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~~~Third Person, Eighth Moon, 277 AC~~~
~~~Hunting Forest, Crakehall~~~
The Mountain crushed Tommen's head as it reached his feet, disgust and revulsion adorning his face, to him, betraying comrades was the greatest offense a man could make, and he was content to know that the greedy boy was dead.
The Mountain then sheathed his sword and began walking towards the basilisk, with a smile on his face that looked more like a grimace, "you've caused a lot of trouble," The Mountain, or Ser Gregor Clegane, was leading his hunting party, they had been tracking the basilisk for six hours now, but they were always late, encountering the scenes of dismembered bodies, blood and gore throughout the various camps they passed through.
At a quick count, over thirty men had died at the hands of the beast, and now, to find the same creature killed by a group of three men left the Mountain somewhat shocked, and for the boy's treachery, he would have recruited them.
"Leave the bodies here, they will serve as food for the animals," Ser Gregor ordered, reaching over to the basilisk and examining it closely, it had multiple wounds on its scaly body, and several were already beginning to scab over, hinting of a quick healing factor.
Ser Gregor bent down and grabbed the basilisk's foreleg, the one without the embedded spear, and with a bit of effort, began to drag it towards the place where the base camp was set up, ready to take the prey and take the bounty.
But great was his surprise when after taking four steps, the basilisk, which was supposed to be dead, moved quickly and grabbed Ser Gregor's right arm, tearing with its teeth with unheard-of fury. "AHHHHH!" Ser Gregor's furious shout was not long in coming.
The other men accompanying him ran up to him and were thinking of striking the basilisk with their swords or axes, but Ser Gregor's shout stopped them; "if you think of it!"
Ser Gregor then began to thrust his arm to the right, at the same time he grabbed the basilisk's snout with his left hand and began to push the basilisk's lower jaw in the opposite direction. Not caring that his right arm was being affected more than it was before, Ser Gregor managed to open the basilisk's mouth wide enough to pull his arm out.
And once he managed to do so, he grabbed both jaws and began to do the same thing King Kong did to the T. rex. "Crack!" The indistinguishable sound of bones breaking was heard as both of the basilisk's jaws snapped, going limp, and killing the beast at last.
Ser Gregor looked down at his arm, which was dripping blood in spurts, with several wounds in the skin, "Don't come near me!" shouted Ser Gregor as he saw two men approaching him with pitiful looks, instead, Ser Gregor removed a belt that held a shoulder pad in place, and with it, knotted his arm tightly at the shoulder to prevent him from bleeding out before he got to be treated.
"What are you waiting for!" Ser Gregor shouted in rage as he saw his men motionless, "start dragging the damn thing back to camp." Which made the men rush to grab the basilisk by the tail and start pulling it between them all, while The Mountain watched everything.
[Issa iā sȳz vīlībāzmio, zȳhon kustikāne iksis quirivomse (He is a good warrior, his strength is special)]
At a distance of thirty meters, two witches were suspended above a thick tree branch, more than forty meters high, although it was said that no Xandarians would participate in any competition, Azrael still sent a group of Witches to observe the hunt, and to notify Azrael of any important events they noticed.
[Se ȳdrassis bona Ēlīedar naejot tembyrōva se basilisk iksin bisa mirre udra, se ābrītsos vala ēdas iā issare, tolī quba ziry arliñagon se rovaja lantpyro bȳre kostagon gaomagon (The group that managed to incapacitate the basilisk was also promising, the young man had a future, too bad he committed the greatest offense anyone can do)] The two witches were engaged in a conversation of their own, and the biting tone full of hatred and spite towards the dead young man could be felt.
For them, the mere mention of betrayal incited a repulsive impulse within them, that someone could betray their friends, companions or family was an idea that they did not understand how anyone could do, [Māzigon va, se arghugon iksis toliot, se dārys ēdruta sagon udra (Come on, the hunt is over, the king must be told)]
Without wasting any more time, the two witches started jumping between the trees, going in the direction of the camp on the outskirts of the forest where they were all gathered.
.
.
.
~~~Hunting camp~~~
While dozens of men died trying to get rich, in the camp, the nobles, ladies, and knights ate their fill, danced, drank, or partied, it was a complicated and very different view from that inside the forest.
And it was that, with men-at-arms, knights of their own, and the gold to hire mercenaries, the nobles were not forced to participate in the hunt, since they had others to die for them.
Every few hours, Lannister men would come out of the forest with wagons full of lifeless bodies, raising awareness of what was being experienced there, but even with that sight, the nobles did not care, to them, those people had embarked into the forest at their own risk, and no one had been forced to do so. Or so it was said.
Amid all that celebration, Azrael was at a table with various meats and fruits placed on trays, being seated along with Valka and his brothers, also seated at the table, was Lord Rickard, the Lord Paramount of the North, accompanied by Brandon and Eddard.
Both were immersed in a serious and very important conversation and while Lord Rickard would have liked to have it in a more private and comfortable place, Azrael did not want to. "As Lord Rickard was telling you, the North can become a trading power, its geographical location makes it perfect for the Ignotus plan, while it is known that the North does not enjoy a fleet of its own, apart from that of House Manderly, with the gold it will earn if the agreement is fulfilled and formed, the North can obtain a huge fleet under its command, not only that, but the renovation of forgotten or decaying castles can be done."
"A plan such as you proposes I cannot accept it offhand, I must discuss it with the Lords of the corresponding lands through which the Canal will make its way, and that will take at least two moons, not to mention that I would have to return to the North for it," Lord Rickard replied, the Ignotus plan consisted in the construction of a canal running through the North.
The canal would widen the Fever River that flowed into the Saltspear in the Bay of Blazewaters, the extensive work would be to create a canal connecting the source of the Fever River at Cailin Moat, with the East Coast some 120 miles from White Harbor.
The Canal would be under Xandarian control, but Xandar would pay an annual fee for the use of the land where the Canal passed, as well as ports and fortifications at various points to ensure its protection from pirates of the Three Daughters, as well as the Iron Islands. This would fill Winterfell's coffers to the brim with gold, not to mention the trade boom such a canal would represent.
Since it would shorten several naval routes and make the Canal frequented to prevent the passage of the Stepstone by vessels from the Free Cities of the Narrow Sea traveling to the Reach or Westerland.
"But you are the Lord Paramount of the North, your voice is the most important," Valka commented in confusion, to her, if the supreme lord proposed something or stipulated some agreement that would benefit all of his protected land, there would be no need to discuss it with the small Lords, rather than just accept the changes with happy faces.
Or at least that was the way it was in Xandar, but he forgot to remember that in Xandar the laws and rules were very strict, and if any Lord was noticed to be creating subterfuge of national agreements, as well as theft of the state budget or bad procedures, he would go straight to the mines or the cells of Ischyros.
"I don't know how things will be in Xandar, Lady Valka, but in the North, everything is shared, and I as Lord of Winterfell must get this information to my lords," Rickard replied a bit gruffly." Still, the idea of such a thing is welcome, I will have the agreements and approval of the lords make the acceptance of the Ignotus Plan promoted."
[Aōha verembose, se basilisk ēza issare iñague, Lānistor vali maghagon se vask hen dyni (Your Majesty, the Basilisk has been hunted, Lannister men bring the body of the beast)] A guard approached Azrael and commented in High Valyrian, thus stopping the conversation.
While the Northerners did not understand, they understood the Lannister word in between, which interested them; "my lords, this conversation will have to be postponed, the basilisk has been hunted, and I must prepare a sword." Azrael explained, rising from his chair with Valka, an act copied in complete synchrony by the Blood Riders, to start walking in search of King Aerys.