Captain Simeon was now a rich man. He had enough gold and silver to buy his own ships and live a life of luxury if he so wished. He could sail into Essos or the infamous Summer Islands, where lusty women were aplenty. But he was the proud captain of the Winter Wolf, the flagship of Avalon fleet in the Northern Seas. Such vices were for lesser men, not a captain of the Avalon fleet.
Initially, the Winter Wolf and her crew were supposed to work near the Bear Islands and train near the Bay of Ice. His ship was an Ice Breaker class ship personally made by Lord Harrion Stark. However, their training and escort missions for the ice trade were put on hold when pirate activity became noticeable in the Sunset Sea.
It was Lady Mormont who first alerted Avalon that her islands were seeing more pirate activity.
Simeon, like many other captains in the Avalon fleet, doubted the woman's tales. Ever since the previous lord of Bear Islands committed the sin of slavery, the Mormonts were seen with distrust by most of the Northerners.
So, at first, they took the warnings of House Mormont with a pinch of salt.
But still, Maester Marwyn ordered them to sweep the seas for slavers and pirates. The swift escape made by Jorah Mormont and the continued evasion of the slave ships operating near their shores was an embarrassment to their lord. The Lord of Winterfell had ordered to clean the pirates and slavers from their western shores at all costs.
Therefore, most ships in the Avalon fleet were directed to hunt down pirates and slavers near the North's shores in the Sunset Sea. He happily complied with this task, as the rewards of capturing these slavers were substantial.
However, rewards were not Simeon's sole motivating factor.
Before he joined the Avalon fleet, Simeon was the son of a simple fisherman. He rose early in the morning with his pa and older brothers and went fishing in the sea to make ends meet. Then, one day, Lord Harrion came to Sea Dragon Point. Simeon had never given much heed to the tales about the second son of the Lord of Winterfell. But when Lord Harrion came to their lands and raised a massive castle overnight, he knew the Old Gods had blessed the Starks.
His people had to contend with bandits, slavers, pirates, and the Ironborn for a thousand years. But once Avalon was raised at Sea Dragon Point, the slavers, pirates, and Ironborn were beaten back from their shores.
Simeon was one of the first to heed the call of his lord, who came to seek men for his fleet. He was promptly sent off to White Harbour to learn under the many captains of the Manderly fleet. The sea was in his blood, and the sea of Sea Dragon Point bent to his will when he returned a few years later. He was awarded a ship as per the recommendations of Captain Anders, the man who taught him to sail galleys and captain the ship. He had fought in the invasion of Blacktyde and managed to sink a couple of Ironborn longships while his lord visited devastation on the rest of the islands.
However, his fortune soared when he and Captain Black Chuck discovered the slavers' hideout. For that reason, he returned to Avalon as a hero.
"Your revised salary and the total proceeds from the recovered loot, Captain."
Simeon found it hard not to stare too much at the woman with the funny-looking hair as he was offered a parchment with many numbers and the authentic seal of Avalon.
Instead of taking the parchment, his assistant took it and read through the numbers.
"It seems to be in order, Captain."
He smiled gratefully at his assistant. The boy Walter was an orphan educated by the maester in numbers and letters. Every captain in the Avalon fleet was assigned with these assistants. Some of these boys were third sons of minor lords sworn to Avalon. He didn't know the plans of Lord Harrion, but he suspected these boys were being trained to command a second fleet. He knew a small fleet of ships was already training near Blacktyde with amphibious assault tactics on his lord's orders.
It was also no secret that the fleet was expanding, with more ships joining almost every day. They had even started recruiting men from across the North to man these ships. They were being sent to Blacktyde to hunt down Ironborn ships that dared to sail into open seas. The fleet was very attractive for young men of the North, as their lord paid well, and it offered adventure.
"Here is your locker key. Every coin you've earned is available in your vault, Captain."
Simeon took the offered key from the woman's hand. It was a small bronze key barely the size of his little finger.
"We have another key in place in case of emergencies. But that key will be kept with maester Marwyn and used only at his discretion. So, if you somehow lose this key, you'll have to request maester Marwyn to access your vault."
"If Captain Simeon wants to move his assets to the bank, what should we do?" Walter asked quickly.
"We're still making the transition into the new bank. But until then, House Stark can only host your wealth within the castle's vaults," the woman teller told them.
