I looked to my side, noticing a group of lordlings pulling up to the practice yard.
"This is where I tend to spend half my day." I decided to go ahead and break the ice with Brienne. "Whether it is sword skill, archery or just physical training. You can do it all here. Though, it doesn't look like you need much introduction in this regard."
'Bossman got big words now, sheesh. Regard and that.'
"I was trained by Ser Goodwin every day," Brienne replied, nodding once. "How… often does Lord Renly come to observe?"
"Whenever he feels like it." I shrugged my shoulders. "Since you're a lady, you'll probably be seeing a lot of him. I wouldn't be in a rush."
"I see."
"So… you want to do some archery?"
"Archery? Why not continue with the sword?" Brienne questioned as she towered over me.
"I mean, given how you smashed up Arthur, I wouldn't even put up a fight."
"Practice isn't about winning. It's about improving with each attempt." Brienne lectured, almost like a teacher.
"That's… pretty insightful." I slowly nodded. 'But that doesn't change the fact that you're twice my size! One strong hit and bruddha's done.'
"Ser Goodwin taught me that. Regardless, you can rest assured that I will not harm you too much." Brienne nodded, aiming her sword at me. "Shall we begin?"
"... Okay." I smiled with a clear lack of confidence. "Let's do it."
'I'm fucked. I am so fucked.'
"Huuugh!"
Brienne, without any sort of warning, charged forward and slashed vertically… I stepped back as fast as I could.
Woosh!
Her combination of strength and speed caused a distinct sound of the wind being cut.
'Was she trying to cause me brain damage?' I raised an eyebrow… however, before I could think anymore, she was throwing slashes my way. Doing my best Muhammed Ali impression, I dodged all the blows, just barely.
She kept at it, hitting like a mad woman on a quest for vengeance. And yet, the only thing she was cutting was air.
Then… I got too cocky and tripped up.
Tap.
She got me.
"You have steady feet," Brienne remarked, drawing her practice sword away from my chest. "Fine footwork but you did not counterattack. Your clear goal was to run away from the beginning…that gives your opponent confidence. Even when you're defensive, apply pleasure to your opponent. Do not allow them to overwhelm you."
'That's fine and all but I can't exactly keep up with you physically.'
"Can't do much against you, even if I thought about attacking," I replied, shaking my head.
"If you've convinced yourself of that already, then it will only be more true. Have some faith in your ability." Brienne stepped back, raising her practice sword. "I will be on the defensive this time."
Being half her size, I decided to go for the legs. Chop down the Goliath… or try to, at the very least.
It started out alright, I got a few hits in.
But then…
BAM!
A "light" kick sent me to the ground.
"You left yourself open to that. When attacking, be mindful of your opponent hitting back."
"Augh… alright." I got up, despite the pain in my chest. "Didn't have to hit me that hard, you know."
"Please do forgive me. I tend to fight those older than me… it is difficult to restrain myself."
"It's not that big of an issue, I'm a pretty tough boy."
"I can see that much."
"Edric, where are you hiding? Come over here." Ser Davis instructed. "You and the large lady."
Naturally, after a mutual nod, we did as told.
"She's uglier than a pig." One of the lordlings remarked, keeping their voice just about loud enough for Brienne to hear.
"Why is she here, to watch? I doubt anyone here wants to be looked at by that thing."
She was just as much of an outcast as I was, if not more.
"Aren't we lively today?" Ser Davis observed, smiling slightly. "Although it is unusual for a lady to take up arms, lady Brienne Tarth has done so plenty times before. I also trust Ser Cortnay's judgment, who swiftly approved this arrangement. So… let us begin with an introduction."
Ser Davis instantly pit Brienne against someone her age… who also happened to be one of the boys who did not hide their disgust. He was absolutely demolished, arguably even worse than Arthur was. Ser Davis had to end the bout early to avoid serious injury to the boy. Though, despite proving herself, this only made everyone dislike her more. The lads couldn't take a girl being better than them at sword skill… and I did get it. Hell, I'd feel a similar way if I were them.
But I was in the body of a six-year-old so I didn't care at all. If anything, I found it satisfying to see the guys who took pleasure in violating mans get beaten the shit out of them.
"Something funny, Edric?" The boy who got ass beat turned to me.
