Of Wolves and Iron Giants (ASOIAF/Escaflowne)

[spktr alpha]

Of Wolves and Iron Giants​

Chapter 1 - The Wolf of Sunset​

Fly east.

Fly far east past the horizon where you can see only one moon, not two.

Fly east until you see a lonely lighthouse and past that den of The Drowned God.

...And there you will find Westeros.

It was not a journey done lightly.

Even for a land as advanced as Gaea, the course had to be charted, and the supplies be prepared beforehand.

It was said that among Queen Hitomi's people, the first men to fly across an ocean of such breadth did so in machines far more frail than The Crusade.

Spoiler: The Crusade

But Lindbergh and the Spirit of St. Louis only needed to worry about storms, fuel, and mechanical issues.

Not dragons, not sea-harpies, not the savage cousins of the fishfolk.

"Wildlings of the Sea." Jon spoke.

"Your wildlings could be negotiated with." Balgus replied, "I can't say those things can hold a conversation. Or want to. And you say the Ironborn are born from men's union with them?"

"I know men who don't mind women who could tear them limb from limb."

Balgus scowled, "Well they wanted to 'eat me' not EAT me."

Atop the deck of the ship two young men talked, having a bit of levity after a harrowing fight. Jon knew his homeland had stories of ships who had sailed into the Sunset Sea to never return. Seeing the horrors that lurked in the depths made him understand why.

For all their advances, for all their training and experience, the Crusade still bore scars. Bite marks from serrated teeth that could make meals of bears. Claws from slithering beasts that would outrun any bird or horse. Holes from barbs and spines that had punched through steel like paper.

As they talked, they heard a bell ring: land. Land sighted at last.

In the distance, peeking out from the waves, was a lone tower jutting out from a rock in the ocean.

The Lonely Light.

"Westeros." Jon exhaled. "I'm home."

"Your home is in Fanelia," Balgus said, hand on his shoulder. "Regardless of what they say."

"I know Balgus." Jon whispered, "I know.

"You aren't home yet Jon," a third voice spoke.

Climbing up the stairs was a man they considered their uncle, a legend in his own right. His hair still remained long but well-kept, more silver than gold in the past few years, but Ser Allen Schezar remained a formidable knight in mind and body; well enough that King Van squired his son and adoptive son to him. The Crusade was his ship; its crew, the Knights of Castelo, were with him for decades.

"If what you tell me of these Ironborn is true," Allen huffed, "They are as much an enemy as the deep ones they claim to hail from. As Captain, I suggest we fly past the Iron Islands."

"You won't get any words from me." Balgus replied, "Was it Bar island-"

"Bear Island." Jon corrected, "House Mormont should still rule it."

"Then Bear Island it is." Allen declared, "I hope their reception is warmer than Asshai."

"Any reception is warmer than Asshai." Balgus grunted, "The sea here is a birthplace of monsters. THAT damned city is full of monsters by choice."

To travel west of Gaia or as it is known to the world as 'Ulthos', was to tread into the lands of Carcosa, K'Dath, the Shrykes, the Winged Men, and the Bloodless Men, all of them horrors in their own right. That left the Gaean Expedition to fly east and toward Jon's home, and find the elusive route that connected Ulthos and Far Essos to Westeros.

"One of many." Jon sighed, "I hope that when we reach Mormont lands, we'll be free of more nightmares from Old Nan's stories."

The Crusade continued its flight; it had been a week of storms, mechanical issues, and the occasional attack by sea beasts. A few more hours close to land wouldn't hurt. It was time spent preparing the landing party and their equipment. Time that was spent taking a long, deep breath after a few weary days at sea.

Finally, the bell rang again. But it didn't stop. It rang more loudly and frantically, and Jon was roused from his work and rushed onto the bridge.

Allen and Balgus were there, alongside the rest of the crew. It was not without reason.

Down there was indeed the familiar white snow and pines of Bear Island.

But also longships on the beach.

Ironborn Longships whose crew were already running toward a village in the distance.

...They had just arrived in the middle of another raid.

"Pirates." Balgus spat, "Reavers. I'm getting to the Escaflowne-"

"My Prince."

Balgus' eyes snapped to Allen, who stared back with a steel gaze of his own.

"I don't care about the diplomatic-"

"I'm not stopping you," Allen said. "Only that you know what you're getting yourself into."

"I always am." Balgus boasted, running into the cargo hold.

"He doesn't," Jon mumbled.

"He never does." Allen sighed. "Keep him from doing anything stupid Jon."

"You mean more."

The older knight shrugged. "Yes, More. I don't believe Kai will be enough this time."

Ulthos was known as the continent of Gaea. Isolated by the things that lurked in Sothyros and Far East Essos to its left; isolated by a vast, monster- and storm-ridden sea to its right. In turn, preventing the spread of these nightmares by the will and arms of its people. Proud knights, master craftsmen, fleets of flying ships .... and their most powerful invention: The Guymelef.

They were expensive to build and maintain, but these war machines allowed mortal men to challenge dragons and giants on even footing.

The doors of the Crusade's cargo hold opened as the crew scrambled to prepare them. Four metal giants of different makes and models sat ready and waiting for battle. Their chest cavities were open, where inside were harnesses that allowed men to move the constructs like massive puppets.

One of them was his.

---

When it wasn't Wildlings, it was Ironborn. When it wasn't Ironborn, it was wildlings.

Bear Island was a hard land and bore hardy people. So when the Ironborn arrived on their shores again, every man and woman grabbed their weapons to defend their frozen rock one more time.

Among them Dacey Mormont, riding as hard and fast as a Northern horse could be pushed.

She heard shouting and screaming on the other side of the hill. She and her band instantly knew that the fighting had already started.

But when the Mormont company reached the crest of the hill, they didn't see a battle; they saw a slaughter.

Three giants, larger than any she had seen living Beyond-The-Wall, had waded into the Ironborn with swords in hand and clad in armor from head to toe.

One was silver, moving with a grace impossible for its size, as a blue cloak fluttered in its wake.

Another was of a shade of white paler than even snow, standing between the village and the reavers.

The third was a black wolf that would have haunted men's dreams; besides its snarling visage, it carried a sword that was as long as it was tall; It was much too big to be called a sword. Massive, thick, heavy, and far too rough. Indeed, it was like a slab of raw iron.

Spoiler: The Silver Giant

Spoiler: The White Giant

Spoiler: The Black Giant

They made quick work of it, cutting mere men to ribbons or crushing or swatting them aside. The bloodlust that fueled the Ironborn faltered against insurmountable strength. Shock led to desperation. Desperation led to fear. And then, before Dacey's eyes, the Ironborn turned to their ships to flee.

And then the Longboats shattered.

One after the other, a bolt from the heavens crashed into each vessel, splitting each boat into two.

Dacey's eyes snapped up and froze.

A fourth giant, a one-horned one at that, was shocking enough, but the Mormont could see it holding a massive bow, and the large archer itself standing on the deck of a veritable flying ship.

Spoiler: The One-Horned Giant

Now stranded, the Ironborn turned back at the three giants looming over them. Giants drenched in the blood of their former brethren. A reaver threw down their axe. A second threw down his spear. A third threw down his sword. One by one the Ironborn laid down their arms, knowing the full futility of fighting.

The Mormont's lips thinned, and with a crack of her reins willed her horse down the hill.

"Milady-"
"Dacey-"

She ignored the protests of her men and rode forward. Her houseguard reluctantly followed behind her as the Silver giant turned to face her.

"I am Dacey Mormont!" She spoke, "Heir and protector of Bear Island! Who are you strangers? And what business do you have on my island!?"

To her surprise, the Black Wolf knelt, planting the massive slab of metal generously called a 'sword' to the side.

Steam hissed from the chest plate, and to the surprise of the Northerners, they saw a man suspended in the middle of it.

He was tall and lean, and underneath a snarling helmet was a fierce gaze that reminded her too much of other wolves for Dacey to feel comfortable.

The warrior dismounted, or rather detached from his giant suit of armor. His 'actual' attire proved just as intimidating as it was foreign.

He pulled off his helmet, breathing in the Northern air for the first time in what seemed like a long time to him.

"My name is Jon Snow, Natural-born Son of Lord Eddard Stark."

He continued, the missing bastard of Winterfell, speaking as if he hadn't just returned on a flying ship wearing suits of giant armor.

"This is Ser Allen Schezar of Asturia and His Grace, Prince Balgus Fanel of Fanelia."

The names were as foreign as their lands, but the Bear Islanders were in no position to question them

"...You wouldn't know of them because they come from Gaea, in our tongue: Ulthos."

At this revelation, Dacey Mormont could only formulate one response:

"...what."