"That'll do for now." Simeon nodded at the woman before taking his leave with his assistant carrying the parchments.
He couldn't wait for the bank to establish itself in Avalon. He had heard a lot about how powerful the Iron Bank and other banks of Essos were. He had no doubt the same could happen in the North with Lord Harrion's bank. As of now, Avalon serves as a bank, and Lord Harrion oversees all loans and investments. He had plans to use his wealth to start a shipping business. He had seen the profits coming into the fleet through the ice trade alone. Their ships now sailed as far as Sunspear with ice from Avalon. The demand for ice in Dorne, Westerlands and the Reach was phenomenal.
"Walter, keep those documents in my office. I'll be going to meet my family."
"Aye, Captain." Walter nodded before scurrying off into the port.
Simeon found a carriage to take him to his home village. Along the way, he marvelled at the changes since his lord had built Avalon.
It was not yet a city like White Harbour, but Avalon was quickly becoming a densely populated city in all but name. Inns and taverns lined the streets near the castle while the roads were paved with smooth-cut stone. Most of the homes near the castle sported gardens. There were public spaces within the lands where peaches, apple trees and pines grew. Their fruits were freely accessible to the smallfolk.
Even in a city like White Harbour, there was nothing of that sort. Peaches and apples were the food of the lords, not the smallfolk. And yet, the smallfolk of Avalon had those in abundance thanks to the blessing of Lord Harrion. More and more of those trees now grew near the homes, and the smallfolk who grew them sold their produce to the merchants of Avalon, who in turn sold them to the rest of the North and even to southern kingdoms.
Weirwood groves were common throughout Sea Dragon Point, and these groves now hosted fountains with plenty of fresh water. The smallfolk were encouraged to take as much water as they needed without any levies, provided they maintained these groves and fountains clean.
He had no idea how these fountains brought water. Lord Harrion's magic was his only explanation.
Everything in Avalon existed because of Lord Harrion's magic. Once Lord Harrion raised his castle, even the weather changed across Sea Dragon Point. Winter lasted barely a month at Sea Dragon Point, and storms hardly wrought devastation on its shores. All the bandits that called this place home were hunted down, and those who surrendered without a fight earned spots in the army.
There was now a new order of knights under Lord Harrion's direct service to escort merchants and travellers along the Woolfswood road. They called themselves the Godsgrove knights.
The order of knights was formed by smallfolk warriors who took oaths to protect the new temples Lord Harrion built around some of the Heart Trees in Sea Dragon Point. These temples were not just for worship but also centres for learning. Children from all walks of life learned their numbers and letters from these temples. Men and women from the rest of the North also travelled to these temples for pilgrimage. The temples also offered fresh water, hot springs, and arable land.
So, it was no wonder to see communities sprung up around those temples, which eventually developed into villages or towns.
As Simeon's fishing village came into view, the first thing he saw was the large pond his lord had gifted his village. Not everyone in his village depended on fishing in the sea. One of his elder brothers now worked at Avalon as a hand-crafted parchment maker. He also knew some of his old friends who had become glassmakers at Avalon.
Still, his father and elder brother remained fishermen. He had hoped his elder brother and father would abandon such a lowly profession and join the fleet. They knew the sea like no other, and their skills were better suited for the fleet. But try as he might, his father was a stubborn old mule, and his elder brother followed their father without question.
"It's Simeon!"
He heard a cry go up from one of the villagers upon seeing him in the cart.
"The hero of Blazewater Bay!"
Simeon was surprised that word of his exploiters had reached his village.
'This makes my work easier. I can try to recruit father and elder brother to the fleet one last time. If that doesn't happen, I can look for other men in the village. All for the glory of Avalon and the fleet.' Simeon thought as he smiled and waved at his fellow villagers.
*****
Harry swatted away a stray demon that tried to score a hit by sneaking upon his side with a blasting curse. Almost as an afterthought, he transfigured a pair of rocks into bolts of iron and had them impale the demon's head. The red-skinned creature died in a fiery explosion that shattered the wall it was pinned against.
Another demon that was ahead of the steps before him stood there frozen under a body-bind curse. Harry relieved off its head with a swing of Godkiller. A few more demons were up ahead, blocking his path. A slew of crossbow bolts punched through their red skin and exploded with a bang.
"Good shots." Harry commented.
He swept his magic out to sense the presence of demons, but he found none. Still, he wouldn't put it past these creatures to hide from his senses in some form.
