13

Devilkghth sighed as he saw the small figures running through the forest. It's been days since his little group met up with Lady Eirika, they have been searching for the missing king, Lord Eithel. After finding the lost prince and his family Devilkght decided it wasn't safe to go back to the kingdom. He didn't want to face the wrath of King Eithel for leaving him alone on this dangerous quest. So the group split into three separate groups, one went after the prince and his family; another went after their father; and the last group went after the evil sorcerer that kidnapped their prince! As a member of the former group, he knew he couldn't keep going like this for much longer, so in search of a place to stay Devilkght headed in the direction of a nearby village. As he reached the town, Devilkght heard an odd sound coming from above. Looking upwards, Devilkght saw what looked like wings flapping around a large creature flying over the town. The man was curious as to where the beast was coming from and why did the creature look like a bat? Devkght wondered about the animal but before he could ponder further about it the creature flew off, flying higher than a bird. "I wish I had my bow and arrow now…" the young man thought as he headed towards the tavern to get some dinner.

Later that night

Devkght lay in his bed trying not to think too hard about what just happened earlier that day, thinking about the strange bird made him realize something. 'The bird must have gotten its name from the symbol carved above it'

It had only been a few hours since he had left the castle. In those short times he managed to talk to the guards, who were also members of the second group, telling them of their situation. The knights seemed to sympathize, though no one said much. They just told him he will find a way out of the tower soon enough.

As he drifted off to sleep, Devilkght tried not to think about how he was going to do that.

Chapter 2

The next morning Devkght arrived at the tavern with more food than he had ever seen. He sat down near the window, watching the villagers milling about as he ate his breakfast. When his plate cleared he began to look around for the other knights, only to see them still at their table. He decided to wait until they left before making himself known to them. He watched as the knights got up, talking amongst themselves for a moment. Suddenly, a young woman came running through the tavern, heading straight for Devkght's table. She grabbed his hands excitedly. "Thank goodness you're here! I've been looking everywhere for you!" she spoke quickly. "Come with me, come quickly!" She pulled him from his seat and ran towards a door, pushing her way through. A loud crash and shouts sounded behind them and they both stopped dead in their tracks. "What happened?!" Devilkght asked nervously. His heart sank in his chest when he heard his friend's panicked voice.

"You need to see this."

Chapter 3

The trio stood staring in horror at what had fallen from the ceiling above the room. There were several wooden planks laying on the floor, with holes and cracks along the edges. One section of wood was broken in half, revealing a gaping hole below that led down into darkness. A few moments later a young girl stepped forward, followed closely by two adults. The first was a tall red head, clad in green robes and carrying a staff that seemed like it belonged on a priest. The second was a small dark haired man wearing a cloak of black leather, with white feathers decorating the collar. As the man approached Devilkght the young hunter found himself unable to stop staring. He noticed the woman holding the man's hand was wearing light armor similar to that of a knight, while the young man wore nothing more than a tattered and stained red shirt and breeches. Finally, the redhead turned and gestured towards the child. "My boy, meet your uncle, and aunt" the woman said in an unusually gentle tone. Before Devkght could respond the raven haired boy interrupted her. "Uncle Vethil? Are you really related to our family's history books?" he asked curiously, his gaze never leaving Devilkght. "Yes, I am, little one. My name is Gormund Kaldwulf Vothir, and I am the king's nephew" he replied kindly. Gormund continued to stare, studying every inch of Devilkght's face. Suddenly, his eyes lit up in realization. "Are you one of the princes from the storybook we read yesterday?!" he exclaimed. Before Devilkght could even answer, Gormund took off running towards a nearby bookcase. As the child started rummaging through the collection of books, the older man approached Devilkght again. "Now then…" he began as he gave the younger man a warm smile. "My dear cousin tells me you have recently escaped from a prison filled with monsters, is that true?"