---

Salt and Bread was broken, and Guest Rites were observed. It remained mostly the same in Gaea but Jon could see the subtle shift as Balgus felt the skeins of fate adjust themselves.

They stood at the heart of Mormont's keep. Surrounded by men who had seen hardship and muttered of old tactics and giants. Their Guymelefs remained outside, with one left to guard the Crusade.

On a table that had seen as much blood as brews, Jon laid out a detailed map, from the Ulthos perspective. It stood in contrast to the one that the Mormonts provided. Theirs had Westeros in great detail and grew less as it went further out into the east of Essos and North of Sothyros, with Gaea more or less a featureless blob. The map done by Asturian cartographers was a mirror opposite. Bear Island would not know of the nightmares lurking in the Sothyrosi' jungles. Maybe it was for the better.

At its center was Gaea. A hundred kingdoms made of a hundred different peoples, dating back to the Long Night and the great exodus as man, beast, and beast-man fled the Great Other and its thralls.

"Magic is strong in Gaea." He explained bluntly, "The Long Night was a mass extinction that drove what you would see as myths and legends to flee to Ulthos. They took what they could, including their power."

His fingers followed the routes that the various races fled. Giants, Centaurs, Harpies, Dragons- all of them part of a sea of people that escaped the eternal winter and the monsters it brought with it.

His hand stopped at the mountain passes that had been sealed at great cost. Then, where land bridges had been sunken, not unlike The Arm of Dorne.

Even today they were guarded. The Shrykes and Brindled Men still raided; the Bloodless Men needed victims to sate their hunger; the King in Yellow desired to expand Carcosa's borders. It wasn't by choice that they were isolated from Westeros and greater Essos.

Jon clenched his necklace, one last gift from his birth mother. His adoptive mother possessed something similar.

"Magic helped whisk me away." Jon continued, "And magic allowed me to find my way home."

"So you say." Maege Mormont huffed, "I am a bear, not a Maester, but I know magic has a price."

"It does." Allen frowned. "And the kind of magic you are familiar with is illegal in Gaea. For good reason."

The Knight that Jon and Balgus squired under knew bitterly.

"Illegal? More like unnatural. We only have your word that you are what you say you are."

The Bear Islanders muttered amongst themselves again. They eyed the Ulthosi with suspicion. Among the crowd and darker corners of the hall, more clouded eyes stared back.

Wargs.

A Guymelef was powerful, but they were still mortal creations, still mere machines that Hitomi admitted, paled to her people's own weapons. Balgus' namesake proved even a single man could face one in open combat.

He had not seen Wargs in person, but he had heard of how dangerous they could be.

"What my squire says is the truth." Allen spoke, "But if it does not satisfy you, then we can simply leave and take our business elsewhere."

"Stay your hand Ser." The matriarch spoke up, "We bears are skeptical, but we aren't fools. Jon Snow has been missing for several years. There was one cunt who tried to collect the reward. Tried."

"We aren't interested in any reward." Balgus shrugged. "We have enough."

"Obviously." Maege huffed before turning to Jon, "If you are what you say you are Snow then you'd know I and plenty of Northern Lords were there for the spring celebration. The day you disappeared."

It was the end of another winter, and the people of The North had gathered in Winterfell. Jon remembered it well: the fight that happened, the day that he left Winterfell for the first time, the day that he tried to forget.

Jon exhaled, "I told him if I had no mother ... then I had no father."

The reaction was subtle, but he could see Lady Mormont's face tighten. The Great She-Bear leaned back in her seat and now studied them with a calculating eye rather than a wary one.

"...So it is you." She whispered.

Maege stood up from her seat and looked across her people. "Jon Snow has returned. And we have the thanks of the Ulthosi. Bring out the ale! It's time we give them a Bear's welcome!"

The mood suddenly shifted as the Bear Islanders began to shout and beat their chests. The ale barrels were indeed being rolled out, and an impromptu band began to play their flutes and beat their drums.

The matriarch of the Mormonts whispered into the ear of an aide who promptly scurried away and then approached the wayward bastard and his Gaean companions.

"Ned has been looking for you the whole time Jon." Lady Mormont spoke more softly than before. "He'll be glad you are still alive."

"It has been a long few years Lady Mormont." Jon admitted, "I just wish to settle things with my father."

The matriarch nodded. "Aye. Hope you will. Land on the other side of the Sunset Sea will change things no matter what."

"Both Fanelia and Asturia are open to trade." Allen reported, "And an embassy."

"And poor Manderly is on the other side of the continent!" The She-Bear snorted, glancing at the map lying before them, "...Either you lot married?"

"I am betrothed." Jon replied immediately, "And Vera would have me drawn and quartered if I didn't do it myself."

"Good man." Maege nodded. "Just like your father. Though it won't matter here. We Mormonts have our children with 'bears' after all."

The Mormonts were the children of 'Bears'. Whether they were unnamed glorified seed donors or secret paramours, Jon being a bastard mattered much less to the Bear Islanders.

Still, he tried to avoid the looks of some of the younger women in the hall.

So far. So good.

---

Scherezhade and Escaflowne were solidly built, with a compromise between speed and protection.

Black Wolf or Kuro-No-Ookami in the Fanelian tongue, was fast, yes, but fast for a machine clad in the thickest armor of the four and carrying a sword meant to decapitate dragons through sheer mass rather than sharpness.

Belial was the thinnest and most nimble by necessity. Of a Melef Lance, he was their scout and skirmisher.

And so it rankled him that he was told to stay with the ship.

The Crusade was an old ship, but it had been refitted with some of the first upgrades from The Mystic Moon. It and its crew were grizzled explorers and fighters.

As the door to Mormont Keep opened, Kai tensed and relaxed in the span of a second. His Lord was still alive, as were his Lord's other two minders.

The radio crackled in his ear.

"It seems the talks worked out." The First Mate spoke.

"You've known Ser Schezar longer Gaddes," Kai replied.

"True," Gaddes admitted. "But you've known the boys longer. Allen wants us to land. The rest of the crew is relieved to get solid ground under their feet again."

"You mean wine and women." The scout grunted.

"That too."

He shook his head and then turned to look back toward the surface.

With his foot on the pedal, Belial dropped from the Crusade. The few Bear Islanders gawked as the Guymelef descended. The tall metal archer landed on the permafrost with a soft thud, and turned to look up at the flying vessel.

A massive anchor fell after him, and the giant caught it mid-descent, pulling it and guiding the Crusade down toward the surface.

Atop the Crusade, a mast was raised, folding out a dozen long thin metal blades. Compared to land, radio transmission over water was easier. Easier, not easy. The distance remained vast regardless.

As he hammered the spikes into the ground, he saw a flock of ravens begin to fly off and out from the keep. His lips thinned. The die was cast.

---

A/N: A rewrite of The Warmachines of Westeros. The world of Escaflowne exists, isolated from Westeros by a vast sea on one side and eldritch horrors on the other.

I had been stockpiling chapters in my snippet thread on QQ and I think it was time I began posting them here.

Just a word of warning: I'm using expies to flesh out the bits of both crosses. i.e., the Guymelefs that two of four pilots are using are based off of mecha of other franchises.
Link to SB Thread: https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/of-wolves-and-iron-giants-asoiaf-escaflowne.1334126/

Original story:
https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/the-warmachines-of-westeros-asoiaf-escaflowne.1252804/

 

[Turncoat]

Nice, this got a rewrite.

 

[spktr alpha]

Chapter 2 - The Fanelian Front​

Ice Spiders, oh how Van hated ice spiders.

If it wasn't their size, their number, or their enchanted ice webs ....it was their cruelty, only matched by their cunning.

Spoiler: Ice Spider

Not only did they stalk their prey, but they also played with it. And that included livestock, pets, even children. The larger ones could bring down horses and elephants, and swarms could challenge dragons.

A Queen was more than a match for one. Something Van had the misfortune of facing.

He was used to fighting invisible enemies and being outnumbered. But not cunning ones.

His Guymelef was new and not 'new'. It was freshly built in an age of standardized parts and designs and technology derived from what Hitomi had provided from The Mystic Moon.

Even then ... it didn't feel enough.

When he relinquished Escaflowne he had done so under the assumption he wouldn't have to fight anymore. The burden of kingship said otherwise.

There was always someone or something out there with a dark heart and wished them ill.

If it wasn't the spiders it was the Brindled Men, the Far-men, the Branfolk, or the Asshai, Zaibach's holdouts, or worse.

At least the spiders were more honest, it saw his people as food, and his people took offense to that.

The hiss of flamethrowers filled one ear, the cracks of guns filled the other.

It was only now, after Zaibach was defeated and industry spread across Gaea, that they had chosen to take the fight to their external enemies rather than each other.