"Sweep the building with two teams. No one goes alone anywhere in that building. Take your time, but I need to know it is safe and clear of hostiles," Harry ordered.
"Yes, my lord." Crayat nodded.
The crossbowmen split into two groups under his warlocks led by Crayat and Nephthy. The former Qartheen warlocks slipped into the building while Harry remained outside the building, keeping an eye on the surroundings.
"We should split up. That way, we can cover more ground." Jon suggested.
"No." Harry said firmly, "This is Valyria, the breeding ground for demons and shades. They'll pick us off one by one if we split off."
"In that case, we'll be stuck here forever." Jon complained.
That was true, he supposed. But in his defence, he hadn't expected much of anything when they reached the city of Valyria. He had expected more of what he saw in Tyria to be repeated in the capital city of the Freehold. After all, the city of Valyria was the famed home of the Dragonlords, where the Archons of Valyria met. The city was also surrounded by almost five or seven volcanoes of the Fourteen Flames.
Therefore, Harry had expected a burnt ruin where nothing survived. But he and everyone else were pleasantly surprised to see that most of Valyria was intact. Parts of the city were buried under ash and molten rocks, while some streets had narrow streams of flowing lava. Some of the volcanos nearby were active and spilt smoke and lava from their belly.
Despite this, the northernmost part of the city remained mostly intact. However, there was no plant life left, which was a huge letdown in Harry's eyes. He had hoped to find some magical flora and fauna in the vaunted Valyrian Freehold, but it was a vain hope. The ground was blackened as if the most horrible black magic had struck the land and robbed life in its entirety.
In all fairness, it was most likely the black magic that turned the whole land into a barren wasteland. While Doom was probably responsible for the destruction and shattering of the Valyrian peninsula, the residual magic Harry sensed felt like a ritual gone wrong. He could only speculate on what exactly happened. The Valyrians were famed for blood magic and flesh crafting with their dark experiments on dragons. Their unnatural bodily traits of silver hair and purple eyes were the product of blood magic.
That much he had known for a while after carefully studying Maester Aemon's blood.
Doom had claimed the Valyrians were searching for immortality. The Old Gods were also bound to the Dragonmont by the Valyrians in some fashion, just like the wizards and witches of his world. But unlike his people, the Valyrians thought to make use of the gods as stepping stones to their own ascension to immortality. It was not an impossible thing for a resourceful wizard to accomplish, as was evident by the existence of the Hallows and his own apparent immortality.
The fact that he had failed to strip the immortality he acquired by complete accident was a troubling thought.
But that was neither here nor there as he was still in pursuit of a way to shed the Hallows bound to his soul.
In the same vein, he suspected the Valyrians also must have come to realise their 'gods' were not really gods but energy given form through their worship and vivid imaginations. An empire as magically mighty as Valyria could easily divine the truth as it became more knowledgeable. But somehow, its sorcerers crossed a line, and their greed brought destruction upon its mighty empire.
Harry could feel it; the utter malevolence drowning the city was vast and nearly impossible to purge. He could theoretically attempt to reverse the effects on the land, but he'd need to know exactly what the Valyrians did.
His eyes fell on the Resurrection Stone. The temptation came with a renewed force of a thousand battering rams. If he could summon the ghosts from the area, he could learn more about the methods they used to bind the gods and bleed their power. Even if it was a faulty method, he could build upon it and use it to unbind the Hallows.
Mortality was the greatest gift of all, and Harry desired it most. But he overcame the temptation as he forcibly looked away from the ring hosting the black stone to the sword in his left hand. Godkiller had dispatched gods, so he didn't see why it couldn't dispatch his soul to eternal rest.
He was broken out of his musings when a soldier ran towards him with a look of urgency on his face.
"My lord. Lord Robb sent me. Our position is about to be overrun."
Harry immediately sprung to action. He climbed aboard the flying carpet and flew away, leaving Jon in charge of the building they were raiding for treasures.
He came across the street where the fighting was going on. The airship was giving ample cover for Robb and his men below, but the demons were getting far too close, increasing the threat of friendly fire. He landed right behind the defensive perimeter Robb and his men were making, and he let loose a wide-area banishing spell that threw the assaulting demons back a few paces.
"Oh, thank the Old Gods, you're here." Robb said with relief upon seeing Harry.
