Chapter 26

Bran remained in a daze as he lay in bed after Robb bid farewell to him and Rickon. Though not willingly, both he and Rickon were convinced they wouldn't see Robb or their parents again. Still, Bran hoped for the best.

He reflected on his recent conversation with Robb, shortly before a raven from King's Landing brought news of his father's imprisonment. "Are they ever coming back?" Bran asked his brother.

"Yes," Robb replied with hope in his voice, revealing the brother beneath the Lord. "Mother will be home soon. Maybe we can ride out to meet her when she comes. Wouldn't that surprise her, to see you ahorse? And afterward, we'll ride north to see the wall. We won't even tell Jon we're coming; we'll just be there one day, you and me. It will be an adventure."

"An adventure," Bran repeated wistfully. He heard his brother sob. The room was so dark that he could not see the tears on Robb's face, so he reached out and found his hand. Their fingers twined together. Bran remembered those hopeful thoughts at that moment. Slowly, he decided to close his eyes, even though he was sure he wouldn't be able to sleep.

But the next second, he felt like he was lying on top of grass, and the sound of birds singing welcomed the day. Bran struggled to open his eyes, finding sunlight gleaming against his face. As he tried to get up, he struggled, realizing he was in an open field with waving mountains.

At first, confusion took over, but then he thought of it as a similar strange vision that he and his family had experienced before. He looked around, attempting to spot something in the distance. The sunlight made it challenging to discern clearly. Then he felt his body trying to stand without his consent, and after getting up, his body no longer moved on its own.

He sensed his legs, and even though it was just a dream or vision, it brought a smile to his face before turning into a solemn expression. Slowly, he looked at the distant spot where he saw something. He tried to walk in that direction, expecting to discover what was there.

The closer he got, the more he felt as if the destination was too distant to reach, an unusual fatigue setting in—a sensation he thought shouldn't happen in dreams. Coming to a halt, he realized he was too tired to move forward. In the next second, something astonishing occurred—the day abruptly turned into night, with a starry sky and a glowing moon.

Bran remained in a daze, looking up into the sky in amazement, completely oblivious to what was approaching him. For a moment, he stayed like that until he unintentionally glanced to the side, causing him to fall back in surprise. There, a different-looking Stag had come closer to him. Initially bewildered by its appearance, he eventually saw it as more than just a stag. Despite being in a dream, it felt incredibly real.

As his fear slowly faded, Bran got up, trying to etch every detail of the creature into his memory. The stag had a blade-like trim around each leg, forming a point under each hoof. An upside-down, V-shaped marking adorned its chest in the same color as the leg trim. The head and neck were blue, with two large tufts extending onto its chest and curving upward. The first pair of antlers extended onto its head, curving around the underside of its eyes. The eyes themselves were black with X-shaped pupils. A short marking graced the top of its snout, and horn-like structures adorned each side of its head in place of ears.

Soon, the markings, antlers, and leg trim turned pale gold. The antlers started branching with bumps in many colors, and multicolored spots adorned its back. Bran took a step back, mouth wide open, unable to believe what he was seeing.

Soon, darkness enveloped the surroundings, leaving Bran and Xerneas alone in obscurity.

Bran looked around, tense as darkness enveloped his surroundings. His gaze settled on Xerneas, who stood in its active form, emanating a powerful presence. Uncertain of what to do, Bran briefly considered trying to wake up, but it seemed impossible.

Then, a strong yet soothing voice broke the silence, calming Bran's racing heart. "Child," Xerneas called out, and Bran felt a sense of reassurance wash over him. He watched as little fairy auras danced around him, adding to the surreal atmosphere.

Although Bran was certain he heard the voice coming from the strange stag, he still searched for another source before turning his attention back to Xerneas. Without preamble, Xerneas addressed Bran directly. "Child, inform your brother to return home," the creature commanded.

Bran, taken aback, couldn't help but ask, "Who are you?" Xerneas, in its enigmatic manner, replied, "Little you need to know, child. Let your brother know this war isn't for him. Tell him to return home. In his stead, I will make them pay for what they have done."

Bran wanted to ask more questions, but he found himself unable to speak. Xerneas sensed the urgency and gently reminded him, "Child, it's time to wake up. Let your brother know what I said." With that, everything faded to blankness as Bran woke up, screaming and falling from his bed in shock.

The commotion drew Maester Luwin to Bran's room, where he stood stunned at the sight before him—Bran, standing dazed, staring at his legs as if seeing them for the first time.

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Fellow readers, I will try to release at least once every two days, but it depends. And I hope everyone should pay their tribute of power stones to Xerneas, considering how hard it is to come up with content. None is made without spending effort. Those who want access to more chapters can visit my Patreon.

Link:patreon.com/AmouxCreationX

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