Chapter 3 (Revamped)

The more martial descendants of House Mudd would end up settling within the Golden Empire of Yi Ti, having befriended the then-reigning Scarlet emperors and establishing themselves as loyal generals and retainers, over time rising to the status of Greater Nobility, gaining them a rather sizable territory from which they ruled over. 

This would be the norm the for nearly a millennia until the death of Lu Bo, the last Scarlet Emperor, alongside him would perish a significant portion of the capable minds of House Mudd, leading to its gradual decline as it struggled to survive under the eyes of ambitious vultures and warlords that sought to use it as a stepping stone during the reign of the following dynasties.

House Mudd would see its status rise again under the reign of the Maroon Dynasty, being far better suited to its martial court in comparison to their more bureaucratic counterparts, this would be its undoing centuries later with the ascension of the founder of the yellow dynasty, a sorcerer who would successfully plot the death of the than child emperor. While much of the imperial court would be cowed by the might of this foul sorcerer, the then head of the House Mudd would refuse and attempt to avenge the death of his nephew, leading to his death and subsequent fleeing of House Mudd from Yi Ti. 

It would only be during the rise of the Azure emperor would this exile be rescinded and their status as Greater Nobility of Yi Ti restored, though no Mudd would dare to return to Yi Ti after that.

Excerpt from 'A Tale of Mudd and Steel' by Maester Alyn Feld

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(Erlend Mudd, Twilight Isles)

Laying on the outskirts of the Isle, relaxing on the sandy shore, Erlend felt a sudden gust of wind, the waves turning violent and seemingly out of control, and a large object breaking free of the deep sea, letting out a piercing roar that shook the very heavens.

It was a rather large being, bronze in color with gorgeous scales covering its vast serpentine body, its face held a majestic feel to it with what seemed to be a beard, thick mane, and large whiskers that were usually associated with the much smaller catfish and two deer like protruded from its head.

Seeing the serpentine being floating and undulating through the air, he couldn't help but think of the possible reactions of his ancestors, would they rejoice, curse him, or quiver at the sight of this majestic dragon?

The very creatures that their worst enemies commanded to hunt them down were now bound to his will.

"You've come a long way from the little snake that eagerly followed me wherever I went".

The dragon simply snorted in response as its father reminisced of its hatching and the beginning of their connection.

Years had passed since their hatching and his children had grown tremendously, both physically and mentally.

Initially, it had been remarkably easy to hide his children, their serpentine looks made it easy to mistake them for a unique species of serpents, this world had no shortage of unique and fascinating creatures after all.

Yet as they got larger, the greater the lengths it took to hide them. 

Eventually, they became far too large to keep within the ground they were born in, and moving them became a priority. 

An isolated cove within an uninhabited island was eventually chosen. Somewhere they could hunt and grow without fear of discovery, and if any pirates and raiders came anywhere close to the island, well there was little doubt on whether they'd be missed.

His children were so different from their predecessors, that it fbordered on the improbable. Each was born with differing abilities that made them ever so dangerous to face.

A dragon on its own was already dangerous, but give them more and there were a scant few in this world that could take them on.

Jinhua, his eldest child, a Bronze Monarch, was the largest of his bonded and by far the calmest, easily reigning over her younger siblings should they get too out of hand. 

Of the three, she had the strongest connection to nature, and likely one of the strongest in the world, second only to himself, her mere presence could cause the ground to tremble even when in the sky. 

She could release powerful gusts of wind and clouds with a breath and held immense control over the seasons and climate around her.

Her younger sibling, Velskud, the Devastator, had scales as dark as the midnight sea, scarlet ripples could be seen throughout his body and horns. Of the three siblings he was by far the most draconic, aggressive, and quite savage towards what he considered enemies. 

His flames were the hottest of the three, capable of melting even the most resistant materials. Given enough time, Erlend was sure that valyrian steel would be melted by his mere breath.

Despite his overly hostile nature to anything that breathed, he still cared for him just as much as his siblings, despite his nature.

The youngest of the hatch, was Verna the Virulent, with deep jade green scales so beautiful that they captivated any onlookers, she was no less dangerous than her older siblings.

Flecks of bronze could be seen through her serpentine body, and its glimmer was surpassed only by the molten gold eyes she held. 

The most shrewd and agile of her siblings, Verna preferred to play with her prey, toying with it before putting it out of its misery. Her breath could release potent poisonous gas which could kill even the most resilient of creatures. 

So far only he and her siblings remained unaffected by it.

Each of the three had its strengths and weaknesses, as well as the traditional flames that their Western predecessors were famed for. 

Yet their connection to both himself and magic could not be denied, an important reason why he was stunned during their hatching wasn't just for their appearance but also the sheer magnitude of magic their birth spawned, to the point that it caused a resurgence of magic.