"Why aren't you abandoning the post? I told you to abandon the building if the position is untenable to defend from the demons." Harry scowled.
"Because we found a huge treasure. There are vaults full of gold, gems, and silver in that building!" Robb waved his hand excitedly at the building they were protecting.
Harry shook his head at the silly reason. A bit of gold was not worth losing the lives of these good men. He valued their lives more than some stupid treasure.
"We have plenty of gold and silver in the North. We should retreat and focus on what we can take. This is an unnecessary risk."
"Elsera said there are trunks full of dusty old scrolls and books. Maybe they contain magic." Robb said, schooling his face to show an innocent look.
Harry snorted at his twin's attempt at manipulating him with the lure of magical knowledge of the Valyrians. When the demons tried a renewed attempt to charge into their lines, he unleashed a tidal wave of water against the demons and froze them in ice.
He could see a satisfied look on his twin's face. But Harry chose to ignore the subtle gloating his twin was engaging with the men. Only his brothers could get away with such obvious manipulations without any serious retaliation from his side.
"If Elsera doesn't deliver the scrolls and books you promised, I'll put you on ice for the rest of the journey," Harry threatened, causing Robb to freeze in fright.
"You can't do that!" Robb looked affronted.
Harry looked at his brother with a bored look.
"I think I can."
Harry waved his wand, and a block of ice as tall as his brother was conjured, startling Robb.
But Harry twisted his wand a little, transfiguring the block of ice further to grow his hands and legs. Then he applied a basic animation charm, which allowed it to run across the battlefield and entrap a red-skinned demon. The block of ice returned to his side, carrying the demon within its grasp, and Harry made the ice envelop it entirely. The demon stopped struggling as the ice suppressed its power.
"What're you doing?" Robb asked warily, eyeing the trapped demon with some measure of fear.
"I'm taking a couple of prisoners. I'm interested in learning more about these demons." Harry said honestly.
"Why?" Robb asked, shooting him a perplexed look.
"To see whether I can destroy them all and banish them forever from these lands." Harry lied easily.
In truth, he was rather curious to see whether he could subvert them to his will. Failing that, he wanted to see whether he could recreate these demonic beings using alchemy or even the Inferi curse. If he could raise an army of these demons, he could send them beyond the Wall to cut the numbers of White Walkers.
The silence from the dark god sealed behind the Wall was unsettling. It was as if the Walkers were sitting back and relaxing while he built up power in the North. No sane enemy would allow their rival to amass power in peace.
"Look!" Robb pointed at the large building they were protecting.
Harry saw Elsera and Josera lead a contingent of men carrying trunks out of the palace.
"Let's hope those scrolls you mentioned are in one of those trunks for your sake."
Harry smirked at Robb's troubled expression as he looked at the demon in ice. His attention returned to the swag his people had looted from the palace. A few more intact palaces remained in the region, but Harry left those sites untouched. Without Doom to mess with things, he could send his people with an airship to loot this place whenever he wanted.
A few hours later, the airship rose to the sky with all the loot they had taken from two palaces. Harry had not taken much else from Valyria besides a couple more demonic prisoners for study. He was not interested in the loot but appreciated the thousands of scrolls and books Elsera and Josera liberated from the ruined city.
The people aboard his ship were quite happy with the treasure, though. After all, he did announce a fair share of the wealth to be shared among the crew.
"You should name the airship." Alaenera whispered against his neck, her hot breath against his skin.
"Maybe…" he nibbled her lower lip, "…later."
"You've so far refused to name the ship. But she's now part of history. Songs will be sung…" Jon said from his side, making Harry sigh in annoyance as he pulled back from kissing his lover.
He saw Alaenera smiling at him with mirth at his obvious annoyance at being disturbed.
"I don't like naming ships." Harry said in annoyance. "If you want to name it, give it a name."
"No. You built this ship. You should name it." Jon said.
Harry knew his brother was as stubborn as a mule, so the best way to get Jon to stop pestering him was to give in.
"You name it," he said to Alaenera before hiding his face in her neck.
"Liberator." Alaenera suggested.
"The Liberator. I like it." Jon grinned like a loon.
"Good. Now, go bother someone else." Harry shooed his brother away before pulling Alaenera into a kiss caring nothing for a stupid name.
AN:
For artwork related to the fic:
https://discord.gg/Nw2JH25fJf