(Location: Yeen)
(Time: Nightfall)
(Jon POV)
Me and Arthur can't help but shiver as we hear the voice, we have no idea where it's coming from.
"The runes and lights should protect us right?" I naively ask Arthur as he as a grim expression on his face.
"The runes only prevent them from manipulating your mind, but that won't matter when they are physically present" Arthur states grimly as he keeps paddling.
"Though they don't like the fire I'm not sure how long it'll keep them at bay before they find a way to extinguish it" he continues.
"Lucky you have me then" I say trying to lighten the mood.
"You are powerful Jon, but you've just discovered your magic you won't be able to keep it up the whole night" Arthur says taking the steam out of my sails.
I look out into the city now noticing it doesn't look like a ruin at all, it looks more like a ghost town, but everything looks as if people have been living here.
I look back at the jungle we came from noticing how the apes have not followed us in, not even the king ape who stands tall staring at us just above the tree line.
Even the plants themselves do not enter Yeen as if they would dare not grow in a place so evil.
*whispers*
I start hearing them as I whip my head around looking for the source, but find nothing, I turn back around to Arthur.
"I thought you said these runes would protect us from madness" I say with concern in my voice as I hold up the crudely drawn stone.
"I can hear the whispers just like I did in the forest". I continue while looking at Arthur.
"It is still working Jon" Arthur says grimly.
"The whispers you're hearing are real" Arthur says calmly
"Look over the side of the boat" Arthur continues as he paddles slowly.
As I follow his advice I witness the source of the whispering, a sea of dark faces looked back at me from the surface of the water.
*whispers*
*Jon*
*Giggling*
*Come into the water*
I move from one side of the boat to the other but it matters not the entire boat is surrounded by these faces, the only safe haven being a 2 metre circle around the boat, barely just enough for Arthur to paddle in.
I conjure swirling flames in my hand preparing to attack until Arthur gets my attention.
"Save your magic Jon" he says calmly though it's clear to see he feels very uneasy at the moment.
"We are safe for now but best be at your peak if we run into trouble" Arthur continues.
I wave my hand away extinguishing the flames before sitting down.
"This city is so old but it looks more advanced than most places I've ever been to" I say while looking out in awe.
"What is that substance they use to make their buildings with" I inquire to Arthur.
"It's black stone a long forgotten technology used in Valeriya, though it's said you need dragon fire to make it, the Hightower is made of the substance" Arthur explains as he looks out to the buildings.
We continue floating along the canal on the boat until we reach a dead end.
"Shit" Arthur says to himself as he looks at the situation.
"What's going on why does it just end like this" I inquire, confused at where the water flows after this.
"It's a canal lock, it's created to control the flow of the river as well as allow boats to travel up hill" Arthur explains.
"It still looks like it's in working order though I shouldn't be surprised most of this city looks untouched" Arthur says mostly to himself as he stands up.
"You're not actually going out of the boat are you" I say standing up and grabbing his arm.
"You told me how dangerous this was you said everyone who has been here was never seen again" I continue.
He shakes my hand off of his shoulder "We have no choice, now stay in the boat I'll go and open the gates" he says sternly as he looks me dead in the eyes.
"What! If anything it should be me I'm the one who has magic" I shout at him my voice echoing into the void around us.
"You are one of the last members of the Targaryen family, the heir to the throne whether you want it or not, whether it be as your sworn sword or kingsguard it is my duty to protect you, so you will sit back down and if something happens to me you will keep going on and not come after me, don't forget why we are here or will you leave your cousin to her fate "Arthur snaps at me in an uncharacteristically harsh voice.
I don't say anything as I sit down feeling frustrated clenching my fists as Arthur paddles us to a small dock made for the lock.
He lights another torch and takes dawn out of its sheath, he then slowly steps onto the land and walks up the stairs to the top of the gate.
*whisper*
He opens the first gate with no issues and the gates to the lock open.
*whisper*
"Paddle the boat inside" he shouts down to me as I obey his command and take the boat into the lock.
He closes the gate and I can see that the faces in the water have followed me in sending chills down my spine.
*Loud whisper*
Arthur partially opens the second gate and the water starts flooding through raising the boat to the second level.
The tension I'm feeling keeps increasing as the whispering from the darkness keeps getting louder and louder as if something is going to happen.
"Arthur you need to get back to the boat!" I say in an uneasy voice.