Devkght hesitated for a minute before responding. "Yeah" he finally responded hesitantly. Gormund simply nodded in response. Then the raven haired man glanced at the young girl standing by him. "And may I ask where my niece has gone?" he asked in a soft voice. "She took off running towards the forest a couple minutes ago" she answered. At this point everyone was looking at her expectantly, including the raven haired man. With a sigh, she explained what happened, beginning with meeting up with the others. When she finished, Gormund placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, a worried look in his eye. "I apologize for worrying you. That is most unfortunate. You should go back to your friends, the journey ahead may be difficult" he said quietly. "But Uncle Gormund, what if they are in trouble?! I can't leave them!" she argued desperately. Her uncle shook his head gently. "Please trust me when I say that you should go help them. If they cannot find their way out of the prison then I fear they might perish." The girl hesitated for a bit before reluctantly nodding her head, grabbing her brother's arm she ran off towards the forest. Gormund sighed. "We will make sure she doesn't get herself killed" he stated firmly as he walked towards his daughter.

With that the duo left the tavern, the two heading towards the tower.

When the pair arrived at the tower, they realized that the door to the dungeon had been left ajar, revealing a large gaping wound. Both men frowned, deciding not to explore it further. They pushed open the door to let themselves inside, seeing nothing but a giant room of cages filled with beasts that could tear them apart with a single bite. Their fears were confirmed when one of the beasts started growling menacingly at them. The duo held their breaths, backing away slowly. Suddenly one of the beasts roared loudly in rage, lunging towards the pair with its mouth wide open. Without thinking the young woman dived between the two, blocking their attacker's jaws with her own body.

Suddenly the creature stopped moving, staring confusedly at the human before it. Devkght and his uncle stared at the young woman in wonder. "That's amazing!! How do you always know when you need to jump out of the way!?" Devkght exclaimed in shock. "Oh! No, that wasn't anything special. I've done that plenty of times before" she responded with a sheepish grin. "How old are you anyways?" her uncle inquired. "About 16… I guess" the girl said, scratching the back of her neck awkwardly. "Well I wouldn't mind training you in combat or weapons, considering your strength is very impressive… but for now I need you to rest up, we have a long day ahead of us." The young woman nodded, knowing better than to argue against her uncle's requests.

Devkght stayed in that room for days trying to regain his strength after what had occurred. After the third day, he woke up feeling somewhat refreshed and hungry. Looking in the mirror he could tell that his face was covered in dried blood from all the scratches he received during the encounter, causing him to shiver slightly in disgust. Grabbing a basin he cleaned off the dried blood, before going over to a pile of clothes sitting on a chair near the doorway. He changed out of his bloody clothing and picked up a plain white shirt and trousers. Taking a look in the mirror once more he felt relieved that the dried blood was completely gone. He looked at himself in the reflection, taking in his appearance. While he did not particularly care for the outfit his uncle had given him (he would rather wear something similar to what he had worn in Skyrim), it did look better than the filthy rags he originally wore. However, it reminded him of what had happened to his father's clothes; they were dirty and torn, and smelled strongly of sweat.

Devkght shook his head as he left the room, determined not to allow himself to dwell on things he couldn't control. The young woman had already prepared for him some lunch and left it outside of his room as well. He grabbed the tray and opened the door. Upon stepping outside he saw that Gormund was seated in front of a fireplace, waiting impatiently for him to return. Once he finished eating he walked over and joined the redhead in front of the fire. It was a beautiful night outside; the bright moon and the clear sky made everything seem even more enchanting. After finishing his meal, he decided to sit with Gormund, who was apparently reading a thick text. The raven haired man smiled warmly at the young hunter. "So how have you been since we last met? I assume that you have returned home safely after all these years" he asked conversationally. Devkght blushed slightly before nodding his head in agreement. "Yep. It's great actually! Everyone has become great friends, even though we are still quite distant. My aunt has even taken me under her wing so I don't feel alone anymore" he explained enthusiastically. "That's wonderful to hear my dear cousin! So what exactly did you do before you came here?" he questioned curiously. "Well um…" Devkght stuttered awkwardly, unsure of how best to explain what happened. "I was traveling around the world, until I met a certain group of people and they invited me to come live with them" he eventually settled for. Gormund nodded in approval. "A nice group of humans, I hope?" he questioned. The younger man laughed lightly. "Very nice, yes! In fact I've never seen a group of kids be so happy and excited to see each other. Even though they haven't met many hunters like myself they treat them as family" he explained.