"Looks like you're only good for beating boys half your age," I replied, keeping my smile. "Maybe you should spend more time practising than courting ladies who have no interest in you."
Surprisingly, there was some laughter amongst the boys.
"What did you say?" He raised an eyebrow, stepping closer to me.
"You heard me."
"Ser Davis, allow me to practice with Edric."
"Robert… are you certain that you don't need time to recover?" Ser Davis countered, observing the boy's weak stance.
"I'll be fine. The loss from before has ignited a fire in my heart."
"You ought to take a break." Ser Davis instructed, shaking his head.
"But…"
"My decision is final."
Anthony Davis who? I only know Ser Davis.
…
Brienne fit into the Storm's End youth as well as Russell Westbrick with a team of non-shooters. There was one good thing, though… getting closer to her was much easier than anyone else. We were in the same boat, more or less. Plus she was ugly so I wasn't nervous at all talking to her, unlike some other girls (just being 100% honest). There were other new people around in Storm's End… but none of them were Alysanne, which was a little disappointing.
Arthur got over his loss but he and Brienne were rivals at best, pushing each other to be better. It was… mainly Brienne pushing him, she was a real monster. Meanwhile, as I got closer to Brienne, she sort of became my shield against the older lads. As a result of constantly training with Brienne, I also got way better than the kids my age. I was stronger, faster and more skilled to the point that it was just unfair. I had to compete with my olders… and well, I welcomed it. I wanted to be the best version of myself.
People said that with every day, I looked more like Robert's son.
~
Months would quickly go by, marking the beginning of 294 AC.
"On his deathbed, Aegon the Unworthy legitimised all of his bastard children… an act which would lead to the five Blackfyre Rebellions and further dub him the Unworthy. In the end, he could not rule himself. His lusts, gluttony and desires had ruled over him-"
Suddenly, the door opened and I stopped reading out loud. It was Renly Baratheon, followed by an unfamiliar face.
"Nephew, reading dull old books, are we?" Renly Baratheon chuckled, glancing at maester Jurne. "May I borrow him for a hunt?"
"I'm reading important pieces of history," I replied, shrugging my shoulders. "Do you know how many bastards Aegon the Unworthy had?"
"They're all dead… what does it matter?" Renly Baratheon countered, smiling slightly. "If you want to be the finest knight that you could be, do you think these books will help you in any way?"
"Well…"
"Rhaegar Targaryen read many books, I'm certain… look where that led him. Your father's warhammer, as I recall."
"Certainly not because he read some books, my lord." Maester Jurne countered.
"Let the boy make his own decisions." Renly Baratheon frowned slightly. "If he wants to go on and read about kings who ruled centuries ago, he can. If he wants to learn to be a warrior, he should have the right. I'll tell you something I learned… Edric is no maester. He is a natural hunter."
"Uh…" I scratched my hair, slowly standing up after. "Well, if it's between going a hunt or reading…"
"That is my nephew." Renly Baratheon chuckled, patting my shoulder. "Let's leave."
Maester Jurne sighed. "Mayhaps he is right."
I followed Renly out, glancing at the brown-haired individual to his other side. The bruddha had a good five years over me, brown curly hair and looked like a mini prince charming.
"You must be Edric Storm." He spoke, making a slight smile. "I am Loras Tyrell, Renly's new squire."
"Tyrell? Like… the House Tyrell?" I acted surprised, blinking several times. "I mean, it's an honour to make your acquaintance."
"Well, it's brilliant that we are all familiar with each other now. Edric, fetch yourself a bow and some arrows while I make preparations."
"Sure…" I nodded, running to the armoury.
…
This hunt, in particular, was a grand event. Even before it truly began, there were plenty of visitors from outside of Storm's End. Renly Baratheon led the way as he always did, swiftly followed by Loras Tyrell. I was kind of chilling in the back, looking to get a shot in.
"A white rabbit?" Renly Baratheon turned to me, patting my back "Go for it, Edric!"
It was a good distance away, just eating grass and vibing from the looks of it. Couldn't see much from its back. I almost didn't want to… but I readied my arrow regardless. It looked like forty metres or so away… a little over fifty paces. I took a deep breath, pulling my arrow further back with all my strength.