"I'm nearly done" he shouts back as the boat has reached the top and he attempts to open the gate fully.
"I have a bad feeling about this" I say uneasily as I see Arthur still struggling with the gate.
He puts his torch on top of the gate a few inches in front of him and puts dawn down on the floor.
He keeps pushing hard until the gate finally jolts open but unfortunately the torch falls off the gate and falls straight into the water leaving him in total darkness.
"Arthur!" I shout as I summon a flame in my hand and shoot it near where he was only to see him being dragged into the alley of a nearby building.
I paddle the boat quickly to the shore and lift myself from the boat taking the torch with me, but I realise that my mistake as I look down at the boat being crushed by the see of darkness.
"Fuck!" I shout as I smack my head for being such an idiot.
'I don't have time to think about it, I need to get to Arthur' I think to myself as I walk to the gate where he was standing, the only evidence of him being here is dawn, the milky white blade still shining in the darkness.
I pick dawn up feeling the familiar rush of warmth the blade gives me, before putting it in my empty sheath and running off into the alley way I saw Arthur get taken.
I feel paranoid as I see shadows jumping out and moving in the corner of my vision, every time I turn I see that nothing is there. I feel thing touch me but when I turn back I see nothing.
I'm growing more and more on edge until I end up tripping the light bouncing away from me, though it's still lit I notice my legs aren't in the light as I'm grabbed and dragged into the darkness.
I feel like I'm suffocating as a sea of hands grab me their claws tearing at my skin, it feels as if I'm being pulled apart.
Until I realise my magic in an uncontrolled fashion.
*SCREECH*
The shadows scream as flames wash the whole area in light, I'm finally free from their grasp but have no idea where they took me, summoning a flame with my left hand before I'm engulfed in darkness again I look around.
I'm in front of a house so I decide to enter it.
I'm confused as I find myself in the great hall at white harbour where i started my journey. The room was full of people I knew, even my family was there. My uncle was sitting with his family at the upper table with the Manderlys, they all had grim expressions on their face.
Suddenly a group of soldiers barged in through the door and passed right through me.
"My Lords, after investigating it can only be concluded that your bastard kidnapped the Lady Sansa and probably hoped to sell her off to some merchant or lord in Essos" the leader of the soldiers states with confidence.
"I knew that bastard was no good he should've died during the spring fever" Lady Stark screeches as she bashes the table.
"I told you Ned! he was born of sin so he will continue to sin" She continues grabbing a hold of my uncles hand.
"I suppose you're right, Cat I really should've just thrown him into the sea and let the ocean take him when he was a baby" my uncles says in a cold harsh tone.
I feel disbelief at the situation and start to feel sick 'is this what's happening right now' I think to myself as I still stand there in shock.
"I want everyone on high alert, I will place a 50,000 gold dragon bounty on his head, the condition being he be brought back alive, I want to behead the traitor myself" Lord Stark continues with a small smile on his face.
"But Father! I want to kill Jon" Arya says as she pouts childishly at her father.
"I'm oldest so I should get to kill him" Robb says with his usual toothy smile.
"No me"
"No it's me"
"Enough, Arya, Robb" Lord Stark says raising his voice while lifting his hand up.
"Arya you can cut off his arms, Robb you can do his legs and I'll finish him" Lord Stark says trying to come to a compromise.
"Okay father thank you!" Arya says before hugging into her fathers side.
"Yes I think that might be alright" Robb says while pondering.
Suddenly I let out a breath that i didn't even realise I was holding and the whole hall went quiet.
All the denizens of the hall were now looking in my direction with no expression in their face, after what felt like an eternity my uncle spoke.
"Ah Jon it's good of you to join us, we were just discussing you" He says his expression neutral as he stand from his chair.
Suddenly all the people in the hall start to walk towards me, without waiting to see what they will do I run towards the door.
It's locked
'Of course it's fucking locked' I think to myself as I start to bash myself against the door, while they continue to get closer and closer with my uncle in the lead a disturbing smile on his face.
*Don't leave we won't hurt you I promise*
I don't even turn around as the voice terrifies me enough.
With a strong rush and a bit of magic bursting from my back I crash through the door but fall on my knees.
"Ah Jon it's good of you to join us, we were just discussing you" I hear my uncle say, before I lift up my head.
I'm in the great hall as if I'd never left with my uncle having stood up after repeating the sentence he said before.