The raven haired man chuckled deeply. "I'm glad to hear you are safe, my friend" he said happily. He paused briefly, giving the hunter a strange look before shaking his head. "No matter, it seems that we must talk about the upcoming events soon enough" he declared solemnly, making Devkght frown slightly. "Events? What's happening? Is someone coming here for us? Do you need our help?" the raven haired boy asked eagerly. A sly smile crept onto the older man's face. "Ah, I think we shall just see" he responded mysteriously. With that he stood up abruptly, causing the raven haired boy to stumble backwards with surprise. "Well my dear cousin, I suggest that we take shelter from the storm and prepare ourselves for the battle to come" he announced.

"Battle? Are there any enemies approaching us?" Devkght inquired curiously, a hint of worry in his voice. Gormund chuckled lightly. "Oh yes, there are indeed enemies coming towards us but only in the sense that they intend to attack me. But you don't have to worry my dear cousin" he reassured him cheerfully. A few moments later, lightning struck the castle, lighting up the entire area. Gormund grinned brightly. "Now we won't be having any visitors for the next several hours. Let's begin" he suggested happily.

A/N: Thank you so much for reading!!!

Chapter 3

'"You are too young to die"'

'"If you are going to die"'

The trio sat in a semi circle around a small table, both Gormund and Devkght discussing possible strategies to defeat the creatures. "There seems to be no other choice than to destroy the beast completely and eliminate the danger" the raven haired man declared confidently. "It seems simple enough" the girl commented, crossing her arms in boredom. "What if we wait for it to sleep?" Devkght inquired. The man looked thoughtful for a moment, before shaking his head in disagreement. "I'm afraid not. It would only stay asleep for an hour or two at most, probably less depending on how exhausted it is" the raven haired man replied calmly. The young woman rolled her eyes, obviously annoyed by the man's decision. "Fine. We could at least try" the blonde man sighed. As the three discussed the best course of action, Gormund began humming the same tune he had hummed earlier in the week, while Devkght tapped his fingers along to the beat.

Suddenly, an eerie silence descended upon the house. Devkght quickly turned around to face the main door, ready to fight off anyone who dared to enter the building. "Stay calm" he mumbled quietly to himself. He suddenly heard a loud crack, followed by some thumping noise. He immediately dashed towards the sound of the crashing, hoping to find the source of the noises. As he rushed into another dark corridor, he saw the door to a large chamber slam shut, causing his heart to skip a beat momentarily before stopping altogether. When the noise ceased, he glanced down the corridor and spotted four creatures walking towards him. Their bodies were covered in coarse hair, while they had sharp claws sticking out of their palms and feet, resembling a wild wolf. The beast that had crashed through the doors roared wildly, baring its fangs at the hunter as it advanced steadily towards the man. Without warning, one of the other two monsters lunged forward towards the hunter. Before Devkght could react, the two wolves attacked him simultaneously. One slammed its huge paw directly onto his arm, leaving deep claw marks that caused blood to seep profusely from his wound. Meanwhile, the second monster lunged straight towards his chest. Devkght tried desperately to keep his balance, but his feet slipped on the ground due to the weight of the injured leg. The creature slammed its foot into his chest almost throwing him backwards, knocking the wind out of him and nearly sending him flying to the floor. Before he could recover, however, the first wolf leapt onto his back, pinning him to the ground and biting at his neck mercilessly.

