Solomon. Wolfwood.
A small snowstorm had begun outside, and the faint sounds of its howling softly penetrated the cave. The crackling of the fire spread softly throughout it, and its flames gave light and warmth to its inhabitants.
I sat on a small rock and gazed at the dancing flames in deep thought.
When my eyes first saw a new world completely unfamiliar to me, my mind was filled with surprise and incomprehension. And a couple seconds later, memories that were not mine began to pour into my mind. The overwhelming amount of information gave me a massive headache that made me fall to my knees and grab my head.
It reminded me of watching a movie. I felt like I was being thrown from one scene to the next, and I was a front row viewer in a movie theater. I saw an ancient city that I had only read descriptions of in history books. I saw creatures that existed only in myths and legends, as well as a variety of flesh-and-blood heroes from the same place. I've seen magic that was only done on the television screen. And finally, I've seen battles on which the fate of an entire world depended. Scale so large that my eyes simply refused to look away from them.
When the visions were over and my mind cleared, I realized something important. I am no longer me. Not anymore. My very being had merged with the being of another. Solomon. And his reincarnation as Romani Archaman. Now, the present me is an amalgamation of the wise king of Israel, Solomon, the chief of the medical department of the Chaldean Security Organization, Romani Archaman and the old me, the most ordinary office plankton who lived the most ordinary life.
And accordingly, I received their memories, knowledge, skills and some character traits. Including Solomon's own body. And what can I say? I don't envy Solomon - I feel sorry for him. In his entire life, he never made a single decision of his own volition. But there was only one exception - the desire to become human. That's how Romani Archaman was born. That's how he learned human emotions and aspirations.
I could feel the faint presence of magic in these lands. And the farther south it went, the weaker it became. It was as if there, in the south, the magic was already dead and had nothing to hold on to. But towards the north, the situation was completely opposite.
The further north you go, the stronger it is. The ley lines of this world are in the north? That's the only conclusion I could come up with. Also, the local mana is so diluted and smeared. It was similar to the mana that Romany felt when he was alive. That is, mana from the age of man. So, either the era of the gods of this world has already ended or is just coming to an end.
No, it isn't. The mana of this world is even weaker than it should be in the age of man. That is, the world is approaching its tipping point. A point that will determine its fate. Whether it should continue to exist or be lost in the sands of time. And from the amount of mana I could sense, that tipping point would be reached within the next ten years, give or take.
I think I've found the reason for my arrival in this world. As well as the reason for my meeting this boy. By looking at him with my Wisdom, I was able to see threads of fate in him, more like ropes of some sort. And those were the threads that my eyes saw in Ritsuka Fujimaru. That boy is one of the key figures of this world.
While I was pondering, with the edge of my eye, I managed to notice a slight movement from the boy's side. And, after a couple of seconds, he opened his eyes and slowly stood up, looking around. When he saw me, his eyes opened wide with surprise for a moment, but quickly returned to normal, apparently remembering what had happened.
- Are you all right, child? - I asked him.
- Y-yes. Thank you, sir mage, for saving my life. I swear on my honor that I will repay you for your kindness," he said, and slowly rose to his feet and bowed to me.
- You need not. I helped you on a whim," I said in a relaxed tone and waved my hand. - Besides, I'm a Magician. Not a mage or a sir. My name is Solomon. What's your name, boy? Are you hungry?
- J-Jon Snow, My Lord. And no, I'm not hungry," he replied nervously.
My lord? A cost of the Middle Ages, I suppose.
- You may not lie to me, Jon. I can see you're hungry. Here, eat this. It will satisfy your hunger," I said and held out my hand to him with the bread I had just created with magic.
When he saw it, he took the bread carefully and started eating it rather quickly. He began to look like a hamster with his cheeks stuffed with food.
- Don't be in a hurry. I can give you more if you're still hungry," I said, to which he nodded embarrassedly and began to eat more slowly. - And can you tell me how you ended up in the forest alone, without any escort or parents?
- I... I got lost," he mumbled as he chewed his food and lowered his head in shame. - I was accompanied by two people, but... but... but...