The Spiders were just one of them. Mountains of old, gnarled growth and putrid swamp now burned under a pyre. To call it an extermination would be a lie. It was war, a war that the arachnids were bleeding good soldiers.

With a screech a Spider burst out from the earth, stabbed by a Melef's spear as soldiers on foot blasted the creature with lead shot and barbed and burning crossbow bolts.

Spoiler: Fanelian Melef (Horn Army)

His attention was what was above them.

A trio of spiders fell atop them as Van whipped his sword out, catching them as they fell and swept them away.

Takemikazuchi was not Escaflowne. As ancient as Escaflowne was, it felt like a second skin. His new Guymelef had as much speed as it did weight.

It felt heavier now as he was king.

Spoiler: Takemikazuchi

The three arachnids crashed into the trees, already reorienting themselves as a pair of Melefs rushed forward with bows, skewering two with a pair of ballista bolts.

The third snarled, glaring at Van with hate before skittering forward with a speed that would have run down any horse.

It darted past his men, leaping straight for his cockpit.

With one clean stroke his sword impaled the spider, the monster still thrashing in it's death throes. He grabbed the vermin, crushing it in his grasp and tossed the creature aside.

He glanced at his Guymelef's hand, seeing the hiss of it's corrosive blood try to eat through the golden coating on his machine. Van frowned, exactly how his ancestors defeated them he would never know.

"My King!" A soldier shouted, "A Spider Queen further ahead!"

In the distance a Spider as tall as any Guymelef turned to face them. In it's mouth the remains of a Melef, now nothing but a mangled mess of metal and blood. It tossed aside it's meal and gave a snarling shriek in challenge. Around it more Spiders emerged from every crack. The canopy ruffled as spiders among the trees began to shuffle towards them.

"They've taken the bait!" Van roared, "ARROWS!"

Seconds later hundreds of arrows fell onto the arachnids, dozens fell over as they were reduced to pincushions, dozens more shrieked from flaming shot or poison tips meant to neutralize their acidic blood.

In the air Levi-ships boomed and barrels of molten lead and iron scythed through what remained standing. As the woods burned and boiled around them a horn bellowed and the pitter patter of eight-legged horrors was drowned by the stampede of hooves.

Horseman and Centaur rushed through the gaps of the forest, now cleared of webbed traps and hidden burrows. A line of fire and smoke sent the spiders into disarray as men and beastmen holstered their flintlocks and firelances for swords and spears. The momentum of the spiders was gone. Their's remained.

It wasn't without casualties. Men were dragged from their horses. A centaur knight screamed as web bolt shot out, sending him crashing into a den of spiderlings. Above a Levi-ship listed as the arachnids had leapt onto it, tearing apart a desperate crew; harpies from the reserve began to assist, but the spiders were willing to sacrifice themselves if it meant they could tear the engines and levi-stones off the craft.

Van grimaced but pushed on. More Melefs and Guymelefs were now being committed, their shields becoming mobile walls, their polearms sweeping packs with every swing and skewering ranks of the swarm.

Another spider flew toward him, large enough to make a meal of an elephant. He swung, seeing the arachnid wrap itself around the blade, the corrosive venom ate into the metal but it wouldn't save the abomination. He tossed the sword aside, crushing the monster under his foot as a Melefs ran to his side, handing him another blade. He gripped the sword and pointed it at the snarling Queen.

Around him, Fanelian soldiers rallied, drawing swords and loading muskets.

"SAMURAI OF FANELIA! WITH ME!"

In an explosion of energy the knights of House Fanel surged forward, crashing, and breaking the tide of skittering horrors.

Wrapped in soaked bandage, wearing warmasks of snarling beasts more vicious than any tiger, they charged.

Spears captured thrashing limbs, axes and war maces shattered carapaces, arrows and bolts found eyes and joints.

The nightmares of the old night clamored over each other, only to fall against a wall of living steel. The larger ones rushed toward him, only to meet their match among Van's Melef escort.

Takemikazuchi stepped forward, with the saunter of a prowling tiger. The Spider Queen gave a blood curdling shriek in challenge and machine and monster turned into a blur of motion.

The legs of the beast were as dense as tree trunks, every swing was like a battering ram, every jab had the lethality of a guillotine.

Van weaved through it all, he had fought worse. He parried one swing, twisting his body to dodge a strike that would have impaled a dragon.

The blade flowed around the spider's frame ... and sank where the offending limb met the body. He drew his sword back in a draw cut, physics doing the rest.

The monstrous matriarch shrieked as it was reduced to several legs. The eighth fell to the ground like a lifeless log.

As it's blood leaked like a sieve Takemikazuchi pressed. First came an eye, second a mandible, third another leg. The Queen reeled back, pain overwhelming it's hate of him. With a another pained cry it's children leapt to it's defense. Spiders smaller and large, ancient and young, formed a quivering barrier with their bodies. All sense of self-preservation gone as they threw themselves at whatever dared threaten the matriarch.

It would have been almost noble ... if their mother didn't crush their bodies as she fled.

In their recklessness the lines buckled. The colony's cohesion broke and so did their so-called 'formation'. More spiders were cut down than in the battle as the Fanelian flanks swung around and struck from the back. What wasn't trampled by cavalry was turned to target practice by his marksman. Eight spears for eight limbs and a dozen men to a spider to overwhelm the scattered swarm.

Emboldened the samurai began to chase down the queen, but Van stood in their way.

"Hold!" He shouted, "Everyone hold!"

As one the warriors, high on adrenaline and victory froze, collectively staring at their liege in confusion.

"But my King-" a man began to plead.

Whatever else he planned to say was muted by a roar. Not from a spider, but from a dragon.

The smell of roasted arachnid guts filled their nostrils as well as the pained shriek of burning vermin.

All the fight had left his men. There was no border, but he could see the scorch marks and the claws that marked a dragon's territory. Gnarled, cold, swamp wood gave way to ash and the new growth seen after a wild fire.

Suddenly from the woods the spider queen erupted out of the trees. It thrashed and screamed ... but it's hind legs were bent and twisted in the grasp of a dragon's talons.

"Sheep Stealer..." A soldier whispered.

The drake roared, rising up with a powerful flap of his wings, and then throwing the wretched arachnid hard into the ground with enough force they could hear the thing's carapace shatter like an egg.

The Fanelians averted their eyes as Sheep Stealer roared, enveloping the queen in a blinding white hot inferno.

It was over.

---

The war progressed but it still costed men, many good men.

It was only now they had the weapons, the numbers, and unity to finally face the the enemy from outside.

"I've seen more Yukigomo in one month than I have for years." Van sighed, "What do your scouts say Ruhm?"

The wolf-man looked up from a map, glaring at a dozen different markers. Unfortunately half of them were colored white.

"Another month." the chieftain spoke, "Three Nests already purged. That still leaves five. I can have sappers to collapse two of them but..."

"No." the King shook his head, "You are my people also Ruhm. I won't sacrifice one group for another."

"Not if they're volunteers Van?" Ruhm questioned, "We knew what we signed up for. Plenty of my pack lost pups to those things also. Plenty of the Moles did also."

"The answer is still no." Van answered staunchly, "I won't send men to die on a mission I wouldn't go on."

Outside the tent the men were recovering. Smiths hammered armor back into shape and tended to their machines. Soldiers sharpened their weapons and arrowheads and prepared more shot for their muskets. The arachnids numbered far beyond their estimates. As if they were compelled to multiply in numbers beyond sustainability and turn their migration patterns to full on invasions.

"Then there is the other option."

He frowned, pesticides. Poisoned blades were one thing, spraying the landscape with poison was another.

His wife had told him of the wars fought in her land and the horrific weapons used. In the absence of magic, man could still invent weapons just as cruel.

"We burn them out." He decided, "Fire to clear the brush. Remove their cover, force them out of their burrows. Corral them to your hunting packs. Have the molefolk to dig the firebreaks."

Ruhm bowed and exited the tent, and left Van to his thoughts.

He sighed and slouched back on his seat.

He reached into his pocket, pulling out a machine-drawn picture, a 'Polaroid' as his Wife called it.

Him and Hitomi in the middle, Merle on her back to her chagrin. Allen trying to look prim and proper in a moment of chaos. And right in front: three children. Balgus trying to look serious and grown up, Vera hugging a flustered and panicking Jon.

It was an old picture, worn and wrinkled from being folded and unfolded and being carried campaign to campaign, but it was the most important piece of his kit.

He missed his father, he missed his brother, he missed his sons.

Van rubbed his eyes to stare at the map again. The Alliance was making progress. Even if the spiders had seemingly tripled in number in recent years.

