(MC's POV)
"Old Gods, I am honoured to be graced by your presence, and to be chosen by you for whatever it is you could need of me, " I said still bowing to the old gods.
I could not help but feel a deep sense of familiarity from this manifestation of the old gods itself as if just like death has been a companion to me or a sense of it my whole life as Harry Potter, I feel a connection even deeper than that with them. Like they were with me in my past life, and current one and will be still there in the next one as well, and also because what else could I say?
The eyes of the giant wierdwood tree glowed slightly again and deep thumping resonated around the hall and then again the gods spoke to me, "It is us who are happy to meet you at last, for you will play the crucial role in restoring our strength in our world and defeating the great enemy of living beings. But, we caution you our champion, there are those who although share a common a with us, are equally hateful towards us. "
"You mean the Faith of Seven?" I asked because I remember reading that the faith of seven came with Andals and conquered 6 of the 7 kingdoms in the name of their faith slaughtering countless first men not discriminating against men, women, or children, with women suffering a fate worse than death. Only the North stood strong against them and has been successfully repelling faith for thousands of years.
" Yes, they just like other new gods of that world, came into being when people began to worship them. The faith of seven and the R'hllor are banished beings from their planes of different dimensions just like the great other. To say it simply, the great other who is inhabiting the body of the night king, just like a Horcrux from your current reality."
Holy Shit! I thought I was done with that nasty piece of business, but now I have to face it again. How many are there? these are the thoughts starting running through my mind as soon as I heard the word Horcrux, they are easy to deal but the tough thing is finding their hidden locations. I was about to voice my questions when they carried on with their speech, "However, due to our waning influence and laws governing us gods by the orders of the supreme creator, we were only able to bind him permanently to the body of Night King and put him to sleep after he was defeated. We need you to kill him because when the night king dies, so too would the great other."
Nothing's ever simple in my life so how could the next one be... Here are the old gods of a world till yesterday I thought was just a fictional tale, telling me that they are real and now they want me to clean up an inter-dimensional horcrux god who's hell-bent on making that world its ice zombie kingdom. Well then, I am already past the point I could go back, better move forward. Besides, It will be a thrill to experience life in Westeros.
"So, apart from that, do I have any other responsibility? " I asked, because they may have other plans for me as well, better to get a clear picture beforehand than be surprised later. I hate surprises, no thanks to my past lives and current ones.
"Nothing else, just protect your people from threats both from outside and within the last bastion, and when the time comes kill the true enemy once and for all. Apart from that, you are free to do whatever you wish, we just want your word that whatever you do it shall be for the collective well-being of the blood of the first men" The Old Gods said to me. Their instructions are pretty simple to follow and something which I can wholeheartedly get behind.
By the last part, I could guess they want to protect their followers as much as the Andals and other factions want them destroyed and since I will be going there for their work I guess the safety and overall development and well-being of first men will be among the top of my daily to-do list, with a priority star marked as well.
"I understand, and I accept this duty with full responsibility" I solemnly promised the gods knowing full well that I am entering the serious waters now and cannot back out from this.
"I have a question though, why do I have to wait? Why can't I kill him as soon as I get there? " I asked because this question has been popping into my mind as soon as I got the task of killing the King of Necromantic Refrigerators.
Soon I had my answer, as well as the gods, spoke once again, "Because since the dawn broke after the war against the long night, for the time being, our children lived in harmony, they worked together and helped each other. But, whereas in the forest dryads had long lives and a stronger connection to us through weirwood trees and thus remembered the dark past and our teachings, humans though remarkably smart and capable to surpass their limits and achieve great things, sadly poses much shorter lifespan and thus with time passed on the tales of horrific sufferings at hands of white walkers and the war to folklore and then myth and then to tales of fancy and mere bedtime stories for children." Their tone changes to that of an old grandfather though still loving very much, but disappointed at the actions of his grandchildren.
"It did not help that human forgot their scriptures and later on all that remains of their history became oral tales and songs, which though carried on, became distorted with time. And then came the Andals and faith which did not help in preserving our history much. Many old houses perished, who held on to relics of that distant past reminding them of it, died out at the hands of invaders."
"So, you see my child," the Old Gods continued, "we want the enemy destroyed, but we want our children to be united once again. Because even though you'll defeat the Night King, there would be other enemies to you and yours and your people who will try to either subdue you all or outright eradicate you. You must strengthen and Unite them! You must bring the balance back, keep in mind that night and day, creation and destruction, and life and death both are part of the cosmic scale, one can not be in existence without another. Bring the balance."
" I understand, and I will do as I have been asked to do. But, I have a few more questions, May I... " I couldn't finish because the giant tree representative of the old gods spoke again, "We know what you want to ask, or perhaps you may have something else to question but, before that, we would like to inform you of your position."
