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[---]
123 AC, Hardhome, Beyond the Wall
The walls themselves shifted, with giant scales starting to appear on their surface, and finally, giant eyes opened, their glow illuminating the cave far beyond Leaf's Weirwood torch. She could move in sheer fright as the beast's giant maw opened and everything was swallowed by dark, blue flames.
The world was on fire. That was the sole thought in Cregan's mind as the caves within Hardhome trembled, and the walls morphed into a terrible creature that tried to kill them. At least, it would have if Harry Potter had not somehow created a giant sphere of glowing light that parted the ominous dark blue flames, which he knew would do far more than help him.
The young Lord would admit to anyone that he knew very little of the situation he found himself in. They were tasked by some dying corpse of a sorcerer to hunt down one who had viciously attacked the Children of the Forest. The man himself had not been born yet, something that baffled Cregan to no end, but he decided to accept it and leave his questions for later, trusting that the Potters knew enough to deal with it, as he eventually waited for them to return to their main objective, which was to stop the Second Long Night from overtaking the North.
He would have been irritated by the tardiness and the deviation from their true mission if it weren't for the fact that he knew that he had very little sway over the Potters and that he had already seen more of his House's legacy than the last ten generations of Starks combined. For he had spoken to the Children of the Forest, heard their foreign tongue, and conversed with one of them on the walk to Hardhome.
Cregan now understood why Leaf disliked the moniker of 'Children'. After all, the Earthsingers' features showed that they were far older than their stature suggested, for even their eyes held depths that he could not see in a child's face. He would try to call them Earthsingers out loud, as it was the most appropriate term, but there was only so much he could change, given that he had called them the 'Children of the Forest' ever since he was a child. Then again, he had also dreamt of having a Direwolf of his own, much like many Starks had before him, and now he had found one, whom Leaf also gave a very fitting name: Ghost.
He also could not complain much about the deviation from their original goal, since they had left Castle Black the previous day at Dawn, and despite the Potters' seemingly endless curiosity, he would have still walked in the Haunted Forest, should he have endeavoured to make the journey on his own, let alone with an army at his back.
The young man had no issues helping the Children of the Forest, especially against a sorcerer that was seemingly as horrific as one could be. A kinslayer from House Targaryen, of all things. He doubted that even the Wall would accept such a man. And to make things worse, he also burned down a Heart Tree, and this entire journey happened to be a trap.
Speaking of which, despite Potter's magical shield, everything around them turned to ash utterly, even the ground beneath them, and they found themselves suddenly falling down, only for everything to turn upside down, and to suddenly fall upwards somehow. Cregan then blinked and found himself landing outside the cliff completely, alongside Leaf, and he finally looked at what remained of where they had been just moments prior.
The cliff was completely gone, and in its place was the greatest, most terrible dragon he had ever seen, or even imagined. He had heard stories about the size of Aegon the Conqueror's dragon, Balerion the Black Dread, and yet the terrible creature before him, who was still unfurling itself, was far larger. Its head, alone, was larger than most castles. Each talon was the size of a watchtower, cutting into the rock and soil as it shifted its weight.
Its wings stayed folded against its sides, yet even folded, they rose higher than the shattered remains of the cliff. The dragon was entirely black, not the deep charcoal of Valyrian dragons, but a pure, uniform black that reflected nothing. Pulses of cold blue fire moved beneath its scales, lighting its outline in sharp, steady flashes. When it exhaled, black and blue flames leaked from between its teeth, and the snow in front of it disappeared instantly, leaving bare stone behind.
Yet, he couldn't help but feel that there was something fundamentally wrong with the creature's body. Parts of it didn't align with the space around them. Its edges were too sharp in some places, unfocused in others.
Cregan didn't move. He could not move, not in front of the great and terrible sight before him. Even Leaf remained motionless, and she heard her whisper in horror, "What has he done?"