Before the fall of Old Fanelia it had three armies, or rather three companies to protect themselves. Despite the reconstruction and relative peace their forces still remained the smallest.

The rebuilt armies of The Horn, Claw, and Tusk now numbered two battalions each. The Fang numbered one. The Talon numbered half. The wealth and knowledge brought by Hitomi's gift allowed him to field the best equipment possible and afford a lengthy training process. But numbers were immutable.

Every loss took time to replace. Despite the automation. Despite the many souls he had welcomed to rebuild his razed homeland.

"My Lord-Shogun." A messenger spoke outside, "A transmission from Fanelia. The Queen has arrived."

He glanced outside and the pillar of light that heralded Hitomi's arrival.

Van slipped the photo back in his pocket, "...Coming."

---

Besides the flash of light Hitomi arrived without any other sort of fanfare. She still wore her business suit from her trip back home and was flanked by men and women in white sterile smocks and boxes of medical supplies.

The soldiers bowed their head at her arrival, those in Guymelefs and Melefs knelt. Van walked past them to see a face as beautiful as the day they met.

"Welcome back Hitomi." He spoke, smiling, tired, but still smiling.

"Glad to BE back Van." She smiled for the both of them, "I brought doctors for your men."

"No glorified pests could hurt us." A soldier boasted.

A spirited cry reverberated through the ranks. Despite the fighting their morale remained steadfast.

Hitomi scowled and crossed her arms.

...The soldier coughed and looked down, the first of many Samurai to line up in front of the doctors

"And I thought I was done with Meatheads in my life." She shook her head.

"You married one." Van smirked.

They embraced. And for a moment the exhaustion of war left Van's body.

"I got word back from Mr. Gaddes." Hitomi whispered into his ear, "They arrived."

Van exhaled and broke from his wife's arms, "I'm still unsure about this. We're his family for all that matters."

"We are." She consoled, "But he needs closure."

Hitomi held out one of her cards: VII - The Chariot. Progress. Willpower. Triumph.

"Is there any way?" He asked exasperated.

She shook her head, "You know I don't divine things unless I have to."

He would know. If not for his wife then they would have been ambushed several times on the march.

For a few hours they had a brief respite from war. Basram and Asturia would continue their work. For the brief moment Fanelia's part in the war was done.

---

Van stirred in his sleep. His hands grasped for the warm embrace of his wife, only to find his bed empty.

Outside his tent the night still proved young. The moon hung full and lit the war camp while the earth hid in it's shadow.

He willed himself up, seeing his wife huddled over a table, her eyes concentrated on an array of cards.

Even after so many years he had yet to comprehend her ability.

The deck shuffled again and again, Hitomi locked in a trance as she laid out an array of the Major Arcana, only to shuffle and lay out the same cards again and again.

"Hitomi?" He asked, "Hitomi what's wrong?"

"I've been trying." She spoke, words laced in frustration, "But I can't figure out why."

He climbed out of bed, seeing her rearrange the board for the umpteenth time.

"Everytime I draw the Tarot ... one card keeps showing up."

"...What card?"

She laid out her hand, the last one ending in the card with 13th Arcana.

"13." Hitomi whispered, "Why is it always 13?"

She did it again.

13. It was always the last card.

Van watched and watched, repeating the same actions, the same ritual and it WAS a ritual. Until he could watch no more.

He grabbed his wife's hands. Hitomi froze, looking back up at her husband.

"Somethings just happen." Van spoke, "...Somethings you shouldn't change."

The king and queen of Fanelia looked upon the last card laid at the table. A grim skeleton cloaked in black stared back.

XIII - Death.

---

A/N: Expanded from the original snippet. I plan to come back to Gaea in a later chapter.

 

[spktr alpha]

Chapter 3 - The Mother-Hen and The Mother-Bear​

Jon had a mother. Queen Hitomi didn't bear him like Balgus and Vera but she treated him like her own child despite being neither Gaean nor highborn.

She was worried about her sons. Even if as a Seer she knew they would succeed.

As the screen flickered to life he could see the look of relief on her face. The Bear Islanders tensed, for them the wireless transmission was no different than magic. The Knights of Castelo were tense for another reason. Their intervention against the Ironborn was their foot in the door, what would come next would be the first real test.

"Jon, Balgus, Allen," Hitomi smiled, "I'm glad you and the boys reached Westeros."

Balgus shrugged, "It was a bumpy trip but nothing we couldn't handle."

He didn't mention the kraken who tossed a plurality of rocks at them from the seabed.

Or the 'detours' among the Far-Men and Branfolk islands.

The queen nodded, "Kai?"

"Already written." Kai reported.

Balgus snapped a look of betrayal at their scout. Ser Allen only pinched the ridge of his nose.

Hitomi turned to the elderly women seated across from her, "And you are Lady Maege Mormont. My name is Hitomi Fanel nee Kanzaki. Queen of Fanelia."

"A pleasure to meet you Your Grace," Maege spoke slowly, "It's hard to believe to believe that I am speaking to someone across the Sunset Sea but..."

She gestured and that explained everything.

"It is hard to believe." Hitomi admitted, "My own homeland is even farther than yours."

"Farther?" Dacey spoke up, "There are lands more distant than Ulthos?"

"My daughter speaks out of turn Queen Hitomi but she shares my thoughts."

The matriarch held up the rolled up map, it was centered around Ulthos with it and Sothyros greatly detailed but grew lesser and less detailed reaching west Essos and only a vague dot marking The Lonely Light in the right corner.

"I know men who would kill for a route to your 'Gaea'."

"And many have died on the way." She replied, "There are many dangers between here and there."

"Aye. Aye I can see that." Maege stood up, "You wouldn't need metal giants if it was just pirate reaver scum. Mormont recognize the envoys from across the Sunset Sea ... and their return of Jon Snow."

"Fanel."

"What?"

"Fanel." She corrected, "Jon is betrothed to my daughter Vera and will take up her surname. And she is CURIOUS over why her fiancee decided to go on a dangerous ocean voyage."

The Mormonts turned to look at him, expecting answers that needed a LONG story. But right now he wanted to shrink under the attention.

"I thought you told her." Jon whispered harshly at Balgus.

"Me!? I thought you did!" Balgus snapped back.

Behind them Allen sighed.

"I have three trade ships and their escort ready for the trip." Hitomi explained, "I hope that Bear Island will provide safe harbor for their arrival on Westeros' shores."

"They would." Maege spoke, "But I am limited to what I can allow."

Great Houses were able to entreat with foreign lords, from trades to even marriages.

A Principle House was more limited.

"Bear Island has protected the west of The North from Wildlings and Ironborn. My gut tells me ye mean no harm. But my oaths are a different tale."

His mother nodded, "Then may I come to Bear Island?"

Balgus frowned, "Mother-"

"-We aren't prepared to host royalty Your Grace." Maege admitted, partly caught off guard by the request.

"I'm not so vain to care about those things." She shook her head, "I can be there immediately."

"Hitomi you don't mean to..." Allen's voice trailed.

"I do." The Queen of Fanelia declared, before turning back to Lady Mormont, "With your permission milady, I will use magic to transport myself and my retinue to Bear Island."

Maege glanced at Dacey and to the men surrounding them.

"And what kind of ... 'magic'." She said, spitting 'magic' out of hesitation, "Will it entail."

"A clearing, there will be a pillar of light and when it dies I will stand before you."

The Old She-Bear pursed her lips in thought and then slowly nodded, "Then do you swear by the Gods to mean no harm with your spell?"

His mother's smile proved tired and resigned, "Trust me. There have been much greater prices I have had to pay..."

---

The people of Bear Island had crowded around the Crusade but kept a respectful distance. If not for the armored giants then it was the eyes of their matriarch.

Jon clenched his necklace, feeling the magic seemed to simmer in anticipation. He closed his eyes, hearing the gasp of the Bear Islanders as his adoptive mother called upon a power only he could barely wield himself. The Queen could go anywhere at anytime. She had mastered her abilities at this point, but still he felt uneasy to see her so far from home.

In place of a blinding light appeared his mother and two men who proved as striking as the Guymelefs.

"A giant...."
"Tall as an Umber. No! Larger!"
"Can't be. Can't be The Mountain either."

Balgus was named after Balgus Ganesha, the General of Fanelia who served as Hand and Regent to Van and also the knight that Allen squired under. He was a great oak of a man, his parents, told him, able to fight a Guymelef on even terms.

His nephew was no different. Ser Alonne Ganesha spoke little. His blade spoke for him. If the menacing and exotic armor didn't. His hand rested on the pommel of his sword and his eyes swept the crowd for threats unseen.

Spoiler: Master-At-Arms, Ser Alonne Ganesha

"What manner of creature-"
"A hound on two legs..."

