GOT:Sothoryos jon snow gamer

Chapter 20: Sothoryos 20



Sothoryos XV

The first thing Jon felt as he woke up was the scent of flowers and the warm feeling of sunlight hitting his face. His eyelids fluttered slightly before he opened his eyes. His eyes locked onto Caelyb's uneven ones, who was watching him closely.

"You woke up. That's good. Tell me, did you receive what Brandon left behind?"

"Memories I never lived through... Yes. I do," Jon replied softly as he carefully sat up.

Caelyb nodded twice as he muttered and stood up straight, looking at the tree over Brandon Stark's grave.

"Then I suppose you should receive his weapons," Caelyb commented, but soon spread his arms out to the sides with a big smile, "Though I think that can wait! Better learn magic first!"

"Magic?"

"Yes, magic!" said an amused Caelyb. "Brandon told me about his visions. Not everything, but I do know some things. I couldn't tell you unless you've seen everything he had prepared. Only then would it make more sense."

"Come on, come on. I'll tell you some things while you eat a little. I'm sure you're hungry."

"Yes... Yes... I think some food will do me good," Jon smiled softly. He felt a little different about everything he had seen. Brandon Stark's memories were not smooth and rosy things. Sure, there were times in his life that were truly bright and joyful, but there were many battles and bloodshed. Jon had seen the worst and best of humanity and the other races.

He felt like he had gained a lot of experience with the memories.

After going to get food, Caelyb returned as he set the plates down on the table. Jon felt his stomach growl as he smelled the delicious smell of the food. And although there was little meat, everything looked appetizing.

 "We don't eat much meat. We prefer what nature gives us," Caelyb commented, starting to eat a salad of what looked like various plants. Jon didn't care and began to eat.

"While you fill your stomach, I'll tell you about some magic."

Jon nodded immediately, moving his fork with a small piece of meat and herbs to his mouth.

"The first thing you have to understand about magic: it doesn't make you invincible. It gives you advantages when it comes to movement, attack, and defense. Or even healing. But it's not something that will always lead you to victory. Don't expect grand displays full of colors and explosions, because you'll be disappointed."

"Do you understand?" Jon nodded immediately at that question. He saw magic in action thanks to Brandon's memories. Not the small things Fyldren demonstrated when he let his staff float, or the ability to float off the platforms in the city and the palace. He saw men and women releasing fire from their hands and burning enemies. He saw the wind surrounding someone to make them float, among other things. But, he never saw a huge ball of fire blowing up a castle.

Caelyb continued slowly: "Magic is a connection. It is an inner and outer power. It is a way to connect you to the world, or even a higher existence."

"Jarod explained to me that you were good at magic because of a promise made when you were created."

"He said that? Well, yes. He is right. But he does not know everything," the old man smiled softly before beginning to open his robe a little, showing his chest, where there were two marks. One was a silver moon; the other, a golden sun.

"What young Jarod doesn't know is that for a race as long-lived as us to maintain our connection to the brother gods, a renewal of that promise made millennia ago is needed. These marks are evidence that I am the Priest of the Sun and Moon. My job is to keep our race in check. If anyone who desires more than they should appears, I must eliminate them," Caelyb covered himself as he continued, "I don't have a role like my grandchildren or the rest of the council, but I must advise them to do things right. Our duty as a race is to maintain nature. Let the natural cycle of things take its course. And for that, we cannot let anyone stray too far from that purpose."

"That's why they hate stinking men so much."

"Yes. They only bring death and decay to the world."

"Can't the gods do anything?" Jon asked curiously.

 "If that were the case, what would be the point of us, the mortal races? Elves may be long-lived, but they are mortal nonetheless. Dragons are the same, but they can still be mortal. In the world, there are no truly immortal races."

"And the children of the forest?"

"They die anyway, Jon. Those who lived in Westeros are evidence."

"Do all races have a god they believe in?"