- It's all right, Jon. Calm down. Tell me everything from the beginning," I said soothingly when I saw that he was on the verge of tears.
After a couple of minutes he calmed down and began his story. From the boy's words I could understand one thing - his father's current wife hated him with every fiber of her being and tried to get rid of him. And the boy didn't even realize it.
- I see. It's unfortunate," I said when he finished his story. - Now that there's a little storm outside, I think we have time to talk. Tell me about your home, your family. I don't mind hearing a story or two.
- Okay. (chuckles) But can I ask you a question before I do?
- Of course," I nodded and made myself comfortable on my rock.
- Where are you from, Lord Solomon? And who were you before you came here? - He asked with genuine interest.
- Оh? I understand the reason for your first question, but the second... What made you ask it? - I asked, giving him a surprised look.
- Well..." he began, a little miffed. - Your aura... It's... so powerful, so... meaningful. Like you're the ruler, or perhaps the King, of some country.
- So you can feel my aura, Jon?
- Y-yes. Is that abnormal? - Jon asked nervously.
- No, it's not. It's quite normal," I said, and he breathed a sigh of relief. - For someone capable of magic, of course.
- M-magic? - he asked in a shaky voice. - I-I have the power of m-magic?
- You can't see my aura, but you can feel its pressure, can't you? It's like an invisible wave is washing over you, and your instincts are screaming for power," I asked with genuine curiosity. To which the boy nodded confidently.
- Ordinary people, incapable of magic, can't feel it. Not even the tiniest bit of it. But you can. I'd even say you're very gifted at it, since I've hidden my magic and aura. Given the era we're in, I don't think even a well-trained local mage would be able to sense them.
- Age, Lord Solomon? - he asked in confusion.
- Why don't you tell me your story, Jon? And I'll answer your questions in return. It will do us both good.
When he heard me, his face took on a thoughtful look, as if deciding whether to agree.
What a mature boy. Understandable, though, given his circumstances.
- Okay," he said after a while and nodded his head.
Jon began to talk about everything he knew himself. He talked about his home, Winterfell, his family, the Stark family, the land where I am and how he had lived up to this point. He even mentioned the political system and power structure in this country.
And from his story I was able to draw a few conclusions. This world resembles medieval Europe with all the implications: religion still has a strong influence on people's minds, there are active power struggles, and intrigue and conspiracies are as commonplace as the cold in the North. To get more information I would need a library, which Winterfell definitely has.
The marriage between the current ruler of the North and his wife was definitely political. His bannermen would not have accepted such a marriage for nothing. They would not allow their lord to marry a woman who was unfamiliar with the traditions and customs of their lands. But they had to accept it because of the circumstances. More specifically, because of the recent war. To prevent the Seven Kingdoms from becoming Six, it was necessary to bind the North to the South. And the typical solution for this time was political marriage.
According to Jon, the current Lady of Winterfell, Catelyn Stark, is a devotee of the Seven faith, and a rather fierce one at that, while the people of the North believe in the Old Gods. And her faith dictates that any bastard is a child of vice and unworthy of life. Which translated into her attitude towards little Jon.
How... disappointing. Children should not bear the sins of their parents. But apparently she was unfamiliar with the phrase. Nor to this world, I think.
When Jon finished speaking, he took a deep breath. I produced a small flask of water and held it out to him. He gratefully accepted it and took a couple sips.
- Thank you for sharing your story with me, Jon," I said and looked toward the entrance to the cave we were in. - The storm was over. I think we can leave for Winterfell. I will answer your questions along the way, as I promised you earlier.
- We, Lord Solomon? You're going there too? - asked a confused Jon.
- Of course. I would like to escort you there. Or do you mind?
- N-no, of course not? I'd appreciate it," he said, and waved his arms.
- That's good," I said, and gave him my hand with a smile. - Shall we go?
He nodded and stood up, taking my hand.
- Y-yes. Let's go.
Since I had already lived two lives, why not a third? Unbeknownst to me, a slight smile appeared on my face.
And so began my journey in this new world.
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