Next to Alonne was Ruhm's son Skia. The black and brown fur wolfman didn't wear armor, but he wore the clothing of the Mystic Moon, a shirt, vest, and trousers that showed wealth and sophistication in equal order that contrasted with his air and visage. Where Alonne swept his eyes left and right, Skia's nose and ears were pointed up, hearing and smelling the salt of the sea and the earth at their feet.

Spoiler: Spymaster Skia

The Master-at-Arms of Castle Fanel and Fanelia's Spymaster. Van would accept no less to protect his wife. Jon and Balgus would accept no less to protect their mother. The two menacing figures glanced at each other and nodded, stepping away to reveal Hitomi herself.

The Queen of Fanelia wore a Kimono, thick for the weather and made of synthetic fibers of her homeland, but nevertheless woven with intricate patterns that showed craftsmanship and wealth in artistry, rather than material.

Despite the foreign nature of the meeting the Bear Islanders followed their instinct. They knelt as one, deferring to royalty.

Jon could see his mother conceal an exhale. The Queen wasn't from a highborn family and she was never a prideful woman.

"Your Grace." Lady Mormont finally managed to speak, "Welcome to Bear Island. As you can see it is a harsh place."

Hitomi looked at the crystal waters, the crisp air, the ancient and sprawling woods, "Harsh but still beautiful in it's own way Lady Mormont. For being a friendly face across the Sunset Sea ... you have our gratitude."

"Aye. I hope so." Maege agreed, "A friend of a Stark is a friend of ours."

Hitomi smiled, "Then it's good I brought a welcome gift."

Behind her were boxes. Many of them from Fanelia and Asturia, but a few made of the 'cardboard' used in the packaging of Hitomi's people. The Queen held out a bottle made of glass clear and thick as ice itself. It showed it's contents clear as day, ironic as it was, that the Rice Wine inside was a cloudy white.

She presented it to Maege who held the bottle in her hands, cradling it like she would a newborn.

"Well ... THIS is convincing enough! Fetch the salt and bread!" The matriarch hollered, "Another excuse for the bears to dance is good enough for me!"

The crowd cheered and gladly helped themselves to the boxed goods. There was more wine where it came from, alongside boxes of quilted winter clothes, striking matches, and jarred and canned goods. Things that Bear Island had not seen before, but would gladly learn to appreciate.

His mother had come prepared.

---

Bear Island had never known peace, but Jon hoped that the chaos of today and tomorrow was the more appealing kind.

The rowdy crew of Crusade took to the roughness of the Bear Islanders in stride. After such a lengthy discussion the crew and the natives partied in the keep as food was brought from cellars, casks were opened, and villagers from across the island gathered for a celebration.

Jon watched it all from a distance.

Kio, their helmsman oak of a man, arm wrestled with a burly bear just as tall and bulky as him.

Pyle shared a tale of how he lost his nose to captivated fishers, juggling the prosthetic fake in his hand.

Reeden held up a fried skewer, arm wrapped around a fellow cook he had befriended over a meal they both prepared.

The hairless Ort participated in a shooting contest, his knives, joining a motley band of axe throwing lumberjacks, bowhunters, and spearfishers.

Teo and Katz flirted with women, the former had women flocking to him due to his swarthy and exotic complexion, the other by whatever charm his narrow eyes could somehow provide.

Spoiler: Knights Castelo

Left-to-Right: Gaddes, Pyle, Ort, Reeden, Kio, Katz, Teo

Jon also noticed that Balgus was among them ... and being dragged away. The Prince didn't seem to mind.

In the corner he could see Kai shake his head and follow after their foolish future king.

Allen was among the older warriors among the Bear Islanders, he was prim and proper but didn't look uncomfortable among the wild-eyed grey bearded fighters of the bunch. He was used to it at this point.

At the front of the central table Maege, Hitomi, and Allen conversed. He could make a good guess on what was being discussed.

His mother provided a mere taste of what Gaea could provide and by the sound of bears enjoying sake it was clear they had won some worthwhile customers.

He turned and left the warmth and light of the keep and stepped out into the permafrost. Most everyone was inside and in the dark the Northern-born young man didn't stand out in his furs. The few that did were the guards, the fisherman who were steadfast getting the tomorrow's catch tonight, and a handful of curious folk gathered around the Guymelefs.

"How do you reckon it works?"
"Magic obviously."
"I know that you daft fool! So how does the magic work!?"

"It's not magic." He replied, "Mostly."

The girls didn't jump but they snapped to alertness, only freezing as they realized who it was.

"Snow-er Fanel!" Tall Dacey spoke, in preemptive defense, "The girls just wanted to look."

Lyra, Jorelle, and Lyanna Mormont were kids, or cubs, as the Islanders seem to stick with bear sayings. They were the variety of girl that preferred wooden swords to stuffed dolls. They weren't the only children who looked at Guymelefs with awe and wonder rather than fear; he was like that once.

"Who wouldn't." Stout Alysane grunted, "If we had them sooner more Ironborn would meet their God soon enough."

"Operating one is more difficult than riding a horse." He went into an explanation, "A horse can think, a Guymelef doesn't. It can't take care of itself either."

He approached the Black Wolf, pulling out a key that had hung around his neck.

The Guymelef unraveled as he inserted and twisted the key, a dozen doors clicked loose and the armor slid away, revealing an intricate mass of gears, pulleys, and pumps.

"Not all Guymelefs are the same. Some use magic to power near everything. Some do not."

His eyes swept his machine, instinctively tightening screws and brushing away dirt between joints. He tapped on one cannister in particular, spotting for leaks where a giant Merfolk (Mer-giant? Sea Giant?) had stabbed a rusted anchor turned enlarged warpick into the Guymelef's leg.

"The knowledge from the queen's people allowed the Kingdom to not rely on it much."

He checked the wires, motors, and the batteries, despite the exposure to the storms and salt of the sea he was glad to know Black Wolf wasn't worn down.

"Then why not just use magic anyway?"

"Magic is ....a resource. Just like wood or food. It is spent and not easily recovered. The people of Gaea may have not lost much compared to Westeros and Essos during The Long Night and The Doom, but they still lost much."

The rituals that the Asshai, the Red Priests, and what the Freehold once performed was magic too foul to be considered an option. Ser Allen painfully knew it all too well, they were still hunting down Zaibach's experiments to this day.

"Well you have SOME magic is better than NO magic." Alysane snorted.

Jon glanced at the many birds that happened to be sitting around them, "Fanelia doesn't have Wargs."

The younger three girls flinched, the two older Mormonts straightened up.

"But you have them in Ulthos." Dacey spoke up.

"Heard of them." He explained, "I haven't met one personally."

With a twist of a leg control the giant knelt with a surprising amount of grace and silence. The Mormonts stepped back and then leaned back in as Jon began examining the open chest cavity and the control harness that lay within.

"Every Melef and Guymelef needs to be fitted to the wearer," Jon explained, "otherwise it would be the same as wearing mismatched armor. It can lead to accidents, injury, even death. I've seen many describe it as controlling the most dangerous puppets in the world."

"I can't make heads or tails of it anyway." Alysane sighed, "I don't think the Maesters could either. Even then I doubt Bear Island could afford to make even one or that ship of yours."

"In time you will." Jon spoke again, "I learned it to. Ulthos will know how welcome you made us. I can imagine a port here and the trade that comes with it."

"Bear Island." Dacey mused, "Wealthy. Not words I would put in one sentence ... but..."

She imagine wooden docks and cranes, not flat landing fields and mooring towers.

"This far north?" Alysane spoke with skepticism.

"Especially this far North." Jon assured, "The descendants of the crew of Brandon the Shipwright still live, some with an interest in their homeland."

Some, not all. The map shared with Lady Maege marked the islands of the Bran-folk, not the individual warring clans that made up them.

"They must have some stories then." Dacey spoke, "Do they recognize your blood Fanel?"

He shook his head, "The lines are diluted to no longer matter. I am Fanelian, as mother declared."

"Mother."

He turned and looked at the youngest Mormont.

"You said Mother." Lyanna spoke up, "You mean the Queen, your Good Mother right?"

"For all things that mattered..." His voice found the words, "She is my Mother. His Grace King Van was just as much a father to me as Lord Eddard was."

"You know he looked for you." Dacey spoke, softer, less rough than before, "He really did. He didn't speak it out loud but I heard from my mother his grief."

Jon grimaced, "He may think he was a terrible father ... but I feel that I had been a terrible son as well. It was not just trade that we had decided to cross the Sunset Sea-"

"Jon."

Their eyes flickered over to a new voice. Gaddes stood across from them, the headset of a radio-operator still around his neck.

"A word."