Around them, hundreds if not thousands of ravens moved in tandem, circling the beast, like some kind of shield. In the distance, he saw Daphne, having raised her hands, creating a giant wall of trees in front of her, seemingly clawing at the giant dragon's claws, in the hopes of binding them, and yet it tore through it completely. However, one of the trees held up a figure wearing a silver cloak and threw him into the sky. As he fell, some invisible force pushed the great dragon down, allowing Daphne to create even larger trees to bind the beast.
In the meantime, the ravens suddenly turned to black mist with a wave of Harry's hand. Cregan thought the matter settled, if the giant dragon hadn't suddenly disappeared and reappeared in just a flicker of movement, that somehow meant that he was utterly unbound by the previous attack.
Despite the situation, Cregan unsheathed his sword, ignoring Leaf's worried gaze as she looked at it for a fraction of a second, "We need to help!"
The Earthsinger seemed to wish to protest for a moment before she had a resolute look on her face. She nodded and grabbed a few shards of Dragonglass, which slowly started to glow. He ran forward and found that Ghost had somehow joined him, with Leaf riding on his back.
Leaf opened her mouth and sang, and the very Earth moved with them, pushing them up in the air like a gigantic wave. Leaf threw a few balls of Dragonglass, whose carvings started to glow slightly, and they soared far higher than they should have, somehow hitting the face of the dragon immediately and exploding.
Cregan himself had barely managed to dodge the beast's enormous tail and swiped it with Ice. Strangely, the Greatsword didn't cut through it like it did anything else, but it did part its flesh slightly. The beast released a scream of pain, which was immediately halted as Harry released a giant bolt of lightning, one whose colours seemed to shift with every moment, which hit the dragon in the eyes.
The beast released a roar of pain before leaping into the air, and finally unfurled its gigantic wings that seemingly blocked the sun, ready to attack them. However, Leaf did not remain still, as she commanded the earth to push it towards one of the cliffs, specifically, where he saw something black glistening what little light could go past the looming creature above them.
The dragon's incoming flames were thankfully blocked by some strange wall that looked like broken glass with shifting colours. He wasn't sure what it was, but it swallowed the attack until it slowly glowed and fractured, before fully breaking into a burst of light that blinded Cregan completely.
He could faintly hear an angered roar, even though his ears were ringing, but he was able to open his eyes to see Leaf finally reach the final slab of what must have been Dragonglass, the material suddenly glowing much like the torch that the Child of the Forest had earlier.
Suddenly, the glow reached its climax, only for something to move at very high speeds and crash into the boulder. Leaf must have seen the attack, as she jumped in the air to escape. A second later, he saw the giant slab of Dragonglass break and release an explosion that shook the very cliff they were on. Cregan's eyes had barely widened as boulders fell above him, ready to skewer him, followed by a gigantic wave of snow, an avalanche.
Thankfully, Ghost jumped in the air and pushed Cregan out of the way of a particularly quick rock, but the Avalanche would be impossible to avoid. At least, that was what he thought before he saw Leaf jump before him and move the earth around them, shielding them.
The impact was blunted, but not by much. Earth cracked beneath them, snow rushed over the rim of the cliff, and the shield Leaf had raised began to strain. He thought that Leaf's magic might have failed, but eventually, the tremors ceased. He looked at his Direwolf and worried as he found him not moving, though he still breathed. He must have been hit by the impact.
Finally, the shell of Earth dissipated around them, and Cregan noticed that they were surrounded by snow. He tried to look above to see how the battle with the dragon fared, only to instinctively dodge to the side. His instincts were proven to be correct when he felt something immense smash where he had been just moments prior, yet he was not able to dodge the gigantic hand that slapped him away.
The impact alone sent Cregan flying, his vision blurring as he crashed through a shallow snowbank and slammed against a jagged stone. Ice slipped from his grip, half-buried in the snow a few feet away. He slowly reached for his ancestral weapon with one hand and used its sheath to pull himself up with another.
Finally, he looked up at his attacker and froze at the sight that met him.
Giants had been as intertwined in the North's history as the Children of the Forest themselves, and given that he had seen the latter North of the Wall, he should have expected to see the former as well.
