let the Contestant see things more clearly and farther into the future.
Requirement: HP>0
Attributes: Limited to the Contestant
Effect: Show glimpses of the future centered on the Contestant
Note: Updating the tale will update the Skill as well
Warning: Future is subjected to change according to Contestant's actions
]
Gulp!
Kai was as horrified as he was delighted.
There was only one thought in his mind as he scanned through the notification again and again. 'This Skill will be the death of me!'
**********
Author's Note: Those who don't remember, Cersei's encounter with the witch was shown as a flashback in season 5. In books, though, this encounter is mentioned often and in detail. As I feel it is redundant to mention the entire captured tale from her birth to the time of this encounter, I have posted it on Discord, along with one of the links which I have used as the source. You can check it out if you want to.
Short snippets on Cersei Lannister, Prince Rhaegar, and Maggy the Frog are available too. (reference with images)