Jon nodded, prying the key from it's rest and allowed Black Wolf to close up and lock up. He gave a nod and excused himself from the Mormonts, the five women watching as Gaddes took the eldest of Eddard's sons away.

Allen's second-in-command took him away from the keep and prying eyes, human and not. Only once the coast was clear he began to speak.

"Skia wanted me to hand you this."

Jon took what the wolfman had passed to Gaddes. His eyes widened: a deck of cards. As innocuous as it appeared, they both knew how dangerous it could be in the Queen's hands.

"Weirwood Paper." Gaddes explained, "Etched in blood-ink donated by Van."

Not just blood magic, but the blood of both a royal and one of the elder races.

"...Why?" Jon whispered.

"The same reason your mother is here." The man answered, "I've fought beside Allen and your father since the beginning. I've seen the Queen's power firsthand. Something is wrong in Westeros and I don't mean a new dynasty."

Jon's eyes glanced northward. The Wall remained in the distance. Even so far from the mainland it stood out in the horizon and the Northern chill that crawled up his back seemed stronger whenever he did so.

"The Spiders-"

"-have always been there. Trust your father to handle them. If Hitomi decided she needed to be here then she knows she's needed here."

The Stark frowned, "And what about Asturia?"

"That..." Gaddes' voice trailed, "That is the issue. Officially Meiden is Acting Regent, there has never been a decree to rescind it."

Asturia was a mercantile power, the Braavos of Ulthos as he personally described it. Grava Aston was their King Asturia but the man had already been old in King Van's youth and his health had deteriorated enough that the Asturian's own High Council ruled their allied kingdom in all practicality. And Meiden Fassa was the wealthiest man of all Gaea.

"It is your Kingdom Uncle." Jon replied, "Not mine."

"It is." He answered, "But he was always ambitious. Even marrying his son to Princess Millerna is just the start."

Jon knew Dryden Fassa, a good man, unlike his father, but Meiden saw many things as pieces on a cyvasse board, including family. Having a Fassa on one throne wouldn't be enough. Nothing would.

"And while my father is in the field, my mother isn't in Fanelia to keep him in check." Jon mused, "He has an interest in Westeros. Doesn't he?"

Gaddes shook his head, "What merchant, prince, or merchant prince wouldn't? I haven't spoken to Allen or Balgus yet. I needed to speak to you. You have an advantage that others don't."

Gaddes didn't need to say it for Jon to know who he meant. For Asturia money meant power, and the routes to Westeros had plenty of money in them. Fassa bought the hand of one princess … but not her sister.

"If Princess Eries has captains she sponsors ... then I will see my father warmly welcome them." He finally answered, "That's the best I can do."

The older man nodded, "That will be enough."

"I hope so."

He really did. Vera would have to be the one to treat with Fanelia's neighbors in the meantime.

…He prayed his fiancee would be merciful.

---

Dining with the Bear Islanders was like dining with the Castelo Knights. They were loud, rowdy, but generally good natured.

The food was hearty: Herb and butter venison and fish and a mix of grains and whatever greens that could grow in the cold climate.

The drink was heavy; enough so that the Asturians actually looked flush and tipsy when she had seen them go through barrels of wine.

Speaking of wine, she miscalculated.

Lady Maege Mormont was more than enough to drink all the sake she brought with her.

"A good taste." the She-Bear spoke, downing another cup, "Smooth, earthy, savory. Not too sweet like the Southron variety and it doesn't burn."

Instead of refilling a cup the matriarch of Bear Island grabbed a whole bottle instead, emptying half before Hitomi could react.

"Three ships with a reinforced escort: The Hasekura, Rokuemon, and Tsunenaga." Hitomi listed.

"Strange names from strange shores." Maege mused, "And no port for them."

"They are bulk merchant levi-ships. Large ones. Any flat clearing will do."

Traders, diplomats, scholars, and craftsmen and all manners of tools and goods would soon arrive in Westeros.

"That I can do. And I reckon more of your steel giants."

"Yes." She admitted, "But many are built for labor."

"Labor…" Maege shook her head, "Seems a waste."

"So did many in Gaea," she lamented, "Before Zaibach proved them wrong."

Far too many warriors forgot the industry to equip them, the farms that fed them, the ships that ferried them. Far too many learned far too late.

"...And Jon." The Mormont finally came to the subject, "What about him?"

"He is my son." She spoke firmly, "Whatever happens."

The Matriarch nodded, "I got five girls of my own. I fret for each of them. Even if I know they'd gut any fool who'd think ill of them. But it's not that kind of trouble once you arrive at Winterfell."

In the corner of Hitomi's eye she saw Skia reenter the hall. A small, discrete nod told everything before her Spymaster suddenly blended back into the shadows, leaving naught but a trace he was even there.

"I've prepared him as much as I could." The Queen answered back, "It was his idea to cross the Great Sea. He wanted closure, whatever that may look. Balgus will still be his brother. Vera his wife. Van his father. Me his mother."

Maege took her sake bottle, swigging the last drops before dropping it on the table, "Speaking like a Mormont. If not for your features I'd have thought you were a long lost Bear of ours."

"I'll take that as a compliment." She smiled.

The conversation continued. That was until she heard the heavy steps of her master-at-arms. Alonne whispered into her ear and she nodded, excusing herself from Maege and her party.

She stepped into vast coldness of the North in the dark. Tower Alonne followed behind her, his sheer armored bulk enough to dissuade anyone from getting near her.

She met Skia again behind the lodge, the wolfman having left in great haste if he had used his abilities to melt into the shadow.

"Warg." Skia grunted, "Not one of the Mormonts."

He held out a crow that thrashed in his iron grip. A crow with three eyes.

"A different scent." He explained, "Old wood. Not a bear."

Hitomi approached the familiar, two eyes boring into three.

"Talk."

---

A/N: A more dramatic change than the initial draft, I wanted to get the ball rolling sooner rather than later. Hitomi is compelled to travel to Westeros herself to address her premonitions.

 

[spktr alpha]

Chapter 4 - A Wolf Returned to His Pack​

The three-eyed crow was held in a cage used by the Mormonts' own Wargs. Lady Mormont herself glowered at the captured familiar as well.

Kanzaki had gotten sick of interpreting vague stories and visions.

Maege simply preferred directness.

Skia stood over the cage. Alonne was at her side, hand on his sword.

The She-Bear was much the same. Dacey stood next to her mother but they were flanked by older warriors. Men and women who had seen plenty of harsh winters and didn't seem at all fazed or threatened by the spy or their foreign company.

"Not Bear Island." Mormont spoke, "Not Crannogmen. The only Skinchangers I know of. The only ones I can TRUST. You aren't one of them. I never seen a Warg'd bird with three eyes."

She glanced at Hitomi. "And not one of theirs either. You don't have their scent. No riddles. No prophecies. No games."

The crow spoke, its vocal cords twisting to speak the human tongue, "...You are but children."

"Waste our time and I'll pluck your feathers one by one," Dacey growled.

"The bird is just a puppet," Hitomi spoke.

"She's right Dacey." Maege frowned. "But I don't think this stranger can find so many three-eyed birds on short notice. They are special. Aren't they stranger? You'd have just released your hold if they weren't."

The crow said nothing, but they were treated to the novelty of a glare from a set of three eyes instead of two.

"The Branfolk have their own Skinchangers." Skia spoke up, "And their own Greenseers..."

The crow shifted, a motion too minuscule for anything but seasoned warriors and hunters to tell.

"...either give us an answer now or we take it from you later." The Wolf continued, "They might even do it for free for the novelty of prying open the mind of a foreign Warg."

The crow could not growl but it hissed.

"You mettle with greater forces at work." It warned.

"I did." Hitomi crossed her arms, "And I will do it again."

The cold air grew stale and heavy. Power not seen since the Age of Heroes began to flow. Every instinct told them to flee. But the Queen of Fanelia and the Matriarch of The Bears were made of sterner stuff.

Then the air was just cold again and nothing more. Hitomi couldn't read the Skinchanger's mind, but she could feel the begrudging resignation emanating from the familiar.

"...I am Bloodraven." The crow finally named it's master, "...But I was once known as Brynden Rivers..."

---

A Raven arrived from Winterfell.

It was a message that radiated skepticism. But the Lady of Bear Island put her name and weight into the initial letter.

The skepticism would die the moment The Crusade arrived at Winterfell, but much still had to be done between now and then.

What remains that needed to be done were made. What supplies to be collected were gathered.

And traders piled into the ship, to barter their goods at Winterfell and bring back vital supplies for their resource-poor island.

It was a measure of goodwill that Ser Allen offered to the Mormonts. Even if it strained the capacity of the Crusade, refit or not.

"Put your arses into it!" Dacey shouted.