He was unaware if this was the same case in the primary timeline or whether the effect his children had on the world was much more profound compared to it.

Thankfully, he had taken painstaking steps to carve out runes all around the grounds prior to their hatching, his paranoia not allowing him to take any chances.

It helped that the Isle was also a magical paradox of sorts, making it even more so difficult to trace anything back to it and attracting the wrong type of attention. 

There were also the protections left by the most paranoid of his kin, who held a very healthy distaste and paranoia towards magic users and ritualists during their exile and even before it.

Still, that would not mean he would not be careful, while the three dragons were large and powerful enough to destroy whole armies by themselves, that would not mean he would willfully put them in danger. 

Not when he wasn't even ready yet, for how could Erlend make them face something he couldn't do myself?

…

The Dothraki Khalasar's enjoyed a rather fearsome reputation throughout Essos and a certain infamy outside of it. 

Largely an undefeated fighting force. They terrorized free cities throughout Essos, sacking various towns and minor cities that failed to pay proper tributes, and enslaving all they could, was it a wonder they were loathed so much?

Since the Doom, it can be said that few powers among Western Essos could push them back. However, this was mostly due to most slaver cities focusing on conscripting slave soldiers rather than an actual well-trained army.

The various mercenary companies notwithstanding.

Yet, pit them against a truly prepared enemy, one fully aware of their strengths and weaknesses and they fell just as easily as those they slaughtered. 

Standing behind the kneeling Khal, holding his braided hair, Erlend observed the broken remnants of what was once a 15,000-strong Khalasar. The bodies of his blood riders lay on the ground, and the rest of his Khalasar hadn't faired in any better. 

Many were either buried underground or had spikes of hardened earth going through their bodies, their final expressions being that of disbelief and immense fear. 

Golden and silver medallions strewn all over the ground next to them, as blood seeped out of their still bodies.

"You were warned, both by the magisters and your fellow Khals" the Mudd Lord pointed out.

"Maegi" hatred and venom poured out of the Khal's tongue.

"Last I checked, I still had my cock, the same can't be said about you" With a swift strike Erlend cut the Khal's prized braid, shattering whatever prude he held as the last sign of the honor his Khalasar held was destroyed.

Not wanting to waste any more of his time on this savage, "Have at him Velskud".

The Khal could only scream in pain and terror as he found himself being flung into the jaws of a terrible beast, devoured by a rather vicious dark beast, one he hadn't noticed before.

'Demon!!!' were the last thoughts running through his mind, before all went silent.

Whatever irritation Velskud felt by not being allowed to participate in the slaughter was washed away by the pleasure he felt at rendering such a proud ant to mince meat.

Erlend was well aware of how his children felt about putting himself at risk, yet his pride would not allow him to stand aside and let them face his enemies without his input.

Foolish, perhaps it was, but having had the power to make such a decision, there was no reason to change, for better or worse.

…

(Lorimas Mudd, Summerswind Manor)

"You're worried" Feeling two arms holding onto him, Lorimas simply stared at the map of northwestern Essos.

"Our son is out there alone fighting against a Khalasar of 15,000 men," was his response.

"He has Velskud." Dalia pointed out.

"That hardly makes me feel better." knowing full well that Erlend tended to be more ruthless when around that dreaded dragon.

Silence filled the room again, and they just stood there holding each other and contemplating the situation. Both of them held immense worry for their nephew and son in all but blood. 

Khal Daro sought to extort tribute from Pentos, knowing those miscreants would not hesitate to fold. For all the talk of their savagery and lack of civilization, the Dothraki were not foolish, they knew an opportunity when it came knocking.

It didn't help that Pentos fully intended to use the extortion as an excuse to return to their slaving ways, what with Braavos being held up dealing with the pirate fleets that had been harrowing them for the past few moons.

Granted Braavos could've dealt with them easily in a full-scale naval battle, yet those vultures and rats chose to prey on smaller and less equipped vessels, fleeing whenever a properly manned vessel was spotted, making it quite the headache for the Braavosi to deal with.

As for the Banners, they were busy dealing with the resurgence of Dothraki Khalasars raiding and pillaging the settlements loyal to Braavos, more than likely incentivized both by the great wealth Braavos held, as well as the promises and honeyed whispers of those ambitious magisters, seeking to weaken Valyria's bastard daughter.

With most of the Banners tied up either guarding the Twilight Isles or securing Braavos. Erlend chose to personally deal with the fledgling Khalasar, thus destroying whatever plot those Pentoshi snakes sought. 

Lorimas knew his nephew had killed before, it was unavoidable with the numerous enemies they had, but he had hoped that at least he'd wait for one of the banners before choosing to face the Khalasar.