"Indeed," Caelyb stood up at that moment, running lightly to a piece of furniture, from where he took out a book. When he returned and sat down, he opened the book and left it on a specific part, where it showed a dragon. However, the dragon was different from what Jon imagined.

"Since you are part of a family that had dragons, I will tell you a little about them. Here, look."

"How do you know that...? It doesn't matter, Brandon, right?"

"Yes. He told me several things. I mentioned it to you before."

 Jon looked at the drawn dragon: four powerful clawed legs and wings on its back. A long neck with horns on top of its head and a serpentine tail. It had a dark red underside like obsidian.

"I thought dragons didn't have front legs."

"Those are simple dragons. The one you see is called a True Dragon. An extremely powerful creature. They usually stay hidden in the great mountains of Ulthos. They live much longer than a normal dragon. They can even speak a language of their own."

"I heard from Jarod that sometimes, they have problems with dragons..."

"Not with them. In fact, you can say that we have a... normal relationship. The problematic ones are the other dragons, who are much wilder," Caelyb pointed at the dragon and tapped twice with his finger: "This True Dragon you see has a name: Sky King."

"Is that his name?"

 "Well, its translation. It would be weird to say its name as it is actually said..." Caelyb smiled before speaking strangely. It was an almost hoarse sound, but low voice that stretched for a few seconds. Jon looked at him confused.

"Weird, isn't it? That's the language of true dragons. And several normal dragons can learn it, but they don't always do so. The wilder ones simply wish to hunt and destroy everything in their path."

"That's great and all, but I think...".

"True! We started with magic and ended with dragons, sorry. But it has meaning."

"How?"

 Caelyb leaned forward a little further and said, "Magic has a connection to the destruction of Valyria. That and the gods. When that disaster happened... I can feel it even from here. And as Priest of the Sun and Moon, I prayed to ask. I prayed to know what had happened. Then, I could see it: the horrible buildup of blood magic and the destruction of nature. The blasphemy towards the gods and the wrath of the gods."

Jon looked into the old man's eyes in shock.

"So, the stories are true..."

 "Stories always have some truth to them, no matter how small," Caelyb sighed a little as he continued with what he was saying, "The inhabitants of Valyria were blasphemous. People... races... can have individuals who choose not to believe in the gods, and it's not that it's really a bad thing. However, they, the different families of Valyria, believed themselves equal or superior to the gods. They did not care for the gods' gifts. In fact, many rejected those gods in favor of worshiping others, to the point that foreign gods entered those lands."

"They stained their lands with blood and abominations, while killing each other. In the end, the dragon gods decided to take away their gifts, and more."

Jon was silent for a few moments, thinking that getting something from a god can be good or bad. In fact, he himself seemed to have something of a god. The system was something he still couldn't fully understand. Besides, what god calls himself an adventurer? He didn't know. And he didn't know why his ancestor, Brandon Stark, was blessed.

"What do I have to do to learn magic? As you say, should I have a connection to a god?"

"It's advisable, but not always necessary. Everyone has an inner power that they can use. First, you have to learn how to use that."

"I want to. I've... learned things. From what Brandon Stark left behind. I need, I think, to become stronger."

"Hehehe... I was hoping you'd ask," Caelyb rubbed his hands together before slamming his palm right into the center of Jon's chest, near his heart. At that moment, Jon felt his entire body become heavy, almost like an anchor. It was to the point that even keeping his eyes open was a difficult job.

"W- W- What... is... this?"

"As I said, we all have an inner power. You can call it inner magic, personal energy, or mana, as we call it. This circulates within your body like your own vitality... and I just reversed that circulation."

 "What should go up, now goes down. What should go one way, now goes another. Your first task, is to control that and return the circulation to normal. Start feeling it first. Then, take control little by little."

Jon couldn't even move. He couldn't respond either. His eyes remained closed as he tried to sit up properly, but it was useless.

"Don't take too long. Your heart might explode."

That scared Jon.

"Come on, I'll be waiting... Hehehe~."

At that moment, Jon thought that Caelyb was an old bastard.

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