Bear Islanders grumbled as they hauled boxes over to the ship.

"You heard the Lady!" Allen shouted.

The Knights of Castelo grumbled as they lifted the boxes onto the ship.

Kai shoved Balgus forward. "You aren't getting away this time."

The prince grumbled, sulking as he did, "You know I could fly away."

"That hasn't helped you before."

Balgus sighed, but even HE knew the situation. "Do you think they'll be friendly?"

"They will listen. That will be enough."

The prince frowned. "There is that issue of Eddard's wife."

More like the issue with the Westerosi in general, he wanted to say. He knew there was a stigma over illegitimate children. But he didn't grasp the lengths of the disdain they had. Even the Branfolk and Far-Men had 'moderated'.

"It is the same issue that the rest of Westeros has." the scout shrugged. "Their greed will make them ignore it."

"You would hope so." He huffed. "But we've dealt with petty bastards before, especially since they make a big bloody deal over the blood kind of bastard."

"Their loss."

"Our gain." Balgus conceded, "Can you imagine a Westerosi Quarter in Fanelia? We put a call out and we'll have plenty of those 'baseborn' and 'smallfolk' fill it in short order."

"Not all of them will be like Jon."

Fanelia had technology and resources, but not manpower. Jon may have been picked up King Van, but he was one of thousands of newly made Fanelians.

What other Gaean kingdoms took for granted Van and Hitomi were happy to exploit and to cultivate. Orphans were raised Fanelian and remained Fanelian through creed and oath rather than blood, Jon had been counted along them. Many more nonhuman folk found their way to Fanelia, earning citizenship through service; molefolk excavated tunnels and sewer systems, harpies and draconians acted as patrols and couriers where levi-ships and horses couldn't reach, merfolk farmed and mined the sea, centaurs formed a new heavy cavalry corps with the skill of knights clad in thick armor that only horses could bear.

It was not a perfect system. But his mother had looked into her people's history to find what worked and what didn't. Loyalty earned, rather than loyalty demanded.

How many diamonds in the rough did Westeros look over? How many had talent and only needed an opportunity?

"Maybe." He conceded, "But enough will. You know I'm half the mind to give Jon the kingdom. He and Vera would be perfect."

"You mean to escape your duties."

"I wouldn't complain if I had more time to explore the world," he shot back.

"You mean to explore their drinks and women."

The crown prince scowled, "We've known each other longer than Jon, and you STILL insult your future king!"

Kai looked at his Lord blankly. "Your head is still too large for the crown."

Balgus sighed, "I'd make a terrible king. Why didn't we try that 'Democracy' thing Mother's people have?"

"Because I can handle one idiot. Not a million. Thousands still believe their world is flat."

The Prince froze, forgetting the insult. "Even with their level of- they flew to THEIR moon! The people of THE Mystic Moon!"

"There are stupider people." Kai replied, "Somehow."

He sulked, "You know I'm just going to throw all the work onto you and Jon right?"

"And I will be tossing it right back at you." Jon's voice spoke behind them, "If your sister doesn't chain you to the throne. Now, what have the Bear Islanders been saying behind our back?"

Balgus shrugged. "What else? She-Bears trying to seduce me and me trying to flirt back in a matter of enlightened self-interest. But if you have to ask, it's what I expected: They want what's best for Bear Island. Before we arrived, they were far from the heart of civilization as they knew. Now … there's a chance."

Oldtown and Lannisport were the major ports this side of the Sunset Sea. But neither the Westerlands nor the Reach stretched from coast to coast. The North did and in fact covered half of Westeros itself. And Jon Snow was the son of the Lord who ruled it.

"A route to West Essos is what we were looking for." Jon pointed out, "A route avoiding Leng and the Yellow King-"

"You don't need to remind me." Balgus scowled.

Magic had faded across much of the world outside Ulthos; what was left was the fouler, darker, more corrupted kind of sorcery. The Valyrians were the most prominent 'polluters' and none of the sons of Fanelia wanted to discuss what lurked in no man's land.

In front of them, work continued. The Crusade was packed to the brim with large cargo nets holding the modest bounty of Bear Island underneath it and the Melef hanger sat half-empty to accommodate more passengers and supplies.

"We should have gotten a larger ship." He mused.

"Tell Uncle Allen that," Jon replied.

Scheherazade and Belial were already back in their hangers.

Black Wolf and Escaflowne were not.

Jon climbed into his machine without much fanfare.

Balgus approached his family's heirloom as well, but before he could get it moving, he saw the heiress of Bear Island approach.

Dacey Mormont wore a dress just like her entourage of handmaidens. But the air they gave was of grizzled killers. His kind of women.

He smiled … and it died seeing that behind her were their mothers. Both Maege and Hitomi looked to not be in festive moods.

"Lady Mormont." He spoke, "Shouldn't you be on the ship by now?"

"I would ask you the same question." She crossed her arms. "Where in the gods' name are you going to put THAT and Snow's toy? Don't tell me you are going to walk under the water."

He shrugged. "It can fly."

She raised a brow. "Fly? You got one of those magic rocks in your armor, don't you?"

"Jon does. Mine doesn't."

"Don't tell me it turns into a dragon."

He smirked. "Better. I'll show you."

The late Emperor Donkirk had woken Gaea from the lethargy and slow decline it had faced; his mother Hitomi kept it going.

When he climbed into the Escaflowne his back rested on foam seating, and the gears and slides moved with synthetic machine oil. Instead of guessing his machine's state, he had gauges; instead of an armored visor, he had tempered glass meant to take the impact of bullets as easily as it did ballistae.

He felt Escaflowne listen.

He felt Escaflowne obey.

And then in one moment he felt Escaflowne lift itself and a dozen intricate parts shifting into position.

He smiled, opening his eyes to see the gawking faces of the Bear Islanders beneath him, and the wide blue sky above him.

Not since The Dance had a dragon graced the skies of Westeros, and today Balgus was glad to put another entry on his list of accomplishments.

Spoiler: Escaflowne (Dragon Form)

"Show off." Jon's voice crackled over the radio.

Black Wolf hovered beside him. It had once been an Alseides, recovered on the battlefield when its self-destruction mechanism failed.

Whoever it once belonged to before it had been changed over the years. Just like Jon.

---

The flight from Bear Island to the mainland was tedious, not harrowing. There were no Sea Harpies, Deep Ones, Krakens, or Sea Dragons to harass them as they did her sons.

If there was one Ironborn Hitomi could respect, it would be their founder. The Grey King did a public service driving the local Sea Dragons out.

But it wasn't the only threat Hitomi was worried about.

After the spectacle of flying wore off on Dacey Mormont, she had taken the younger woman to the side of the Crusade to talk about what had already been discussed the night before.

"Most call them a myth." Dacey started, "Those that don't say they are gone."

"For us they were never myths. But most hoped they were gone. The elder races fled from them. Whole kingdoms did."

"Whole kingdoms died. You say that Ulthos is made up of those who remain."

"The oldest of them have long memories. If the Old Enemy is back, then they would know how to face them."

Hitomi glanced up at the sky. Somewhere, floating in the void, the Ispano's sky-factory drifted. If there was anyone who knew the events of the Long Night, then it was the ancient machine race.

The Queen exhaled, "This isn't how I planned to meet your people. But we can only change our fortunes so much."

"I see that, Your Grace."

"I hope so. Whether Bloodraven is telling the truth or not, I will need to get to the bottom of this."

"So will we." Dacey declared, "Our ancestors beat them once with rocks and sticks. We can beat them again."

The Mormont gripped the railings, watching as Black Wolf and Escaflowne flew beside the ship.

"Did they have Guymelefs back then?"

"They were built to fight dragons." Hitomi explained, "Not the dead."

"So we have an advantage. Maybe."

"Maybe." She conceded, "No matter what happens, the times have changed."

"Aye. Nothing will be the same. I only hope that in the ... exchange. More good may come than bad."

On Bear Island, work had already begun on Levi-Ship mooring masts and storehouses. Whether a war was coming or not, the ships from Gaea would be coming to Westeros all the same.

Hitomi didn't answer; she just clenched her grandmother's necklace and nodded.

---

The hills and trees rolled under Black Wolf, looking much the same as they did in Gaea.

But the air? The air was wrong. Jon may have been born in Westeros, but he had been raised in Ulthos; eating their food, practicing their arts, speaking with their people.

On the Sunset Sea the weave of magic felt thinner; now in Westeros there was only a thin residue. Against the lessons Allen and Van taught him, he released the grip of one of his controls and grasped his pendant. Where it once caught the sun in a brilliant kaleidoscope of light, it was now muted.

"You feel it?" He spoke over the radio, "Don't you?"

