A/N: I have started writing another Fan-fic, this one is a One Piece fan-fic called Sword Saint In The One Piece (D&D) if you are interested, please take a look.
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CHAPTER 170
291 AC
POV THIRD PERSON
A week had passed since the incident with Lady Stark. Following that day, she had chosen to maintain a considerable distance from Aermir and ceased her persistent mentions of the Seven. Aermir was taking a leisurely stroll towards the Godswood while eating an apple. Then, the voices of Arya and Sansa reached his ears.
"That's not fair; I don't like archery! Take up your sword; let's spar!" Arya protested vehemently.
"To the one climbing onto the fence."
The two sisters continued their archery competition. Arya's frustration with her performance was evident as she missed another target. She let out a frustrated sigh, her bow slipping from her grip and clattering to the ground.
Lord Stark had indeed kept his promise to allow them to pursue archery and swordsmanship. Sansa, though she enjoyed the lady-like activities, had taken to archery with enthusiasm. Her shots were precise, and she exhibited patience and grace with every arrow she notched.
On the contrary, Arya had found her true calling in swordplay, which allowed her to escape what she referred to as "lady lessons." As the two sisters continued their friendly competition, Aermir observed from the sidelines, impressed by their contrasting yet formidable skills.
Lord Stark had brought in an Essosi swordsman, Syrio Forel, to instruct Arya. The Braavosi water dancing style was well-suited for those with a smaller stature. Arya had embraced this new form of combat with a fiery determination that was true to her Stark spirit.
The water dancer was a middle-aged man with a bald head and a distinctive beak-like nose. While he might not have possessed exceptional strength, his speed was impressive. Aermir engaged in some sparring sessions with the man and initially struggled to keep up with the rapid strikes characteristic of water dancing. However, as time passed, he adapted to the unique style. Syrio Forel, with his attributes of 10 strength and 15 speed, combined with the slender blade, created an illusion of even greater speed.
Aermir's attention shifted away from his thoughts as he approached the bickering sisters. Sansa and Arya were engrossed in a spirited debate about the merits of swords versus archery. Arya, advocating for swords, turned to Aermir and asked for his opinion.
"Let's ask the Lannisport tourney champion about it. Aermir, which one is superior?"
Aermir offered a knowing smile and replied, "None."
Arya seemed taken aback by this response, prompting Aermir to elaborate further.
"There is no single superior weapon. Each has its unique strengths and weaknesses. Swords are versatile, but when you're eighty meters away from your enemy, what good is a sword?"
Sansa, feeling validated, chimed in confidently, "See, I told you."
Aermir, however, interjected, "But what use is a bow in a melee fight?"
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
This time, it was Arya's turn to laugh as she admitted, "Of course, it would be useless!"
"So, what does this show?" Aermir prompted.
After a moment of contemplation, Sansa responded, "Every weapon has its advantages and disadvantages."
"Exactly," Aermir affirmed. "That's why there's no single 'strongest' weapon. I believe in training with various types of weapons. You never know what kind of situation you might find yourself in. Even if you're not a master with a particular weapon, it's essential to know how to handle it."
Arya's eyes sparkled with curiosity as she bombarded Aermir with a rapid succession of questions.
"Don't you just use a sword and a bow? What else do you use? What's your favorite weapon? What weapon are you most proficient at?"
Aermir chuckled at Arya's enthusiasm and decided to slow her down by playfully pushing an apple into her mouth.
"Wow, wow... slow down a bit," he teased. "I can use many weapons: blunt ones, daggers, spears, and throwing weapons, to name a few. My favorite would be swords, and I think I'm best at using them since it's the weapon I've used the longest."
Sansa, ever the picture of politeness, spoke up, attempting to excuse her excitable sister.
"Excuse my sister; you know she has no self-control. I think Nymeria is a tamer beast than Arya."
At the sound of her name, Nymeria, the direwolf, raised her head and glanced over at the group. She and Lady were nestled at the corner of the archery range, both nearly reaching the size of Berus. Finding nothing of particular interest, Nymeria returned to her peaceful nap.
Sansa had experienced a remarkable transformation over the past two years. Gone was the girl who had once attempted to imitate the airs of a smug Southern Lady. In her place stood a woman who had learned to embrace her wilder instincts while retaining her innate elegance. Whether she was practicing archery or simply moving about, her every action exuded grace and poise. But perhaps the most notable change of all was her departure from the image of a girl passively waiting for a prince charming to sweep her off her feet.
Aermir scrutinized their statistics and was taken aback by the revelations. Among the Stark siblings, Sansa had once possessed the lowest mana, but in the span of two years, she had made extraordinary progress. Her mana had skyrocketed from a mere 15 to a formidable 81, surpassing even Arya. The younger sister, who had once held a five-point mana advantage, now lagged behind Sansa with a mana pool of 72.
It became evident that embracing her true self, rather than attempting to conform to something that did not align with her core, had unlocked Sansa's latent potential. Intrigued by these developments, Aermir couldn't help but wonder about the mana levels of the other Stark children. After spending some quality time with the girls, he sought out the rest of the Stark siblings to assess their mana levels.
Each of them had experienced a significant increase in mana, likely owing to their close bond with their direwolves. Robb now possessed the lowest mana, with a total of 40. Rickon followed with 45, while Jon had 65, and Bran boasted the highest mana, an impressive 95.
Upon discussing this discovery with Lord Stark, they reached a decision: Aermir would embark on training the Stark children in the ways of warging, utilizing his Druid persona to guide them. Aermir's curiosity blossomed into a burning desire to explore the full extent of their abilities. He knew little about warging beyond his animal bonds, but he couldn't help but wonder if the Stark children possessed hidden talents within them. Were they capable of more than just connecting with their dire wolves and animals? Could they potentially wield the mystical powers of druids, tapping into the profound magic of nature itself?
The prospect of guiding these young wargs on their journey of discovery filled Aermir with both excitement and trepidation. The unknown possibilities stretched out before them like an uncharted wilderness waiting to be explored.
With Lord Stark's support and trust, Aermir was determined to delve deeper into the mysteries of warging, to uncover the true extent of their abilities, and to see if the Stark children could indeed become the druids of the North. It was a journey filled with challenges and surprises, but Aermir was ready to embrace it wholeheartedly.
...
Aermir had recently opened a small blacksmith shop for Tobho, much to Mikken's discontent. His newfound interest in blacksmithing stemmed from his desire to learn the craft, especially the art of forging Valyrian steel. However, Tobho insisted on teaching him only after he could produce a top-quality sword by himself, which Aermir estimated would take a few years despite his accelerated learning thanks to his 5x skill.
In addition to his blacksmithing pursuits, Aermir had dispatched two teams, one led by Kegan and the other by Hardik, on a mission to find individuals with mana. Sith, Berus, Nin, and Kilim accompanied these teams, using their innate ability to detect mana. Aermir had hoped that Poe, with her growing strength in the air element, would also possess this ability, but she had yet to develop it fully. Currently, like his other familiars, Poe could only sense the ambient mana in the environment.
Aermir's agenda for the next few years promised to be exceedingly busy. His plans included visiting the Wall to inspect the runes and form a bond with a snow owl, all in preparation for monitoring the entire northern region. His ultimate goal was to be vigilant for any movements by the Night King, necessitating quick action on his part.
Furthermore, Aermir had a grand vision of creating a templar order, an unwavering army of zealous believers ready to carry out his commands. However, he understood that achieving this openly would be challenging, as it would likely face opposition from the king and other lords who would be reluctant to permit such an endeavor.