No matter how capable Erlend was, he was still one man. Dragons or Magic, facing a whole army by your lonesome was not exactly the wisest decision.

Unfortunately, like all Mudds before him, his nephew had decided to deal with them himself and refused to wait, leaving him and his beloved wife to fret over their uneasiness over the present situation.

Despite knowing of his capabilities, fear gnawed away at his heart at the possibility of losing the last of his kin. He was the son he never had, one who was capable of reshaping whole environments and even sinking an Isle the size of Tarth if he sought to. 

Yet, one that he cared greatly for.

They've practically raised the boy, after all, only a heartless monster wouldn't develop attachments in such circumstances. 

No matter how much he had grown, Erlend would always be their precious little son in their eyes.

…

(Erlend Mudd, Ghoyan Drohe)

Instead of directly going back home, Erlend decided to visit the ruined city of Ghoyan Drohe.

A Rhoynar city destroyed by the Valyrians during the Rhoynish war. What was once a fair city, green and flowering was now little more than bog and swamp swarmed with flies that inhabited the canals chocked by reeds and mud.

Simply approaching the city, one could feel the decay and wrongness within the atmosphere, yet he remained unaffected after finding a suitable area where he could begin my next move.

Sitting in a Burmese posture, a favored stance when meditating.

Erlend allowed his mind to expand, covering not just the city but also Braavos and Pentos.

He could see and feel everything within the lands his aura encompassed.

One of the abilities granted to him by 'Lord of Nature', was that an imprint of his aura could be placed on any animal that he came across, allowing him to see what they see, listen to what they can hear, and track them wherever they go. 

Normally this wouldn't matter for the most part, any words made by a human to or around animals would seem more like gibberish, hence why they mainly relied on intent to understand humans. 

Something that should've hindered him from truly making use of this ability to connect to their senses.

This is where all-tongue shined through, while Lord of Nature gave him command over animals it did not allow him to truly communicate with them, rather just simply imposing his will on them and connecting to them, sharing their senses.

Like a puppeteer and their instruments.

All-tongue bypassed these restrictions, granting him the ability to communicate with them on a deeper level and give specific commands as opposed to vague ones. 

It also allowed those imprinted to act on their own, alerting him to matters that concerned him and saving much time and concentration for more important matters. Erlend was able to understand what humans were saying around his imprints, while connected to the animal's senses.

A rather complicated process, but a necessary one as he could not warg like Bloodraven or the Starks of old. 

At the same time, where they were limited to particular animals, he could make use of all living wildlife, giving him a massive advantage over them. Through this ability, he was able to extend House Mudd's spy network and discover the Pentoshi plot to reintroduce slavery to their city.

While the Shadow Wardens were incredibly effective, they were still limited, and this plot was only known to the top magisters of that wretched city.

Naturally, this ability went even further than just imprinting animals. Using his aura Erlend could feel the very ground he stood on, sense abnormalities, track movements wherever his aura touched, and if he desired, discover mineral and precious metal deposits, making this an invaluable ability to the security of the Mudds.

Lord of Nature allowed him to change the environment and landscape, to shape and alter it to his will. At the most basic level, it could be compared to bending the elements, though he was not limited to just the four basic ones like the avatar. 

Basic control over life was perhaps the most significant aspect of his ability, slowing or increasing the aging process of plant life around him, much like Hashirama's Mokuten.

Erlend was confident that in time, he would not just be limited to plant life.

The eldest of his children, Jinhua, had a weaker version of this, though it was quite likely that just like him, as she grew older, the stronger her connection to nature would become. 

Each of his children represented an aspect of nature in their way, Jinhua represented its eternal aspect, calm and steady, yet evolving steadily. 

Velskud represented its more destructive aspect, savage and harsh, pure power-given form. 

Verna, the most unique of them all, gorgeous and lethal in equal measure, yet hidden behind that fatal beauty lay a predator waiting to strike, representing the deadly aspect that comes with nature, a single mistake would be one's undoing.

This brought into question his children's origins. Erlend knew that they were not the norm and that there was more depth in their birth, rather than just looking different. It was something that required further investigation before any conclusive decision could be made on the matter.

Aside from the abilities granted to him by his powers, these were also his skills with the sword, it would be foolish of him to avoid learning to wield arms in a world where one's martial ability is prized above all else. 

His preferred form of fighting when not wanting to be obvious with his magic, lies with a one-handed sword due to the versatility it provided whilst allowing him to subtly manipulate the battleground around himself to better favor any fight or battle he found himself in.

One misstep on the battlefield could spell the difference between victory and loss.

All's fair in love and war, and to think he had only truly scratched the surface of his abilities.