I suddenly did not like the sound of that, gods may be they but they don't get to speak to me like that! They should know what happened when a godly being took that tone on me... She ended up being sealed up in a rock in an empty null void. Just because I was being respectful doesn't mean I could be rolled over.
I guess my face reflected my thoughts as both the old gods and death chuckled at me and said, " Peace my child, we meant that we wish to inform you of where you'll be going and what abilities you have been granted to take onwards with you. "
I perked up hearing that, I would certainly like to know where and when I will be going and if I would keep my powers.
" Starting up with where, well that is given, you'll be born in North. The heart of first men culture. When and to whom shall be left as a surprise for you, " they laughed...laughed... Did they not know my aversion to surprises? Do they want a prank war with me? You're so on!!
"Hahaha! My child, we would love to be pranked by you, it has been millenniums since we roamed our lands and interacted with dryads, giants, dwarves, and first men, our children and played with them. But as per orders of the greatest being, our lord, the creator and destroyer of multiverses in his single breath, we the creation gods of each realm of the individual universe cannot directly interact or interfere in the world now. Perhaps by your help, we can see if we could bypass the law."
"Now, regarding your abilities, the magic you know in your current life will be with you to a degree because each world's energies are exclusively synchronized to them only. So, while many magical feats will be easy for you, many of the other feats at the same time will be either very tough to achieve or impossible. The chest that you carry now in the form of the locket, " my hands clutched the locket on instinct "will be carried onwards to you but you'll find it at a later date. Everything inside will be changed to fit accordingly to the requirement for ease of your endeavours. "
Hearing that I felt like a big burden was lifted off of me. The chest is precious to me because it was created by the combined efforts of my wife and me, much of Luna than me.
The Old Gods stopped my pondering my continuing, " Also since our world's energy is synchronised much like your old shinobi world, and less like the current one despite none at all having the ability to wield chakra or as they call magic to such a diversified effect as yours. You will carry onward with you the ability to wield chakra as you call it as perfectly as you wielded it till your last moments in Konoha. With terms and conditions here as follows,
1. You won't have Kurama's chakra but his sensory and other gifts given to you.
2. Your body will be enhanced as it was by your Uzumaki and Senju genes. You'll reach your peak condition at the age of 16 years and then onwards your Uzumaki and Senju heritage will mix with wizard gene anomaly and slow down your body's ageing to a great deal.
3. The gift of Phoenix and basilisk and Kurama will carry onwards, meaning no poison will ever affect you.
4. Your chakra and magic level will be at your peak will be the level of your time at Otsutsuki war and magic will be as it is now.
5. The Sage of six path powers will not pass on for you. But your own nature chakra sage abilities will go forth.
6. Knowledge of spells, techniques, seals and warfare of hand-to-hand and weapons will be there. As well as everything you have learned in all 3 of your lives.
7. You'll have the ability to bloodlines like wood, storm, and ice. They may or may not pass on to your children.
8. We will be giving you a weapon as a gift at the time of your beginning of training session in the next life. You'll know where to find it.
9. Your summons companions will be not going onward but they will be with you in a much different sense, particularly your partner summon and his mate.
That's it from our end, death if you have anything to add you may. " The old gods finished their terms and conditions.
Phew! That's a long list of boons I am being bestowed despite the limitations, where I am going it will be like fighting a war of swords and cavalry with ICBMs.
"Thank you, but it seems all is covered, however, I would personally like to add some things. Mr Potter, the Hallows, they will be returned to me as was the deal. But in return, I would give you my servants in that realm to you. They will from the time of your birth till you pass on serve you and then onwards no servant of mine will ever do any action directly or indirectly to harm those of your blood. The security of your descendants will be their priority task. At last, the power bestowed to you by the Old Gods, those will be passed onwards to varying degrees in your descendants." Said death.
"Apart from the duty bestowed to you by us, you can do whatever you wish in that world." Death concluded.
"Thanks, I will make sure that my people will prosper and be strongest of all so none would dare to harm the blood of first men again. I will also make sure that balance is restored and old pacts are recorded between the children, men, dwarves, and giants." I solemnly promised to both of them.
"The time has come, you will be sent to Planetos. Be prepared. " As the old gods said this, my body glowed bright golden light and I started vanishing in billions of shining crystalline particles... The last thing I heard was death speaking to me.
"Farewell Aiden Uzumaki, or is it Harry Potter? or should it be Cregan Stark? Either way, I look forward to seeing what you make of this life in this Next Great Adventure" Death said.
Then, I knew no more.
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AN: Please leave your comments and reviews. I would like to know how I am doing with this fic.