meeting in a swamp and a seahorse gets a gift

AN: trying to combine certain chapters together. I feel this will make it a little easier to read. Idk. Might end up changing it again. You never know.

Please enjoy. I have no desire to argue or defend myself or the fic atm. Read if you enjoy it. Leave if you do not ❤️

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The neck, 6th moon of 129 AC

(ZAYNE)

As frost and I make our way to the crannogmens home, I can't help but to think back on morgoth.

The fact that he's so large truly surprises me. After a month of being together everyday I've gradually started looking through his memories. It seems he's 16 just like me.

I watched him wake up and grow into the beast he is today. But that makes me wonder, why do not all dragons grow like that?

The frown the crosses my face as I think which caused frost to rub against me and let a huff out, indicating I need to stop thinking about things I can't control.

But I had nothing else to do while we walked along towards the place that looked the most like home to my eyes.

Growing up in the southern part of the US makes one extremely attached to such a place. The values and mixture of cultures down there always brought a smile to my face. If only the races here could learn to do that.

I sigh but let it go. No point in trying to do the impossible. Instead I focus on the upcoming meeting.

Hopefully my gift will get them to keep their mouth shut at least until I have a base of operations set up and am confident nobody in Said base wouldn't cut my throat as soon as I went unconscious.

Lastly my thoughts turn back to morgoth. I have a theory as to why he's so large.

Unlike the Targaryen dragons who are chained up unless being ridden by their rider, morgoth has never had chains that hold him down.

I believe this is the key factor in the Targaryens losing the dragons after the dance in the first place.

Because they didn't allow their mounts freedom, the younger hatchlings could never beef themselves up to be protected should a group of brainwashed small folk, septons, and maesters decide to end their reign.

Much like other reptiles, dragons never stop growing. The only thing holding them back is their environment as well as the ambient magical energy in the air.

Much like a weirwood, which acts as the cube you plug into the wall to drop the bolts down so it won't fry your phone, it acts as a way to regulate the amount of magic in the air and in animals under its protection. Humans themselves being included.

Anyone with knowledge of Harry Potter knows such magic being given to everyone is bound to end up in disaster, which is why the old gods regulate who can and can't use their gift to their advantage.

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After a few days of walking I'm fairly deep in the swamp. As I said, this is home to me.

Aside from the huge lizard lions that I just call freshwater crocodiles, and the misquotes as large as a horsefly from my old world the neck is amazing.

I and many others have heard the horror stories that come from the south about the neck and the bog devils who inhabit it.

Usually short of stature and green of eye, the reeds have ruled the neck for thousands of years after bending the knee to the stark of winterfell in exchange for freeing them of the vile influence Of the marsh king.

With them being related to the earthsingers, it grants them at least one warg and one greenseer in each generation to keep them safe should the worst happen.

Sometimes this even comes together in the same being, making them extremely magically potent.

These people are closest to being an earth singer. It's said there are a multitude of rules when warging. Such as not copulating while in the skin of an animal.

Another big one is not to eat human flesh while warging.

And lastly, is to never use the ability to take control of the mind of another man.

In my memories I remember bran the broken breaking all these rules. In my opinion the gods made him paralyzed because they wouldn't let another fully healthy blood raven run around.

I don't know why he was allowed to do the things he did, but should the three eyed raven exist in this time im in, he'll find the lord of ice and fire to be his worst enemy. Never will I allow some pedo in a tree to sit north of the wall and pull the strings everyone else must dance to.

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Frost and I are currently on the bank of one of the many rivers or streams that dot the neck.

It's only been 3 days since our departure from morgoth. This is good. I need to make sure I have enough time to take over my territory and then get the people there up to my standard.

Admittedly this is not super plausible in what I imagine is only 3-4 moons before the hightowers send a contingent to invade rooks rest and lure a dragon from the blacks side to come meet their maker.

This is where I plan to make my existence known realm-wide. By killing the usurper and injuring the beast vhagar, my name will redound across westeros.

My only problem now is what to do with such fame.

I sigh and take a swig of the famous Valhalla whiskey. I found this case of them on my way out of the smoking sea.

Such a thing was a truly wonderful gift. My favorite drink from my old world making it's way into this one.

But that wasn't my main focus with this liquid. No. This was gold just waiting to be mined.

Not only is the liquor so different from any wine I know they have in this world, but with my name behind it, I'm sure it will become a staple.

The nobles of westeros are so easy to minipulate. Even if they don't like the whiskey for its taste, the chance to brag about having done business with me will no doubt inflate their egos larger than the height of the 14 flames.

This is how I will make money to begin. Kill aegon, start selling whiskey. That's as far as my plans in concrete are right now.