I don't even wait for the rest of them to get up before I start to bash the door again, it's a bit harder this time but with a little magical boost I manage to use myself through without falling over.
"Ah Jon it's good of you to join us, we were just discussing you" my uncle says before standing up the same cold expression as before.
'What the fuck is going on!' I think to myself as I see everyone start to get up and approach me.
'Shit shit, a spell! I have to use it I know Arthur says to save my strength but I'm gonna be fucked without it' I think to myself as I take my fathers diary out of my Satchel, and quickly flipping through it.
'Okay okay, not this, not that, here! Protection spell' I think while reading the notes.
"Sumby issa hen se zōbrie" I shout a circular barrier of light forming around me, it takes a lot more magic than the other spells I've used but I should still be fine.
Lord Stark and the rest of his family gain ugly expressions on their face as they start bashing on the barrier.
*Screech*
The barrier starts to crack as their arms are coated in darkness, I decide to get the hell out of there.
I open the door and leave, only to find myself in an unfamiliar room.
I look around and notice a young woman on a bed covered in blood, I can smell the stench in the air as I walk around the bed to her.
Suddenly the door bursts open and a young brown haired man rushes in, I see that he has two swords one that is his own and one that I recognise as it is Arthur's sword dawn.
'Is this my uncle?' I wonder to myself as I step out of his way, he kneels at the bed stroking the young woman's hair.
"Hey big brother, are you a dream" the woman says weakly, she looks pale and is not very coherent.
'Big brother? So this is Lyanna Stark' I choke out finally getting a look at my mother, she is so young and beautiful even when it's clear she's on her deathbed.
"I'm really here' Ned says sadly as tears can be seen in his eyes.
"I want to be brave, but I'm not, I don't want to die" Lyanna says in a terrified voice.
"You're not going to die" Ned says loudly as he holds her hand tightly.
Ned then turns around to see the wet nurse and shouts "Get her some water, is there a maester" but Lyanna grabs Neds arm "No water, Listen Ned" she says.
The wet nurse then brings over a baby and hands it over to Ned.
"Ned I need you do promise me something" she says weekly.
"Anything Lyanna" Ned says wiping his eyes.
"Avenge me, make sure to kill this baby, make sure it never sees the light of day" Lyanna said in a cold distorted voice.
She then turns her head and looks straight at me while continuing to talk.
"He killed me, he's sent me to the dark to die!" she continues as I try to cover my ears as I struggle to listen to what she says.
"Of course Lyanna" Ned says coldly before dropping the baby out of the window I can hear the splat as the baby hits the rocks at the bottom of the tower.
Ned then turns around picks up his sword and starts swinging it at me.
I dodge the initial swing and bring my sword up in time to block and overhand strike but then he catches me off guard and kicks me in the chest and I fall through the door.
Suddenly I'm not longer in the tower, feeling a sharp pain in my head I reach up with my hand only to find blood.
Ignoring it I lift myself up on the floor, I see a place I slightly recognise.
'Lady Stark has a painting of this in the sept at Winterfell' I think to myself trying to calm myself down.
'This is the great Sept of Baelor, but it looks wrong, all the stone is dark there are paintings of horrible abominations' I think to myself, on the walls in the middle of the of the sept was a giant black stone that seemed the pulse with energy, all around it were disfigured shadows though they looked less shadow like now and more like charcoal skin people, they were all prostrating themselves to the stone twitching and moaning.
"It's a pathetic isn't it" someone says from beside me as I jump back hand already on my sword.
I'm front of me is a well dressed man in a black tunic made of fine silk, he has straight black hair with red eyes he's got a smile on his face though it doesn't look real.
"Who are you!" I shout at him as I draw my sword and point it at him.
He ignores me and walks forward to the black stone.
"People can't stand to be in its presence for long before it breaks them" he continues talking while walking through the rows and rows of twitching shadows.
"Even your friend here couldn't remain conscious for more than 10 minutes" he says pointing at one of the people in the crowd that I recognise to be Arthur.
I immediately run to him, going straight passed the strange man and kneeling by his side and dropping Dawn next to me.
He is twitching with his eyes rolled to the back of his head completely unresponsive, I keep trying to wake him up when I hear the stranger walk up to me.
"Hmm how quaint you have my old sword" he says reaching out for it only for his hand to pass straight through it "tch, even after all these years" he says quietly before standing back up.