With the help of his remaining strength the hunter managed to push the two beasts away with his sword. However, he knew that he was too weak to fight properly, and was forced to rely on brute force and luck instead. Just as he was preparing to use his final move in hopes of defeating his attackers, he heard a soft whistle which was followed by the sound of footsteps running towards him. A figure jumped down from above and swung at the first wolf that had attempted to bite his neck, striking it with great precision in the head. Turning around, he realized that the attacker was none other than the blonde haired woman whom he had saved in the village when she was hurt. She was wearing an odd looking hooded cloak that covered her body, preventing him from seeing any defining features. Her weapon was a large axe that seemed designed for cutting open flesh and skin. She gave him a quick smile before leaping forward to attack the second wolf which was lunging towards him again. Devkght barely had time to get out of the way and roll behind a pillar; however, he didn't get far before being hit in the side by the axe. His ribs cracked loudly against his back, causing him to gasp harshly, his hands instinctively reaching to grab at the injuries while his legs failed to support his body. Another kick from one of the animals caused him to fall backwards onto the ground once again. Pain shot throughout every inch of his body, forcing him to curl tightly in pain, letting out pained grunts. At this point, the third animal leaped onto his back, knocking him unconscious before the other two were able to finish him off.

When he regained consciousness, he was lying flat on his back with Gormund kneeling over him, concern etched across his face. "Are you alright?" the raven haired man exclaimed worriedly. Devkght let out a quiet groan and slowly sat up, placing his hand on his forehead. "Yeah… I think so" he muttered tiredly, trying not to focus on the pain that was pulsating through his body. Suddenly he felt something warm and wet press into his palm and he instantly froze; staring at the hand in shock. The raven haired man stared at the thing in disbelief. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary to see some sort of animal drooling all over him in times of stress, but this time it was unusual. This was not saliva nor was it saliva from any of the wildlife he had encountered before. Instead, the strange object consisted of long and thin tentacles of pale green light, each ending in a large cluster of sharp teeth. He looked down in horror, realising what exactly those things were. There was no mistaking the shape of their heads; however, they lacked eyes and ears. They were more like long, flexible tendrils attached to thick necks.

Devkght gasped in disgust, quickly wiping his hand on his trousers. He noticed that the man in front of him had fallen silent, apparently waiting patiently for him to speak. "Sorry, uhm… You know, this doesn't really seem like normal saliva" he stated awkwardly. Gormund's expression darkened as he turned his gaze away and cleared his throat. "They do not taste pleasant, to put it simply" he answered coldly. "They look… creepy. Very gross" Devkght added quietly. Gormund remained quiet for a moment. "They can sometimes act as weapons" he eventually admitted quietly. The hunter furrowed his brow curiously. "Weapon?" he asked questioningly. "In your case, I believe that the word is 'spider'" Gormund clarified. Devkght let out a gasp and pulled his legs close to him protectively. "How did you discover these? And who brought them here anyway?" the older male interrogated. "One of the villagers has been talking about such things. He said that he used to hunt for game and collected rare plants and flowers. He also says that the creatures sometimes attack people and leave some kind of slime that causes horrible diseases" the blond man explained briefly. "Sounds unpleasant" the hunter commented nervously.

"Indeed. They are called 'Mammoths', apparently" Gormund informed. Suddenly, a high pitched shriek erupted from outside the room. "Goddamnit! That damn animal must still be alive" The raven haired man growled angrily, rising from his chair. Before he could turn around, however, the hunter reached out and grabbed his shoulder. "Wait! You shouldn't go out there alone. I'll come with you" he offered hurriedly, standing up quickly, despite the wave of dizziness that came afterwards. The raven haired man shook his head stubbornly. "It wouldn't be wise for you to accompany me. If I am not wrong, you will only slow my progress. Besides, they aren't dangerous if left alone. If anything happens, they won't even notice my absence until morning" he insisted. Devkght hesitated for a moment, still unsure about the situation. Ultimately, he relented and agreed to join the man.