For in truth I don't even know what land I want to occupy.

I know a few things that are non negotiable though.

1. It must be away from the south.

This I feel speaks for itself. Who in their right mind would want to be within riding distance from the most treacherous, backward race in this world save the white walkers? Not me.

I'd sooner burn the realm to ash before I buddy up with the andals like the durrandons of storms end.

Such fools they are.

They defeated them six times. Lost good men who had families to take care of.

Only for the seventh to end with marriage. With the chopping of the weirwood trees and converting to following the seven.

Such things make me sick.

They had one of the most impenitrible castles in the world, yet they folded under the promises of bedding andal women.

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As I levy hateful thoughts against all the firstmen who folded to pressure from the cunts that hail from andalos, frost alters me to someone's presence.

The deep gutteral growl that bubbled out of his throat put me on edge. I've killed many lizard lions while being here in the neck. And even the biggest ones didn't make frost react like this.

This means only one thing: there's a human coming upon me.

I slowly pull anglachel out of my sheath and speak in a voice I'm used to using with scumbags who used women and children to carry out their missions.

"I suggest making your way into my view. Do so nice and slow. After all, I'd hate to have my friend here give you a proper introduction."

At my words frosts growls Rachet up further in intensity. My hand instinctively tightened on my sword as i heard a gentle rustling from the bushes that signified at least the intruder wasn't disobeying me. One more second of silence and I'd have sent frost into the bush to get him out for me.

The man is wearing a green cloak. Not nearly as finely made as mine. But I cannot judge. The north is a hard place whereas this garb was made in Valyria but women who were sorceress's with a needle and thread.

(Image)

The man who approached me was short. Muddy Brown and brows with two eyes the color of moss.

The knowledge and wisdom I saw in his gaze made me slightly more on guard.

We stare at eachother for in silence for a while before I break it with the same tone I used to get him out of the bush.

"My name is Zayne Valhalla. May I know why you are stalking me?"

The man's wide eyes finally turn away from the snarling Direwolf over my right shoulder and he speaks in a voice so soft I have to strain to hear him properly.

"Forgive me young lord. Long has it been since someone infiltrated the neck. Though with your current company I find myself not needing to know more. For the answer is in front of me."

As he spoke I could see his eyes momentarily widen again. Apparently my eyes had begun glowing from under my hood.

While they always had a shine to them, when in tense situations I learned they become illuminated with my emotions. Like a mood ring.

I haven't taken my hood off yet. For there's still business to attend that he hasn't addressed.

"Then you must understand why I must tell you to allow your own companions to come out as well. I'd surely hate to send my friend in to find them."

At this frost resumes his growling and makes his way in front of me. Turning sideways as though to block any and all threats from coming close to me.

I patted him and sent my thanks mentally. Not only for his want to keep me safe, but for telling me about the 3 men accompanying the stranger in front of me.

After a minute of silence the man makes a gesture that i understand is telling his men to come out.

A young man around my age comes out first. His son.

I know this because the two look like mirror images of one another with only a 20 or so year difference between them.

The man's next words make me smile.

"my name is jagen Reed, my I know the name of the intruder to my lands?" He asks with a more serious tone this time that I understand is his 'noble voice'. Keeping my chuckle in at finding the man I was looking for I return his introduction with one of my own.

"Greetings bog devil. I've come to offer a few things that I believe will help not only the north, but the entire world to prepare for the second war of the dawn," I speak with my own 'noble voice.' Unlike the small man in front of me however, I've the blood of kings in my veins.

The man's eyes turn moon wide at me before narrowing dangerously. A few moments pass with our gazes locked in a battle I don't understand until he breathes a tired sigh and motions with his hands to come follow him.

Of the three more small men that followed their lords instructions to leave the brush I couldn't recognize the others. The other two, have ink black hair with brown eyes. The taller of the two, and I say that lightly, given the fact that he's only about 5'6 has a scar across his brow that hints at a sword or knife wound.

The smaller black haired man with what looks to be a black bow and arrow on a field of green comes towards me with a bowl of bread and what I assume to be salt. He nervously stands in front of me while frost doesn't take his eyes off him or his lips back from his teeth even if he's stopped growling for now.

Thouroughly amused by the show of fear and awe in the small crannogmens eyes I pat frost in a placating gesture that causes him to put his lips where they belong and sit like a good boy.

The amusement in the unknown lord reeds voice is impossible to miss when he speaks out, "it seems you're far more interesting than I originally thought, lord Valhalla" the man says with that same weird glint In his eyes that I assume the man to be his father had when we first locked gazes.