The creature that had attacked him fit the description well. It was easily four times the height of a man, with thick arms like tree trunks and a chest broad enough to shatter boulders. However, its movements looked slightly wooden, unnatural, and by the gods, its eyes looked almost completely white.
Cregan wanted to sit down a bit from the impact, but he saw Leaf throwing a ball of fire at the seemingly enraged being and convinced himself to pull himself back into the fight. He walked slowly, wishing to take the creature by surprise.
Of course, this plan was completely and utterly ruined when he saw the giant, strategically, allowing Leaf to hit him with one of her exploding orbs, only to swipe his enormous club at her. The Child of the Forest noticed it far too late, and he could see her eyes widen in shock, but thankfully, he had already started to move.
He jumped in front of her, with his Valyrian Steel blade in his hand, cutting the giant club with a single smooth swipe, something that wouldn't have been possible without the magical material that made up his weapon. The giant seemingly lost his momentum with the sudden disappearance of his weapon, and fell forward, but not without slamming his hands in the ground with such force that Cregan felt himself flying upwards. To his surprise, his weapon had fallen from his hands, scattering away a few feet beyond him.
The giant slowly rose up, using its gigantic arm to hold itself up, and the young Stark's eyes widened as one of its enormous hands approached him, grabbing him by the leg. Before it could act, he took out the white glowing dagger that the Potters had given him and stabbed the hand as it grabbed him, making the giant instinctively throw him away.
He fell on the snow, barely able to breathe, but feeling the blood splatter around him with every cough. He felt steps approaching him, and he knew that should it arrive, it would mean his own end. He turned himself with a loud groan and saw the colourful attacks in the skies as the Potters fought the giant dragon, with the beast suddenly shifting away and disappearing for but a moment. It was oddly beautiful, especially given how terrible it truly was.
Cregan couldn't see where Leaf was, so he could not count on her help. His weapon was too far out of reach. He didn't even know where it was, given that it had fallen away so much. Yet, he was the Stark in Winterfell, and he would die on his feet.
With a loud groan, he stood up, with no weapon near him, as the dagger had been lost to him when he was flying back. He could feel the amusement and interest in the giant's white eyes as they assessed him. Finally, a gigantic hand approached him, and Cregan closed his eyes, knowing what was to come. Sara knew what to do should he perish on this journey, something that he knew was a possibility.
He only wished that he had at least finished his mission and protected the realm of men from the Others. That was his deepest regret: to die alone, not having helped his people against the horrors of the coming Long Night.
Suddenly, Cregan felt a weight appear in his hands, something that hadn't been there before. It was just as white as his dagger, though far larger, but he could also feel a warmth spread through it that hadn't been there before. He opened his eyes and recognised it, feeling in awe that it was there, for it was the original Ice, the blade of Bran the Builder, a blade which was supposed to be in Winterfell.
In a burst of power that overwhelmed his aching body and whatever confusion he felt at the blade's presence, Cregan swung his new weapon, cutting through the giant's surprised hand as if it wasn't even there, before following at a speed far faster than he thought possible, slicing through the creature's tendons.
The giant fell down, and Cregan jumped and sliced its throat before impaling it in its head. He jumped down as the creature of legend perished and finally realised what he had just done. Leaf then followed by releasing one of her balls of fire, this time, turning the giant's body into ashes somehow.
Cregan turned towards her, "You couldn't have done it earlier?"
"That song is not meant for the living, Cregan Stark," Leaf's melodious voice answered, "Only to ensure that the dead remain so."
Before he could reply, a voice spoke up clearly, interrupting them, "That is Bran the Builder's sword, the original Ice. I thought it was lost long ago. Even I could not find it, though I had my theories. You honour your ancestor with your prowess, Cregan Stark."
Both of them turned towards the voice's source and froze as they saw a man looking almost thin, giving them a smug look. However, what was more unsettling was his white eyes.
He heard Leaf gasp in horror, but he felt inclined to speak up first, "And I suppose you are this Bloodraven, then? The kinslayer?"