"I do." Balgus answered, "I can feel it even more than you."

Balgus would, as a man with the blood of Elder Races in him.

"You didn't say anything when we were on Bear Island," Jon replied.

"It wasn't so nauseating." He grunted. "I have an idea why."

They were so high up they could see the curvature of the world. In the distance, he could see a thin line on the horizon. A wall. THE Wall. It was imposing in the distance and likely more so up close.

"It must have cost them the last of their strength."

Even with the rising industry in Gaea, the sheer amount of material and manpower, both magic and mundane, would have bankrupted Zaibach at its height.

"Maybe." Jon conceded, "But I'm no Maester."

Finally, after so long, Jon laid his eyes on Winterfell. The castle was smaller than he had remembered, but it was still mighty, still expansive. From here, House Stark had ruled The North for whole millennia. It had been built just like The Wall as a fortress against a second Long Night and with its layered walls, glass gardens, and hot springs, Jon could see why.

Spoiler: Winterfell

He saw men on the walls and towers pointing up and shouting in alarm. Despite the forewarnings, only seeing was believing. The denizens of Winterfell and Winter Town together looked at them with wide eyes and open mouths.

Balgus swept by him on Escaflowne. The relic circled, while the prince looked for a clearing. Jon meanwhile stopped midair, looming like a snarling demon over the castle.

Behind them, the Crusade finally arrived, burdened by dozens of crates of cargo and a dozen passengers.

"I'll land first," Jon beckoned.

"Are you sure?" Allen asked over the channel

"Even with forewarning, men can be afraid of what they don't understand." He explained, "They will know me."

"...Alright," the Knight he squired to finally spoke, "But if you are uncomfortable-"

"They will be more uncomfortable with me than I am of them," he spoke in passing.

With a press of a pedal, Black Wolf descended.

It landed in front of nervous gatekeepers and a gathering crowd

The Winterfell guard recoiled as it knelt and flinched as the front hatch opened. In one motion taught by years of experience, Jon climbed down from his Guymelef and surveyed the men in front of him. In his armored riding leathers, he was unrecognizable. But beneath his helmet, his purple eyes could see men who had served with his birth family for generations. They gripped their weapons tightly, intent on acting the moment they thought he sought ill of Lord Eddard.

But Jon was here for the opposite.

Lord Eddard approached, flanked by a younger version of himself, and another he guessed to be the Greyjoy ward. Jon's lips thinned; his enmity had been with their father, not Robb.

"In the name of King Robert and The North." Eddard spoke steadily, "I request you identify yourself ser."

Eddard had the ancestral sword Ice at his side, undrawn but ready; the eyes of the Warden of the North darted between Jon and Black Wolf. Robb clenched his own castle steel tighter. Theon as Jon assumed, gripped his bow with one hand and fingers on a quiver of arrows in the other.

"As you command ... father."

He undid the latches of his helmet, pulling it away to reveal to Winterfell a face thought lost.

The reaction was instant. The Mormonts told him his father never stopped searching, even employing artists to sketch images of his likeness and offering sizable rewards.

The older folks of Winterfell grimaced the moment they saw him. The younger ones, and those who were new to Winterfell, whispered amongst each other.

Eddard and Robb stilled, and Theon and the Guards seemed to loosen their grips on their weapons.

"Jon." Eddard muttered.
"Jon…" Robb whispered.
"JON!" A third voice shouted.

The panicked cries of 'Arya' fell on deaf ears as a blur shot through the crowd and slammed into Jon's chest.

"You're back!" she sobbed, "you're really back!"

He was stunned for only a moment before he realized his arms wrapped around his little sister. "I am Arya. I'm back."

Jon looked back up at his father and half-brother. Years of separation, left on a sour note, made him unprepared for what to say. Guilt welled up inside the returning Stark, but Jon clamped down on it.

"I was younger and more foolish that day." He finally found the words to speak.

"So was I." Eddard slowly answered back.

Jon lowered his head in shame and regret. "I have been a poor son."

Robb and Arya said nothing, but the determined look in their eyes said everything. Jon's siblings stepped back and then suddenly Jon found himself wrapped in an embrace.

"And I have been a poor father." The Warden of the North whispered, "Will you forgive an old fool?"

Jon reciprocated, returning Eddard's hug before breaking off in short order.

"I already have."

Behind them, the crowd parted, the various onlookers stepping back as Balgus emerged, cocky and smiling as always.

"Robb. Arya. Father," Jon introduced, "This is Prince Balgus Fanel of the Kingdom of Fanelia."

"You forgot to mention I'm your Brother-in-law." Balgus mused.

"We call it Good-Brother," Eddard said unevenly, "… Your Grace. Forgive me, but the raven told a tale that was hard to believe."

"It is." Balgus admitted, "And my sister took a liking to him despite everything."

"Despite being a bastard?" Theon finally spoke. The Ironborn paled at suddenly blurting out his intrusive thoughts.

Arya and Robb shot Theon a glare. Eddard frowned. But it was Balgus whose smile tightened.

"...Despite being a Stark." The Prince smirked dangerously.

The answer caused the three 'trueborn' Starks to blink. It caused the rest of the crowd, guards, servants, and all to pause as well.

"What-" Robb started.

"Balgus." Jon hissed, "Don't."

"Fine." He held his hands up. "It's a long story best talked about in the company of warm food and pretty women."

"Balgus." Jon hissed, "Don't."

Balgus frowned. "Must you be like that?"

"Someone must." He grunted, "Kai is still on the ship."

Jon looked back to his father, cursing something about 'there's two of them now' under his breath.

"Is something wrong Lord Stark?"

"Nothing of importance," Eddard replied hurriedly.

Another commotion came as The Crusade finally landed. Kai in Belial was the first to disembark, more than likely glaring at his two charges charging ahead of him. Despite the more slender frame it still towered over many buildings in Winter Town and wielded a bow just as long that could bring down the lighter end of curtain walls if he so pleased.

Kai was followed shortly after by a procession of Gaeans and Bear Islanders.

At their head was Queen Hitomi herself, flanked to her side by Ser Allen and Lady Dacey. Jon's mother didn't announce herself, but the air of her arrival spoke loud and clear.

Courtly etiquette ignited their collective instincts. Smallfolk and guards knelt. Eddard and his household followed shortly after.

"Lord Eddard." Hitomi began.

"Your Grace." Eddard lowered his head. "The Ravens did not do you or your company justice. If we had the time-"

"-I'm not bothered about appearances, Lord Stark. Too much flower and pomp for a friendly visit, in my opinion."

Arya snickered; her father shot her a scowl but turned back to the queen.

"We shall talk more inside," Eddard answered and then looked to the crowd. "Today my son has returned to Winterfell. Tonight we shall have a feast to celebrate. All the folk of Winter Town are welcome."

The crowd shouted in jubilee; already the townsfolk were going back to their homes to get dressed in their best and getting whatever food or drink to share for the night.

The Lord of Winterfell turned to Balgus and Hitomi, "You can have your ship land south of Winter Town, Your Grace. I will have salt and bread for yours and the Mormont party inside for you."

Balgus nodded, immediately waving his hand up at the sky and signalling the Crusade to follow him.

Eddard's household went back into the keep with him; the Queen and the Bear Islanders followed right after.

Jon would follow, but he paused as he saw someone who he didn't want to see hiding on the walls above the gate.

Catelyn Tully, Eddard's wife, Lady of Winterfell, the woman who had made his first home as cold as possible. To her left was Sansa, very much her mother's daughter. To her right were two boys younger than even Arya. One, Bran, an infant when he left; another, a toddler born after his departure.

The red-haired matriarch didn't glare or scowl. What she had was a stony expression and fear in her eyes.

Fear of the different. Fear of the unknown. Fear of HIM.

Jon averted his eyes, forcing a smile on his face as Robb and Arya led him inside. At the very least, the hard part was done.

---

A/N: Almost done with the prewritten chapters. I am working on completing the next chapter of my SRW story (~66% done) before I get back to this.

A/N 2: Caught up with the SB Thread.

 

[Turncoat]

Oh neat, this caught up to the spacebattles chapters.

 

[TheToFu]

intersting read and i like it so far even if some of it seems a bit scrambled. Escaflowne is super old mecha anime so you might have to explain or give more descriptions of things. very happy they caught that bastard 3 eyed raven so quick. I always thought he was part of the reason was down on magic because he kept sucking it into the weirdwood to have eyes all over the place. I doubt the wall has it since they dont breed any magic users, not even in the books.

 

[ATP]

Thanks for good story,but what kind of Others they would face? becouse even Escaflown could have no enough dakka for stronger version.
And what about Bloodraven? is he trying to kill almost everybody and take over Bran body here,like in show?