Then, right as I reached the end, I let go.
Wooooosh….
Pierce!
It went right through its lower back, stopping it from moving for a little while. Then it sparked awake and tried to hop away… but its body barely responded. I walked closer to it, closing the distance. Watching it slowly die was a little depressing.
"Finish it." Renly Baratheon drew his dagger and offered it, smiling rather happily. "Your first kill, Rabbit-Slayer."
I chuckled, shaking my head. I almost forgot about the rabbit as I grabbed the shank and looked down…
'It's just a rabbit…'
I stabbed it right through, ending its pain.
"Keep the knife, Rabbit-slayer." Renly Baratheon chuckled. "You've earned it."
"That was… a fine shot." Loras Tyrell added. He looked pretty surprised.
Edric the Rabbit-slayer became the talk of the hunt thereafter. Renly had that kind of effect. Honestly, it had a nicer ring to it than 'the bastard'.
~
After a day of hunting, there was a mini feast. If Renly wasn't living his life lavishly, he wasn't Renly. It was a lively night in the tents while I kept practising my archery.
Was I a boring person for doing such a dull thing when all these festivities were going on? Maybe. But, to be the best that I could be, some sacrifices had to be made.
Though, a boy could only do so much.
After a night of busting my ass, I went to sleep in my tent.
"Your diligence is respectable." Raiden Shogun remarked, having watched over me the entire time.
"... Thanks," I whispered back, closing my eyes.
"Once, the finest archer in my land served me. Whatever was my wish, she would follow it without question."
"Were you a queen or something?" I questioned despite knowing the answer. It was strange for her to talk to me like this. Usually, she didn't say much at all.
"A ruler… A Goddess."
There was some uncertainty in her voice. Truthfully, wasn't she just Ei's doll? A tool to complete her objectives while she meditated…
"You sure do have the look of one." I opened my eyes and smiled slightly.
"What do you think of eternity?"
"A strange question to bring up to a little boy."
"You are no 'little boy'." She refuted, frowning slightly. "You merely act as one… or rather, try to."
"... Well, I wouldn't mind you treating me as a man." I couldn't hide my cheeky little grin.
"The few who spoke to me in with that intent in mind tended to lose their heads."
"I wouldn't mind giving you head." My grin didn't disappear. I couldn't help it.
"What does that mean? Your expression alone tells me it is something nefarious."
"You'd definitely take my head if you knew what it meant."
"Hmph… you've yet to answer my question."
"About eternity? If something lasts forever and does not change at all in that time… then, it's a bit boring, isn't it?"
"A bit boring… rather hypocritical coming from you. Don't you spend half your days practising archery?
'Ouch. This is getting personal.'
"Every day, I get better at it, don't I? Improvement isn't boring at all. It's what drives many people to be even better. Eternity, on the other hand, suggests there is no improvement. Isn't that thought just depressing?"
"... So you would rather be mortal?"
"A due date gives everything meaning," I replied, taking a glance at her eyes. "Do you think I'd be working so hard if I knew I could live forever? The fact that I could roll over and die when I'm thirty is what drives me to make the most of what time I have."
"Is eternity the enemy of growth, in your mind?" She questioned.
"Doesn't have to be." I shrugged my shoulders. "I mean… I'm not the best guy to be asking these big, thoughtful, questions. Respectfully, I'm just an archer."
"No, you are more than that." Raiden Shogun refuted. "Your view has been insightful to me, Edric Storm… you may rest now."
"Glad to be of service, then." I smiled slightly, closing my eyes once again. 'More than that…'
Was that a compliment?
I think I might've blushed.
~
Name: Edric Storm
Age: 6, going on 7.
~Lord~
Charm: 20
~Warrior~
Athletics: 25 * (perk available)
Battle instincts: 5
~Knight~
Sword: 15
~Ranger~
Marksman: 30 * (perk available)
Scouting: 3
~Mage~
Storm Manipulation: 3
~
As I was sleeping, my stats popped up again.
"Congratulations, you've reached the first great milestones for both the Marksman and Athletics skills. Your diligence is most impressive… not quite as great as mine but impressive nonetheless."
That voice… it's that the white-haired Targaryen cosplayer?