He felt the man twitch at his final words, "I am, yet not. I do not expect you to understand the delicacies of what I have sacrificed for the sake of my duty to the realm. Then again, Starks often care more for their honour than they do for their own lives."
With every word he said, dozens of other people started to walk forward woodenly, all of them with the same white eyes and no expressions on their faces. Even two other giants were amongst them, to Cregan's growing horror.
He found himself utterly speechless at the Greenseer and was thankful when Leaf practically growled at their enemy, "Your heresy knows no bounds, speaking of honour while you wear the skin of another."
"It's a clever trick. I learned it from my student, or perhaps, he who will be my student. My eyes had been opened to the intricacies of Time recently. You have Harry Potter to thank for that. I would have spoken to him myself, but he seems to be quite preoccupied with my new dragon."
"What have you done to it?" Leaf demanded in a tone that he hadn't heard from her before.
"Do you think me so foolish as to incur the First Dragons' wrath by killing one of their own? No, his egg had long perished during the Long Night. After the Others hid away in the Lands of Always Winter, one of the first kings beyond the Wall, Joramun, found it and noticed sparks of power within it. Most would have achieved very little, but Joramun was a gifted Greenseer during an age when magic reigned supreme. He bound his people so that their death would bring life to it, with the hope that it would, one day, hatch with the power to destroy the Wall. It was a foolish idea, and we are all blessed that its execution was just as foolish, as no number of mortal lives could ever equal that of such a marvellous creature. The ritual was to activate when his Warhorn was blown. It has been done before, and the ritual misfired thousands of years later, turning Hardhome into ashes."
"It does not seem dead to me," Cregan commented.
"And yet, it is, for it has no soul."
"What have you done?" Leaf answered, horrified.
"What I had to," the Greenseer answered with a sneer on his face, "You are still young, Leaf. You do not see what the Anathema's presence alone has caused the world. We had a plan, a path to peace, one that has been worked on for centuries, and now it is in ruins. We cannot make another while they still breathe."
They stayed silent, and he continued, "What do you know of them, truly? They are foreigners, travellers from beyond this space and time. They come and go and do as they please whenever it pleases them, and nothing, not even gods, can stop them. If they cannot, then I will. I will take this duty, as my responsibility as the Last Greenseer, I will shield the realm of men from threats such as the Others, such as them."
"That's a rather ironic sentence, I must say," a familiar voice broke the silence. He immediately recognised it as Daphne's voice, and he turned towards her, and she seemed just as unperturbed as they had when they spoke. Next to her was Ghost, seemingly fully hale, trotting along with his tail wagging behind him.
"Daphne Potter," Bloodraven spoke up, almost like he was uttering the words for the first time, "I presumed that I would need to hunt you down myself. Did you enjoy my barriers? It took quite some time to create them. Centuries, I believe."
"I've seen better," the golden-haired woman answered with an unimpressed shrug, "Couldn't you have even tried to make the ritual a bit more efficient? Seriously, sacrificing the lives of so many people is such a needless waste of life."
That answer did not seem to appease the Greenseer, given the way that he sneered, "The savages' lives now have meaning, for they were meant to perish to hunger and the cold. I gave their death purpose that they never had in life, as well as a quick death. Most would call it mercy, even. And your presence is vindicative enough, for you are trapped here."
The witch rolled her eyes at that but did not deny the claim. The Greenseer laughed madly at that, "I have watched you. I know what you are, how you fight. Your husband fights the creatures, the monsters, while you hide away and scheme, in the distraction that he creates. I assumed you would have done the same when faced with such a creature."
"So, that was your plan? You distracted Harry with the big flashy monster, while you try to kill me?"
"Kill you?" Bloodraven released with a snort, "Of course not. You are more valuable to me alive. Harry Potter would burn the world for you, after all."
"A hostage? Seriously?" the witch said with incredulity dripping in her voice, "Do you seriously think that I would just agree to come with you?"