As the hunters approached the doors, the noises outside got progressively louder. Suddenly, one of the creatures let loose a piercing cry, followed by two others. A deafening roar came from within the room, causing both men to tense in apprehension. The man took a step forwards. "Come on" he urged. Hesitantly, the brunette took a few steps forward, his breath coming out ragged and short. Once he was a couple of meters away from the door, the blond stopped abruptly and held his spear up, watching as one of the creatures began creeping closer towards him. With a small nod of acknowledgment, the raven haired man raised his hand slightly and pressed down lightly on the handle of his blade. He waited a few seconds, holding his breath as a result, before giving the signal to attack. Almost immediately, the first beast collapsed to the ground, twitching madly as the blonde threw the spear straight through its skull. It let out a loud screech, before falling to the ground with a clatter. Both hunters watched as the creature fell, unmoving. After a moment or two the man placed his spear safely against the pillar and stepped forwards cautiously. As soon as he had moved further inside the room, another creature sprang at him with inhuman speed and struck him square in the chest. Immediately after, the raven haired man fell backwards and collided violently with the floor, dropping the spear. With no time to check whether he was injured or not, he scrambled onto his feet again and continued rushing through the building.

Devkght kept moving along the corridor. Every time he passed a window, he would glance through it and take note of where everyone was, and whether they were in trouble. After a few minutes, he finally spotted a familiar head of dark green hair. As fast as his exhausted legs could carry him, he sprinted to meet her in the hallways. Once he was finally close enough, he stopped abruptly, grabbing hold of her waist and pulling her into a tight hug, burying his head in the crook of her neck. "Khun Avatarsi, are you alright?" he questioned anxiously. The woman wrapped her arms around his torso. "I'm fine. Thanks to you" she replied softly. The hunter's breathing gradually calmed and he pulled back from her embrace, gazing into her amber eyes. "I thought you were dead" he whispered. The woman smiled reassuringly. "I was only sleeping. Don't worry, I managed to escape unscathed. It seems that the beasts have gone" she said calmly, although her voice sounded shaky. "The beasts? Who were they? Are they dangerous? How could they be hiding so well in the middle of the forest?" Devkght demanded furiously. "I don't know. All I can tell you is that the last one had greenish eyes and was extremely tall" she explained. Devkght frowned slightly. "What kind of monsters are they? What does this mean? Why did we have to find out about them from the villagers in the first place?" he asked angrily. His questions were interrupted when the blonde suddenly grabbed hold of him and started dragging him away, leading him back towards their room. "We need to clean up" she told him sternly. The younger man rolled his eyes, following obediently behind her. Once they entered their shared rooms, they were greeted by the sight of Sigrun sitting cross-legged in one corner and Arya sitting in the middle of the room in front of her.

Chapter 2

"There was a fight, I heard" Sigrun announced. "And then they disappeared" she added shortly. The twins glanced at each other. "Where did they go?" the raven haired girl questioned anxiously. Arya frowned slightly. "They said something about being afraid of us" she replied with uncertainty. "Of course, you would be scared! What kind of sick fuck sends giant snakes to attack random people!" the blonde spat angrily. Sigrun sighed tiredly as she walked over to the bed and climbed under the covers beside her sister, leaving a space on the opposite end for the raven haired boy.

Aryan stood up, stretching her arms. "Well, at least now we know why they're so frightened of us" she commented quietly. The two boys shot her looks of surprise. "You saw the pictures" she mumbled as she laid down, turning onto her side. Arya nodded quietly. "But how does that help us?" Devkght questioned. The blonde sighed, looking down at her hands fiddling with her fingers. "All these images, they were taken right outside the castle. And I saw someone run past them" she explained quietly. Devkght narrowed his eyes in curiosity. "Who was it?" he inquired. "Some old man, he was wearing an odd outfit" she responded vaguely. Her brothers exchanged a knowing glance. "That's definitely suspicious" the older twin stated. The smaller one nodded slightly. "So what exactly do we do? Should we go out and try to find them?" she asked eagerly. "Don't think we should! They probably fled once we showed up" Arya muttered. Sigrun looked over to the two and glared at them. "Stop thinking so much! Just relax, please! Let's just get some rest tonight and decide tomorrow. We don't need to panic" she insisted. Arya scoffed, clearly unconvinced. "But what if one of them tries to harm us?! What if they try to attack us?! We have no idea who these people are" she protested angrily.