"Cosplayer? That is a first… regardless, I am a man who values diligence. The harder a prospect works, the better his reward should be, don't you agree? It is a wondrous cycle that inspires further dedication… and further reward."
"And if the 'prospect' in question doesn't?" I questioned.
"Then he is doomed to fail."
'Doomed to fail?'
"Ah, don't fear the consequences, young prospect. Relish the rewards." He advised, suddenly appearing before my eyes. He stepped forward to my status screen, observing it while stroking his chin. "You do know that Winter is Coming, don't you? It is a saying that you should be familiar with."
"Yeah… but won't it all be sorted if things go the same way?"
"Hahahaha… hahahaha…" He laughed, shaking his head. "What do you think is going to happen? That little stark girl is going to slay him?"
"Well…"
"Nada, mi amigo."
'Did this guy just speak spanish?'
"You must have heard of the butterfly effect, despite your lack of intelligence." He looked at me, smiling slightly.
"I'm not stupid. It's when one little change can change everything in a timeline completely."
"Ah… good, so we're on the same page. I'm not intentionally trying to put pressure on you, but… your goal is to, well, defeat that Night King pretender. No one is going to save the day but you, Edric Storm. Or should I say Arthur Astley? You are the hero of this world, the prince that was promised." He drew some kind of fancy sword, pointing it at my chest. "If you fail, that is the end of your existence alongside the masses. If you succeed… well, we can talk about your future after that."
He lowered his sword.
"Yeah, no pressure. Just beat an ice wizard who also happens to have a massive army of undead." I nodded sarcastically. "Would you also like for me to sleep with Daenerys in between? Maybe, help Hodor become Lord of the Seven Kingdoms while I'm at it?"
"... I like you." He laughed a little. "Truly, if you make the most of your time… if you take hold of your destiny, there is little limit to what you can achieve. You do not need to fit into any group. Become a leader and make everyone wish to fit in with you. It's as simple as that."
"Thanks for the motivational speech, mr Targaryen."
"Regardless, allow me to reveal one of your gifts… perks. Once you reach a certain point in a skill, roughly twenty to thirty, you unlock your first perk." He pointed his sword at the 'Marksman' part of my report card, changing it to some kind of constellation. It had two halves, leading up to the top of the bow. "For instance, the Marksman skill tree has two halves. Some have halves, some are linear. In the end, they are all there to reward you for your efforts."
"For instance, the Marksman tree has 'Skirmisher' and 'Sniper'. The sniper half centres around accuracy, range and penetration while the former is all about draw speed and more unorthodox skills such as firing multiple arrows at once or using archery while mounted."
"Ah…" I nodded, taking it all in. "That's pretty neat."
"In the case where there are two halves of a tree, you must dedicate yourself to a single half at a certain point. Let's call these halves 'sub-skills' for the sake of simplicity. Whichever sub-skill you choose receives an exponential boost in growth speed while the other stagnates. Once you complete one half, you may do the same with the other half."
"So if there are two halves, I can pick whichever half I want to master first? Even if… that half doesn't suit me as much as the other?"
"I was about to explain that." He smiled slightly, nodding. "A good question, regardless. If you are more naturally attuned to a certain sub-skill than the other and choose to master it, you will progress even faster. Generally, you ought to pick the one that suits you more as that makes the most of your time. But… no one is stopping you from breaking out of your shell. Do what you think is best for your current situation and take into account the future."
"Alright… so, between Sniper and Skirmisher…"
"Well, I have a birthday to attend." The silver man suddenly vanished. "Also… do keep in mind that these trees do not obscure your natural ability, but rather enhance it. Therefore, despite not being a Skirmisher, you can still learn its skills on your own through practice. Anyway, see you around."
'Just like that… well, guess I don't need him to babysit me, do I?'
I looked at the Marksman tree, taking into account the information I had.
"You are a more traditional, fundamental, archer at heart with a clear focus on accuracy over speed. Therefore, your growth with the 'Sniper' discipline would be faster than that of the 'Skirmisher' discipline by roughly 33.53%."
I proceeded to read the first perks of each one that I could see. The rest were greyed out with a thick fog.
"Sniper I - Provides an increase in sight, draw strength and long-range accuracy."
"Skirmisher I - Provides a clear increase in draw speed."