"Powerful, you might be, but you pale in comparison to your husband's might. You are not powerful enough to battle every creature in Hardhome. Though I must thank you for coming to this place and allowing us to speak. It gave me the time to prepare myself. Arrogance was always the powerful one's greatest weakness."
Cregan then stiffened as he looked around him, where hundreds, if not thousands, of men, women, even children and beasts, surrounded them. Dozens of mammoths appeared as well, rising from the endless. It was a small army with a single commander, one that could likely tear through most of the forces in the Seven Kingdoms, all to capture a single witch.
Speaking of the witch, she did not seem concerned in the slightest, "I'll admit that Harry is far stronger than I, but what makes you think that you even know a fraction of what I can do, let alone what Harry does. Trust me, you really don't want to be here when he comes back."
"I have prepared this moment for centuries. I have watched your magic and his own, and even he cannot so easily defeat a remnant of the First Dragons, not when he is forced to battle in a realm outside of time itself, in a place that even his mastery would not aid him."
"You're confident about that, aren't you?" Daphne asked, "I can understand the preparation. The sheer deforestation that you caused in this place makes using druidism far trickier than it should have been in nature, so I can somewhat understand why you would feel the illusion of control over capturing me. However, that doesn't explain why you're so sure that my husband wouldn't be able to deal with your trap, especially when it comes to the kind of magic that you can't possibly predict. There's also a lot that doesn't add up to. The way you animated the Elder Dragon, let alone the fact that you're stopping the paradox from vaporising your soul, is not something you should be capable of, not even close."
The Greenseer twitched but did not answer. Instead, he released a silent command as the entire legion of wildlings, giants, and beasts prepared to attack them. Leaf grabbed a few of her Dragonglass daggers, ready to use them, despite the situation, and Cregan did the same, raising the legendary sword in a stance.
However, the witch chuckled, "I suppose we'll figure it out on our own. I have to admit that it's rare to see someone be so prepared, which makes this almost sad. Well, that was a lie. I think I'm going to enjoy this."
Daphne's expression morphed into a vicious grin as she suddenly knelt down and pressed her palm into the snow. Cregan noticed that it started to get stained by a red liquid; blood, he realised. Suddenly, a loud ringing spread across the mountains surrounding them, and he saw Bloodraven's eyes widen in panic, especially as the sky started to take a reddish hue.
Cregan looked around and saw every single one of the Greenseer's thralls suddenly fall into the snow, seemingly having perished in just a second. No, that wasn't quite right, for the man that Bloodraven had used to speak still remained standing up, its white eyes showing far more emotion than it had before.
As for the golden-haired woman, she stood up as if the display of magic hadn't happened at all, "You know, I could have done it while hiding away, but I wanted to see your face. Harry really has rubbed off on me over the days, hasn't he?"
As if he were waiting for the response, a crack appeared in the sky, and the gigantic dragon slipped through it, crashing down above them, before it turned into ash, which fell around them like snow.
From the ashes, a figure appeared. It was Harry Potter, but he was different. He wore a hooded silver cloak and held a strange, large scythe whose blade seemed to shift with every look. As he turned towards the Greenseer's last thrall, the scythe in his hand disappeared into mist, and he spoke up with a serious tone, "I believe it's time for us to have a conversation, Brynden Rivers."
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AN: Well, that chapter definitely got away from me. I know that there's a lot missing about Bloodraven's plan and motivations, as well as how he pulled off most of his shenanigans, but that will be explained in the next chapter. Anyway, the idea was that Bloodraven essentially planned out a hit on the Potters using everything that they revealed about their magic so far, aside from places where his visions just didn't work.
So, it's essentially their capabilities in Westeros, with Harrenhal and Pyke being the biggest highlights of his power. Anyway, he planned around what they did, and since they obviously barely showed everything, he failed miserably. As usual, please let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions.
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If you want to support me, check out my patréon at https://www.patréon.com/athassprkr
I tend to upload drafts of early chapters on there to get people's opinions on them, so you can read up to 20 chapters ahead as a bonus.
Thank you guys for your support in these hard times.