I can't help but chuckle in response to the poorly disguised double meaning behind his words as I take a piece of the bread and dip it into the salt.

After chewing and swallowing I speak in return to the young man around my age, "oh you have no idea." I said and by the way the other men around us flinched my eyes had unconsciously started glowing.

(Image)

Lord Jagen then speaks, "come. Long has it been since a Direwolf denned in the greywater."

And with that we were off.

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The smoking sea, The seahorse, 6th moon 129 AC

(CORLYS)

He'd sailed around the known world many times over. From yi-ti in the Far East to the shores of sythoryos, the green hell. All In all, to say it was hard to surprise or impress Corlys would not be an exaggeration. So imagine his surprise when he found a journal in a trunk full of gifts he was given as a thank you to some ship captain or another who he'd inadvertently aided in some way.

This was no ordinary journal. This held the sigil any self respecting member of old Valyria's blood could recognize, the black dragon of house Valhalla.

(Image)

The Valhalla were said to be the first dragon riders. The first ones to show the other original 14 families how to tame the beasts.

And the journal was said to be owned by Jaenyx Valhalla. Reading through the book I found he was alive right before Valyria was turned to the wasteland it is today.

(From diary)

My grandson, Zayne, is a boy unlike any I've seen. He has the white hair and facial features indicative of my house. However, his eyes are what truly draw attention to himself. Unlike the red pools my family possesses, he possesses the same color as his mother. An ethereal light Valyrian steel grey with specks of red like blood spray throughout. As well as a deep pool of red at the center of the eye surrounding the pupil. Like a painter had taken his brush and pushed it down to the bristles spread out wards. Then flicking the end of the brush to make spots on his eyes.

If I'm being honest, they're the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen. Which is why I keep him incredibly far away from the other nobles of Valyria. If they knew my son had stepped outside our territory for a wife I fear what would occur.

His mother, Lyra stark. Daughter of the kings of winter, A truly beautifully wild woman. Deadly with a bow and arrow. And just as deadly with her tongue at court. Had she lived past the birthing bed I know she would've loved little Zayne as much as his father did. Poor Ragnar. My son died of a heart attack only moons ago.

His death has deeply impacted young Zayne. And as much as it hurts me, I must keep him at arms length. The need to run my household until he's ready weigh on my mind everyday. But push through I must. For if my Zayne is as special as I think he is, he will need to hate me with how I train and treat him.

It pains me more than he could ever know to do such things. But he's far too sweet a boy to survive on his own amongst the nobles here. If he must hate me for me to turn his body and mind into a Valyrian steel armor then so be it. But at least I will he confident in his survival when I enevitably pass on.

Reading the pages got me lost in thought. The first lord of Valyria marrying a stark? Why? What could've happened to allow them to even meet? Valyria was almost always at war in the east. What heir of the house could go find a cold Direwolf to snuggle with? Corlys continued to read. Enthralled by the head of house Valhallas story and that of his half stark grandson, just moons before the fall of Valyria.

My dreams last night were a wirlwind. I see myself surrounded by snow. It was freezing cold and before me stood a massive weirwood tree. What was spoken there I will not put down onto paper. For no man should have such information. I've learned the Targaryens were not wrong. Valyria is doomed. But the old gods said I could make a difference. 'Only death can pay for life' a debt I would pay a thousand times over for Zayne. Should he ever find this, I apologize my child. What's coming for you and the rest of the world is awful. Beyond the scope of any man's imagination.

However, I believe in you and your ability to handle any situation. You've always been special. The world will seek to attain gains or outright eliminate you. Be wary my boy and always remember, with a dragon comes fire, with man comes death.

Jeanyx Valhalla, lord of Valhalla.

Corlys sat in his solar aboard the seahorse in deep thought. The implications of what lord jaenyx wrote of was incredible. He would need to verify such suspicions. But he was nothing if not thorough, and who better than he to find someone long since dead with his thousands of contacts around the known world.

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AN: so there it is. Once again I changed a few things as well as putting Corlys intro into a chapter as an add on.

I feel this will make it easier for myself to read. Won't be giving out much information on the next chapter in the top part like I used to. I think It made the chapters not worth reading. As you could find out everything you needed to know by just reading that two or three sentence prenopsis.

I hope you enjoy. Will have pics posted soon.

ALSO, will only have 2-3 main outfits in this fic. Will post them as well. The design will be the same with only different colors. Should I intro a new one I'll put it in the specific chapter I mention it in. I will stick with the AC vibe because I like it. Not only that but it looks noble enough to be beside the other lords without seeming to opulent or underdressed.

I may put out another chapter tonight. I don't know. It all depends on how I feel after reading this one and getting the images up.