"Then we defend ourselves. They aren't going to hurt anyone. Even if they try to kill one of us, we still have our spears and axes. We can easily defend ourselves" she assured them firmly. She didn't know if any of them were listening anymore though, since all three of them had drifted off to sleep already.

After a while, the raven haired boy woke up with a start, gasping. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he realized that Sigrun wasn't in her usual spot either. Frowning, he sat upright and looked around worriedly. Suddenly, he felt the urge to call out her name. After all, her bedroom was right next to theirs, and she would certainly hear his. However, when he opened his mouth, the words died in his throat. Instead, a strangled noise escaped from his lips and he stared wide eyed at the open window, which was emitting strong light. Confused, he slowly made his way over to the window, squinting as he tried to make out what was happening. He couldn't believe it. Not only was there bright light shining outside – there was also a person standing underneath it! At first, the brunette could barely see, but as the figure lifted their hood and turned towards him, the sunlight illuminated the entire scene. The light revealed a very familiar blonde haired figure.

"Khan Devkght?..." he heard her say. As he slowly approached the window, he confirmed that he was seeing correctly. For a moment, Devkght could scarcely comprehend what he was seeing. In his mind, the blond was supposed to die during the battle at Lakeview Castle; that was what he had been told, and that he had done all he possibly could to prevent him from doing just that. But here he was, alive and breathing, right outside their window. "How… how did you get here? You shouldn't even be able to move" he exclaimed. The younger raven haired man shook her head. "When I got attacked by those beasts, I was dragged across the ground a bit. I managed to free myself from my bonds and ran into a tree to stop falling. When I tried to walk again, the pain in my shoulder was unbearable and I collapsed. By the time I came to, the wolves were already coming for me and they seemed determined to finish me off. So I decided to stay put and wait until one of them went for me again. It didn't take long for them to realize the mistake they had made and leave without attacking me" she explained calmly, her expression calm as ever. "Why are you here?" Devkght asked curiously. The woman furrowed her brows. "To protect you. If something happened to me, what will happen to you? To your parents? To your siblings?" the blonde replied with a frown. For a few moments, Devkght remained silent, staring intently into her blue orbs. Then, slowly, he gave the woman a small smile. "Thank you" he murmured softly. A faint blush spread across the older woman's cheeks as she averted her gaze.

"Let me help you change into your nightgown" she suggested hurriedly, breaking the awkward silence between them. Devkght nodded wordlessly before walking over to his wardrobe and opening the wooden doors, stepping inside to remove his clothes. When he stepped out of the wardrobe again, he noticed that Sigrun was changing behind his sisters door. "Sigrun! Could you come here too?" he shouted loudly. The other girl poked her head out of her room, blinking several times. "Didn't you want to wash your face?" she asked confused. She quickly rushed over and joined Arya and Devkght in front of the mirror, watching silently as Devkght took the shirt and pants off from the hanger. "Do you want help with anything else?" the blonde asked shyly. Devkght shook his head. "Just turn your head to the right" he instructed. The blonde obeyed quietly. The young man gently removed the wet cloth, placing it against her forehead, making sure not to touch her wound or bruises. When they were both satisfied with the results, he leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers lightly. A few seconds later they parted.

Devkght let out an embarrassed chuckle. "Sorry, that was unexpected. Do you forgive me?" he questioned nervously. The dark haired girl shook her head and smiled sweetly at the younger boy. "You never have to ask" she declared softly, leaning forward to place a quick peck on his lips, smiling when the older man blushed. After a couple minutes, Sigrun finally decided to break the comfortable silence. "Alright. Enough with this flirting. I'll give you guys some privacy" she chuckled amusedly, winking at the blonde before turning around and exiting the room, closing the door carefully behind her. After a couple of seconds, Devkght spoke up.

