Driftmark
103 AC
We walk through the corridors towards the rear of the keep. The Driftmark keep is directly connected to the sea at the back, and this stretch of shoreline is reserved for House Velaryon. Having reached the seashore through the backdoor, we arrive at the area where we have practiced our swimming until now.
"Now, Laenor, if you feel any discomfort or anything similar, scream. If you can't scream, make as many ripples in the water as possible to alert me. I know you can swim, but it's for your own safety," said Father. "And Laena, less playing, more swimming. Off you go, I'll wait here." We didn't need to be told twice. Laena and I ran towards the sea and submerged ourselves in the water.
As I submerged in the water, I felt more powerful than before, as if I were in my own domain where no one could harm me. After swimming and playing with Laena, I noticed that my father was attending to the guards and servants of the keep, who were there to deliver reports. I began my plan. First, I took a deep dive and started to swim as fast as I could. It was truly awesome.
I feel no resistance from the water. My movements are so graceful and fluid that I could outswim the largest ships in this world. After a few laps around the area to acclimate to the increased speed, I began to ascend and break the surface where Laena was swimming in circles. Upon seeing me, she let out a sigh of relief. I matched her pace and pattern in the water. When our father glanced over to check on us, reassured by our swimming, he returned to his conversation with the others.
"Cover for me. I'll be out in a second. And don't scream; I won't drown this time because I know my limits. If you do that, I'll bring you a gift from underwater," I told Laena. Without waiting for a reply, I dived into the deep. I was confident Laena wouldn't betray me. Though she's older than Laenor, she's the more childish of us. The promise of a gift would keep her quiet for a few minutes. After that, she'd scream, so I had to hurry.
As I ventured further from the water's surface, darkness enveloped the surroundings since sunlight could not penetrate this depth. Upon closing and reopening my eyes, my vision became crystal clear, surpassing that on land. I began to communicate with the smaller fish, inquiring telepathically about the whereabouts of whale sharks and dolphins. Understanding my intentions, they conveyed theirs and began swimming in specific patterns to guide me to their location.
After expressing my gratitude, I swam towards the direction where they last observed the species. Within seconds, I arrived at the location, but the species I sought was not within sight. Without hesitation, I began to ascend slightly to check if they were at the surface, knowing that the gentle giants of the sea and dolphins often frolic and swim near the surface when humans are not present.
As I spotted the silhouettes of the fish I was searching for from a distance, excitement bubbled up inside me. I dove in and swam towards a group of dolphins, who were already aware of my approach. I could feel a kind of connection forming between us, so I tried to reach out telepathically. Once I explained my mission, things started to feel a bit easier, but then they playfully nudged me, asking me to join in their games.
I chuckled and switched to High Valyrian, promising them that once I completed my task, we could have our daily playdates. Their suspicion flickered in their eyes—these guys were definitely sharp! It seemed like my presence was heightening their awareness, and just to sweeten the deal, I mentioned my sister would come to play too.
The dolphins finally gave in. Following a pod of dolphins, we headed towards the whale sharks. I didn't delve into complexities, simply following the pod and bring me the object that they would find there. They asked nothing of me, complying with my commands as the small fish had before. They are known as the gentle giants of the sea in my former world for good reason. Bidding them farewell, I urged them to return soon.
I swam as quickly as possible towards Laena, who was waiting for me. During my swim, I collected several seashells, trusting they might contain rare pearls, guided more by intuition than reason. Upon surfacing, I spotted Laena diving in search of me. I surprised her by appearing suddenly from behind. Together, we surfaced to find our father searching for us in every direction.
"You scared me to death. I thought some animal had caught me off guard. Don't do that again, or I'll tell mother about your ocean dives," said Laena, hitting me on the shoulders. Once she finished venting her frustration, she glanced at my hands, where I held seashells. She let out a joyful scream and, without a word of thanks, snatched them from my grasp. Eagerly, she headed towards the shore to see if any of them contained pearls.
I began to follow her as well. Now that my work here is complete, I just have to wait for tomorrow. The journey of the dolphins and the whale shark will take a full day before they can retrieve the object I've requested. I also need to introduce Laena to the dolphins. I believe she will adore them. It will also afford me more time to spend in the sea while Laena and the dolphins play amongst themselves.
*****
I am getting ready for sword practice with my uncle. In the series, he was portrayed as a man who can't keep his tongue in check. However, he doesn't give me any trouble because he respects my father. But there's no denying that he has a poisonous tongue. He should be called "Seacobra" because of his venomous tongue. After getting ready, I headed to the training yard where my cousins and I practice sword fighting.
As I walked through the corridors, I saw my mother approaching with a determined look in her eyes. She was wearing her riding leathers, which meant she had been out riding her dragon, Meleys, this morning. When she reached me, she kissed my cheek and then looked at the training garments I was wearing.
"You're off to training with Vaemond?" she asked with worry in her tone. I nodded in answer, as she already knows that this is my daily routine. She bent down and, looking me in the eye, said with a pleading look, "Can't you take a rest for a day, Laenor? I know you've recovered, but the maester said water had traveled into your lungs when you drowned in the sea. If you start doing physical activities without taking the rest you need, you'll only damage your body more. And it's not like one day would affect your training that much."
I want to deny my mother's request to take a rest day from training, but I don't want to upset her. I've subconsciously accepted her as my own mother, and I don't want to disappoint her without a good reason. Besides, I don't need the extra training to become the finest knight or swordsman in the realm. My supernatural alertness and battle awareness will let me master swordsmanship faster than anyone in history of this world.
Although it had its limitations, I can turn my powers on or off. I received the nerfed powers of Percy Jackson, which are better because I don't have Percy's super endurance. Otherwise, I would have been overwhelmed in large-scale battles with my super awareness. Anyway, I couldn't deny my mother's request. I would practice my water control in my room, as I had to focus on that to increase the amount of water I can control.
"I would not go to training today because you said so. But you had to promise me that you'll not stop me tomorrow. Or I'll not be able to become a knight of the realm if I don't practice my swordsmanship daily." I said to her with a smile at the end. She became happy after hearing me accepting her request not to train today.
She hugged me and told me that I should go play outside if I wished, as my lessons with the maester would start soon. She also said that she would not stop me from training tomorrow, but that I should not overdo it for a while. She promised to make my favorite dish for supper this night.
I am going to complain if I can't go to training yard. Why should I go to the maester? But her stern eyes told me she wouldn't budge. So with sadness in my eyes I started to go toward my room and wait for the torture of the old coot known as the maester. And with my dyslexia, learning the common tongue would be harder than before. I hope I can at least learn to read because if not I'll have to rely on others to read letters for me. And I don't want others to read letters that my wife or betrothed write to me in the future.
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