I pick the sword up and hold it to the strangers back "Tell me how to heal him" I threaten my arms shaking in a mixture of anger and fear.
"I'm afraid I can't do that, the stone chooses you see!" He says with a manic glint in his eyes as he walks closer to it.
"It chooses who the rulers of the world will be, see these pathetic life forms twitching on the floor, they were not worthy but we are, it chose people like us to rule when it ushers in the new world" he continues saying excitedly.
'This guy is fucking insane' I think to myself becoming more and more uneasy by the second.
"It spoke to me it told me of how the world was going into ruin our great empire would end but I was the only one who could save it" he says now stroking the stone with his head against it.
"But my poor stone is trapped" he says eyes watering as he begins to cry.
'I need to get the fuck out of here' I think to myself as I lift up Arthur with difficulty and silently begin to edge my way back to the door.
"He needs to be free again, he forgave me the first time but I'd never forgive myself if I let him down again" he says fully sobbing, snot coming out of his nose.
Then In less than a second be fully composed himself and looked back at me, a cold look on his face.
"That's where you come in, I want you to free him for me" he says like it was a reasonable request.
"You're clearly one of the chosen, it's your duty to usher in the new world" he says excitedly.
"I can smell it on you" he says as he sniffs the air in a dramatic fashion.
"You're like us, no, you're similar but different, maybe someone in your family line" he says putting his finger on his chin.
"The smell is weak but it's definitely there, ice and never ending winter" he says a manic grin spreading across his face.
"But it's ruined by the flame you carry inside" he says as a scowl mars his face.
"But don't worry I can fix that soon" he says a creepy smile spreading across his face.
Ignoring his insane ramblings I latch on to what he said before.
"What would I be releasing" I ask with a small tremble in my voice.
He just gives me a small smile and says
"Us"
I take my chance and run out of the great doors, I make it down the steps to struggling as I drag Arthur over my shoulder.
"Now would be a great time to wake up Arthur" I say loudly to him in hopes he'll open his eyes.
I drag us into an alley way, I hear the screams and screeches of creatures behind me.
'Fuck, this has to be a nightmare' I think to myself as I continue to run as fast as I can with an old man on my back.
I stretch my arm behind me and shoot indiscriminate flames behind me, I hear screaming but when I turn around it turns to laughing as my flames are sucked into the black stone walls.
I launch another stream of fire but the stone absorbs all of it 'Shit what the fuck is this thing' I think to myself.
Coming up with something else I decide to use the same move I used to win against Arthur and great a flash of light from my hand, it illuminates the alley way and I see the hundreds of dark figures from the sept all climbing on top of each other in order to get to us.
I keep running and I see an open door on the right hand side that I charge through, I drop Arthur on the floor and push the door back and lock it, I hold my back against it as I feel banging so strong it pushes me forward.
Eventually though it dies down and silence reigns again, I light a flame in my hand finding myself in some kind of storage room, it all looks untouched before looking around I go and check on Arthur.
He's pale and his skin is grey, black lines are creeping up his neck 'Shit this isn't good' I think to myself as I hold his head to the side.
I decide to look around, I see lots of food that still looks fresh though I don't dare take a bite, I see lots of books and texts, I pick one off the shelf at random.
'The Dawn Age By Jade Emperor'
'I bet the citadel would piss blood knowing a book like this exists' I think to myself 'though in my current situation a history lesson won't help'
I pick another one of the books up it is black and scaled like the hide of dragons but also soaked in patches of blood.
'Blood and Fire'
'No author? That's strange but this book might come in handy' I think to myself as I put the book in my satchel.
The last book I find is very old, older looking than the rest, I can't even recognise the language though it has a picture I recognise.
'I remember my uncle telling me about the giant toad statue on the basilisk isles perhaps this will hold the answers to why I my magic won't work as well here' I think to myself putting away the book and going further into the room.
The books start to disappear and it is instead replaced with gold, as I walk passed the gold it is replaced with clothes, fine clothes to peasant clothes they were all here.
'What the hell is this place' I think to myself getting more and more concerned.
I now end up in a place that looks like an armoury, I look around and notice the absolute range of weapons here though something stand stands out as I go to one of the shelf's and pick up a blade, it has a golden hilt with a lion on it and rubies as eyes, it has a Smoky black blade.