"I thought the others were sleeping" he whispered. "It seems that they didn't fall asleep after I left them" he replied. Devkght smirked slightly, a small blush creeping onto his features. "I guess we really should stop flirting, huh" he commented. The younger brunette nodded softly in agreement. Before either of them could say anything more, however, a loud thud was heard downstairs. "What was that?" the blonde wondered aloud. "It sounded like a chair being moved" Devkght added cautiously. The older boy reached for the sword hanging on the wall next to the door and pulled it back. As the door was pushed open a little, Devkght looked out, frowning. "Is anyone home?" he called out loudly. The sound of someone rushing upstairs made its way to their ears a second later. Devkght quickly hid inside the room, holding the sword tightly in his hand. The door swung open and the eldest Lannister brother entered, carrying a large sack of what seemed to be grain. "Where is everyone else?" he asked, a puzzled look on his face. "In bed" the raven haired boy replied simply. "Has any one of them awakened yet?" Ser Davos queried curiously. The younger boy shrugged slightly. "We are alone" he informed him casually. The older blonde frowned slightly. "I'm glad, because I brought you something to eat. I had one of the servants bring me some bread" he announced cheerfully, smiling widely as he held out the sack of food towards the younger boy. "Oh, I'm sorry about earlier" Devkght apologized quickly. Ser Davos shook his head, taking the bag out of his hands. "There's nothing to worry about. Don't tell me you haven't eaten today. It would not be good for either of you" he stated concernedly. Devkght shook his head. "No, it's fine. We ate yesterday" he said truthfully. Ser Davos raised a brow at him suspiciously but said nothing else, instead grabbing a loaf of bread and starting to eat it. "So what brings you here?" the younger man asked suddenly, taking a piece of the bread for himself and chewing on it, enjoying the flavor it brought to his tongue. "I wanted to warn you" he answered.

"About what? What are you talking about?" Devkght asked confused. The older brother sighed softly before looking down at the ground. "Well.. it's a bit embarrassing, really" he started hesitantly. "The King has summoned me and Viserion. He wants us to travel north with him and join him in war, so I've volunteered to take Viserion with me. As for the rest... I guess this will have to be it" he muttered bitterly, his voice trembling a little due to the fear he was feeling. The younger raven haired man stared at him for a few seconds before asking him what was bothering him. "What do you mean?" he asked in shock. "I mean… we're leaving. All of us. Leaving here forever. With or without you. Without father…" he whispered before shaking his head and raising his voice once more, "and the fact that he didn't even bother to tell us". Devkght stayed silent for a few moments after hearing the last comment. "I… I see" he mumbled softly, staring at the floor with an unreadable expression on his face. After a few moments of silence, he stood up straight and turned around to leave. Ser Davos was surprised to find a slight smile playing at the corner of his lips. "Devi… thank you" Devkght spoke, his voice still soft. "Thank you for giving me hope. And thanks for helping me. You don't know how much it means to me" he continued, his tone slightly less shaky now than before. Slowly, Devkght turned around once more and offered him a small smile. "Don't mention it" he answered softly before reaching out for the younger man's hand, intertwining his fingers with his own.

Chapter 2

The following day, everyone was awake, including the two boys who shared a room with Devkght (who slept in a different room), and were all gathered in the main living area waiting for their parents. The oldest Targaryen was seated on a sofa while Viserion was sitting beside his mother, gazing absentmindedly out of the large window that looked out onto the garden. As soon as Devkght entered the room, a shocked gasp escaped the younger girls lips. "Is that blood?!" she exclaimed in shock. Devkght frowned slightly, wondering why Sigrun would react that way. "Yes. I got hurt yesterday. I managed to patch myself up though" he replied reassuringly, trying to hide the sadness in his voice. His sister blinked in confusion. "Why?" she wondered out loud. Devkght shrugged. "It's nothing serious" he responded vaguely. At least that wasn't entirely true. In reality, it was more painful than that; his arm had been broken by a sword during the battle with Jorgyal, but he was unable to fully heal since he hadn't had the time to practice magic to try and save himself the pain of having to use it, so the injury didn't heal properly and had just become more inflamed than before. Nevertheless, it wasn't worth mentioning because he knew that she wouldn't believe him anyway. The black haired male sat down in a nearby chair and placed his right leg on top of another chair, crossing his arms on his chest.