Wylis arrived in the castle dungeon, dragging behind him a wooden chair. The place was better than most dungeons as he'd modified it to have a constant, moving air-flow, keeping the dampness under a certain level.
Yet, it was cold.
"M'lord."
"My lord."
The guards manning the dungeon saluted him as they were trained, a simple military salute with a snappy wave of a flat palm against their temples. He never bothered to make it a dramatic, chest-thumping salute.
"Open the wildling's cage, lads."
He watched as the metal lock was removed, and the iron door creaked open. He walked inside, still dragging the chair behind him. It was dark in there, so one of the guards placed a torch against the wall and retreated. Standing at the door, guarding it.
Finally, he settled his chair and sat down on it, staring at the wildling man, both arms tied to metal chains, but loose enough to eat and sleep, but not enough to reach him.
"So, you've decided it's wiser to talk after all. Took you long enough."
"Kill… Kill me."
"Varolf, that was your name, wasn't it?" Wylis said, arms crossed. "I'll grant your wish, but you'll answer me first. Where in the North are you from?"
"Thenn… We were from Thenn."
Wylis gave a low whistle. "That's deep in the North. You've come a long way from home. What was it then? Spilled blood and fled? Or did the dead stir, and you ran like a hound with its tail tucked?"
Varolf shook his head, staring down the entire time, his body thin now. "Run? You'd run if you'd seen what I seen! The dead still walk, they do! They're comin' back, sure as snow. None of them believed me."
Wylis's gaze hardened, his back stiffened. He washed away the smile from his face and leaned forward. "Where did you see them? The dead."
"Way further north. We was out mapping fresh lands, good lakes for fishing. Deep in the Land of Always Winter, that's where we saw it. Only I came back breathing. I hauled some lads with me... and you killed them."
The wooden chair creaked under the weight of his body. Wylis didn't like this one bit. He closed his eyes and thought of it. He already knew he would one day have to deal with the dead. The major question was what type of dead were they. The book's dead or the show, because the latter were easy to deal with. In theory, at least.
Did they appear early, or is it me who found them too early?
"I believe you," Wylis said as he got to his feet. "Aye, the dead are out there. Else why would our forebears build a damned seven-hundred-foot wall of ice? Surely not just to hold back you wild ones."
"Then warn 'em! Warn every last one! The dead are comin'."
Wylis shook his head and shrugged. "Not yet. No one cares for an enemy they can't see. The lords of the South and even half the North have forgotten the old ways and the old tales. They won't stir their asses unless you put proof in their hands. Still, no need to worry. When the dead finally come, they'll find more than just a squabbling kingdom waiting."
"Hah!" Varolf laughed. "You think you can defeat the dead?"
"No. I don't think. I know it," Wylis said, drawing his short-sword. "Now I'll keep my promise. I'd hoped for more, thought you might be from Hardhome. Even so, this wasn't for nothing. Speak your last words."
He stepped forward and raised the sword with one hand. Varolf himself leaned his head down, showing his nape clear.
"Gods have mercy... the dead won't."
Thud!
The head rolled on the floor. There was no other way this could have ended. He had killed Varolf's friends, and the bad blood was already established.
"Burn the body."
He ordered the guard and walked out of the dungeon. It was still the middle of the day, so he went into the private forest he had made, and used that to enter the walled-off industrial district still under construction secretly. Having already created the main machines needed for the textile industry, even the foot-powered sewing machine, he focused on metalworks.
He wanted to build a few core buildings personally, mainly the waterwheels, the blast furnace, and the Bessemer converter. The first one was easy and cheap to build, just a large building to house the waterwheel and all its connecting gears. The other two, however, were expensive because their outer shell required steel.
But it was an investment he was willing to make. A blast furnace would help him make pig iron, and a Bessemer converter would help him make steel. Combined, the two would become the backbone of Ramsgate's metal industry.
The industrial district of Ramsgate was divided by four canals into five areas that were built like long strips. The northernmost strip, adjacent to the city wall, was where Wylis wanted to establish all metal works. From furnaces to workshops and mass-manufacturing. The waterwheels would power plenty of bellows, hammers, grinders, and more machines.
Anyone coming to Ramsgate would only have to visit that one strip in the market to buy all things related to metals. From little nails to agricultural tools to swords and armor.
So, Wylis started working. He planned to set up the initial buildings, and the rest would be raised by smallfolk under the guidance of planners. The entire strip was to be set up as its own long market. The side adjacent to the city wall would house all the workshops, and the side by the canal would house actual shops with clean entrances and bridges over the canal. Then there were massive warehouses planned for mass production and storage.
Finally, an empty area was left by the easternmost part of the city wall. Beyond the wall was a riverport, so he planned to place large, wooden treadwheel cranes on top of wall towers, giving a three-sixty degree rotational access. It would allow easy loading and unloading of ships directly from within the wall, reducing the need for using carts.
I'm fucking insane.
The fact remained. He was building a future industrial powerhouse when he didn't even have enough blacksmiths or smallfolk to man all the factories he planned. He just hoped for the best and kept building things.
Raising the furnace and converter wasn't a single day's work, as he needed to do a bit of blacksmithing. And he had to do it alone, as he used Earthbending to shape the steel into his desired shape. It saved time and effort.
While he did that, he also planned to build a few large silo towers to store grain. North being so food insecure, it was a must. And having Earthbending made it easy to make them massive, out of rocks, and air-tight to keep moisture away.
He spent the entire day in the industrial district, building the water wheels and furnaces, juggling them whenever he got bored with one thing. Caliburn was a good horse, however, and always brought him food and drinks that Lyanna would send his way.
Besides, ever since he got the ability to understand Caliburn, having him as company wasn't so bad. Even when it was just him doing all the talking.
Telling Caliburn about the sky, the moons, the stars, and receiving his emotional reaction, calling him a liar, was always fun.
####
Rasmgate Castle, garrison,
"Listen 'ere lads, our lord ain't no ordinary man. The Gods've kissed him, or maybe he is one himself."
"Hear! Hear!"
Six men huddled together in the shared hall with dozens of bunk beds in rows and columns. Night was approaching, and all six had finished their shift, now prepared to go eat supper and sleep.
But first, they gathered around to talk, and before they knew it, the topic of discussion became Lord Kaiser and the magical incidents in Ramsgate. They tried to keep their words to whispers, but excitement ran high.
"Take me word for it," said Jorran, "You're all from the days Lord Kaiser arrived. We was the very first to join the garrison. We watched Ramsgate change. Gods, I can hardly recognise the place."
"The walls! I swear it's our lord what raised 'em with magic. Ain't no quake that raises walls like that. Take me word, me old nan used to sing me a prophecy. That's exactly who our lord is," said Seamas.
"Look at them ships, lads. See the damned port. Lord Kaiser built his fleet an' now he's sellin' ice! Ice, by the Gods! I've tasted the chilled ale, the food, an' that ice cream. Only the Gods can make so many divine things."
Seamas nodded to that. "Aye, just as me old nan's prophecy said."
Thud!
"Ehm!"
All six men turned their heads and froze for a moment, eyes going wide. The next moment, they jumped, rising to their feet and standing in a line, chest puffed, chin high, arms stiff against their sides.
"Good evening, Ser Chett!"
______________________
Advance chapters on [PATREON] are in long-form format. I have 12 long chapters of this story on P@treon. That's equal to 45-50 Webnovel chapters.
Check out Solo Dacey Mormont & Wylis X Elia NSFW art, and advance chapters at [email protected]/MrPlotThickens Or Subscribestar.adult/mrplotthickens
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