'This is Valyrian steel!' I think to myself excited, I immediately equip the blade to my sword belt feel oh happy I got my own sword similar to dawn, though I didn't feel a connection to it.
I then see what looks like rows and rows of Valyrian steel armour.
"What could this place be to house such treasures" I say to myself as I start to put on the light weight armour over my tunic, it's scaled and fits pretty well.
"Isn't it obvious, this is the garbage room" I hear someone say from somewhere in the large warehouse.
"So many people have come here, we can't just leave their things lying around, I do like to keep a clean city" The voice says coming closer.
I draw Dawn out of my scabbard and look to where the voice is coming from.
The thin finely dressed man stands there a small smile on his face.
"You have put up quite a chase but it's over now I'm afraid" he says as he walks towards me.
"You'll free us, your choice was never a factor in the matter Im afraid"
I swing dawn at him he leans back and it sakes past him, so I lean back and bring my sword back into an overhead strike which I use to try hit him but he just steps to the side and my sword ends up sinking into the black stone.
I can't remain in shock for long as I'm grabbed by the throat and lifted up, he throws me out of the window closest to us and I land painfully on the black stone streets.
Luckily I still had dawn in my hand as I gripped it tightly as I saw the strange man step out of a nearby door.
"Did you lose this' he says as he throws Arthur who I just noticed he was dragging out at that moment, I manage to catch him but fall on the ground as he's bigger than I am.
I lay him down and get in a fighting stance, I thrust dawn at him to which he sidesteps he's already within my guard before I can blink and he palm strikes me in the chest.
I get launched 10 feet away as I struggle to breath.
"That should've at least broken half your ribs, though now that I see you have on that annoyingly strong steel" he says standing still with a scowl on his face.
I crawl towards Arthur and pick him up.
The strange man is approaching me with his hands behind his back.
"Sumby issa hen se zōbrie" I shout summoning my barrier of light though he walks through it as if he was walking through the air, I back up even more approaching a wall.
I raise my hand and fire the most powerful stream of fire I can manage, a huge pillar of violet flames engulf the strange man lighting up the entire courtyard superheating the bricks of the black stone.
I keep firing until I feel my magic run low and then I lower my hand as I suddenly feel exhausted. I look up and see the stranger man standing there though his skin has been burnt off but I can still see his smile.
In a couple of seconds his whole body heals like I never attacked him in the first place.
He keeps getting closer and close until I feel myself back into something wooden I look backwards and where there was black stone before there is a door now.
I quickly attempt to open it in order to get us away from this man.
"NO!" The man shouts as he starts running towards me.
"I WONT LET YOU TAKE THEM!" he shouts with his arm stretched out. But before he can reach us we fall through the door and then it shuts on its own trapping the man on the other side.
Breathing heavily with blood still dripping from my head and feeling dizzy and tired from overusing magic I untangle myself from Arthur who is still passed out.
I turn around and find myself in a small shack 'What now' I think to myself as I grab my sword.
I see a small fire pit and a young beautiful woman sitting at it.
"You won't need that don't worry" she says as she smiles.
She has pale purple hair and tanned skin with purple eyes.
"Who are you" I ask as I walk to the fire pit she was sitting at not lowering my sword.
"Just a friend" she says with a smile, as she pokes at the fire with a longer stick.
"I noticed you were in a spot of trouble to I thought I'd help you out" she says in a light tone.
Still suspicious I lower my sword and take a breath "If that's the case you have my thanks" I sit down almost collapsing not realising how tired my body was.
"What was that man, who was he" I ask in quick succession to which she just sighs.
"Someone who lost their way" she says in a wistful voice looking intently at the fire.
"Where are we" I ask her as I feel my body start to drift off.
"An old mining cabin built by a merchant lord from the Summer isles, these mountains are full of diamond and ruby's so big you could live like a king for years after selling just one" she says
"Though they all ended up dying" she says with a sigh.
"It's time to sleep now little dragon, don't worry your friend will be okay come morning and you will both be safe in here" she says before standing up and touching me on my forehead.
Her smile is the last thing I see before I lose consciousness.
(AN: I'm sure some of you guys can guess who the man is but the women is left a bit more of a mystery as she technically has two identities. Anyway hope the chapter is okay, won't be their last time in Yeen. Also 5000 word chapter so next chapter will be a bit shorter around 2000)
Valyrian words:
Sumby issa hen se zōbrie: Shield me from the dark