'Well, shit… I'm going with Sniper then.'
After picking Sniper I, the 'Skirmisher I' perk had a cost of 110. Clearly, I'd have to finish the Sniper side of things before I could even touch the Skirmisher.
'... Fair enough.'
I moved on to the other skill that had an available perk; Athletics. Like the Marksman skill, it had two separate sub-skills. I proceeded to read through the extra information provided.
"The Titan sub-skill focuses on size, power, strength, endurance and overall physical dominance while the Champion sub-skill favours stamina, speed, dexterity, agility, quickness and overall athleticism."
'Oooh, they both sound cool as shit.'
"According to your physical genetics, you are more naturally attuned to the Titan sub-skill. Even your mindset suits the Titan sub-skill as you would rather dominate your opponents over out-speeding/tiring them out. Overall, your progression would roughly be 70% faster with the titan sub-skill as your discipline."
That's all I had to read. With a tap of my finger, I unlocked Titan I.
(Titan I - Your natural height is increased, alongside your strength and power.)
~
The next day.
I got up early, as usual. My clothes were feeling a little bit tighter than the day before but, apart from that, everything was more or less the same. Everyone was pretty much done out because of excessive drinking and feasting from the night before. Since there wasn't much else to do, I pulled up to my practice area. It was a very improvised 'practice area', to say the least. I put it together using the resources at my disposal.
That is to say, I used a tree that weirdly looked like a person with branches for arms.
"You should be careful with that knife." Raiden Shogun spoke as I drew it.
"Thanks for the reminder, mother." I almost rolled my eyes.' Man's a big man… I've been using knives for ages. Chopping vegetables and that.'
"Hey, so… why don't we talk more often?" I proposed, shrugging my shoulders. "You look so bored all the time."
"Do I?"
"Maybe it's just your natural expression. Now that I think about it, I've never seen you be happy."
"... What is there to be happy about?" She frowned slightly.
"You do have a point." I glanced at my dagger, watching its blade reflect the sun's light. It was pretty and shiny… Renly's knife, so no wonder. There was a fancy black stag engraved on its silver guard too. "Being without a body must suck."
"Alas, nothing can be done." She sighed, looking into the vast blue sky. For once, it wasn't dark and rainy in these lands. "You're not from here, are you?"
"I used to be a dude called Arthur Astley."
"That name sounds… noble." She remarked. "Who did you live as, a farmer? A retainer?"
"A… physical worker. Warehouse worker." I chuckled, raising an eyebrow. "You don't know what that means, I'm guessing?"
"You don't seem too keen on who you were."
"Yeah, I wasn't. Every day was the same slog… every day, I worked for faces I did not know. For an organisation that did not care about me. So long as I worked, they were happy. I was… a glorified slave. I hated it."
"... A slave…" Raiden Shogun nodded, acknowledging the fact. "What is the goal of existence, do you think?"
"The goal of existing… is to survive, deep down in every mortal creature's instincts. Beyond that, people should live as they want. That is freedom… that is the true beauty of living. Doing what you want."
The 'doing what you want' part mystified her.
"For a 'warehouse worker', you have great insight." She remarked, pausing. After a while… she spoke again. "And yet… how is one to live like this? I am a ghost… that has lost its reason for existing. The land and master which I once served is no more."
"Find a reason." I smiled slightly, wanting to see her happy. The simp tendencies didn't go anywhere. I was deeply fond of her still…
"How?"
"I'll get you a body, I promise." I threw the dagger and hit a bullseye on the target. "I'll find a way, even if I have to walk through hell and back. After that… you'll surely find a reason for existing. You might even find it before that."
'Anything is possible, right, Mr Targaryen?'
"Is this… a pledge of loyalty?" She questioned, her eyes lighting up slightly. They weren't nearly as dull as before, I was 100% sure of that.
'She has no idea…'
"You could see it that way, yeah."
She stepped forward, surprising me slightly. She raised her hand to pat my head… but I didn't feel it. However, I did feel a rush of shock speeding across my body.
"As my sole retainer, you alone will carry my blessing. It is not as it once was… but that is all I can do for you."
'Raiden Shogun's blessing?'
My eyes lit up…
Things were about to change and I knew it.