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CHAPTER 279 "A Vision in the Sky"
297 AC
POV THIRD PERSON
Beyond the Wall, in the rugged land of Thenn, where the Free Folk carved out a harsh existence, a group of warriors huddled around a flickering campfire. Among them was Styr, the Magnar of Thenn, a fierce and imposing leader known for his prowess in battle. Styr is a tall, lean man with no ears. He is clean-shaven and bald, with grey eyes and a straight nose. He ruled his people with an iron fist. As the campfire flickered, the bronze scale armor on him glowed like it was on fire. His trusty weirwood spear with an ornate bronze head was sitting by his side.
By his other side sat his loyal warg Hrothgar, the Four Skin. In front of him sat Mance Rayder, and next to him was Tormund Giantsbane from Ruddy Hall. They had come together to convince him.
"Styr, Magnar of Thenn, the time has come for the Free Folk to stand united. The Night's Watch threatens our ways. From the far northeast, settlements and tribes go dark one by one; I don't think this is the work of other tribes, as most believe. Together, we can defy these threats and forge a destiny south of the Wall."
Styr, though renowned for his stoicism, met Mance's gaze with a thoughtful expression. "King-Beyond-the-Wall, they say. Now, did you come to claim kingship over me? Do not try to claim obedience over me with those tales of horror. I am not an old wife nor a 5-name-day-old babe."
He didn't believe the tales about the death walking; once in a while, someone would swear they witnessed them, but Styr had never seen them. He only believed what he could see, but he cared about the part about the lands south of the Wall.
Tormund, with a jovial laughter, interjected. "Styr, my friend, Mance has a vision. We've seen things beyond the Wall that would make your hair stand on end. The Old Gods themselves guide us, and this man," he gestured to Mance, "is the key to our salvation."
As the conversation unfolded, a celestial spectacle began to manifest in the night sky—a verdant pillar illuminated the night sky. Leaving everyone with an open mouth and heart of awe.
"What sorcery is this, warg?" Magnar queried, his eyes fixed on the ethereal display. Hrothgar responded with a low growl. "Old Gods speak in strange ways, Magnar. This light is a message."
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Mance, seeing that the light was coming from the direction of the Wall, sensed the opportunity here and said,
"A message that the Old Gods are waking up and calling all the sons and daughters of the first men to them." Mance had enough of his people dying because they didn't have enough to eat, and he truly believed there was something far worse than the Southerner crows in this endless sea of ice. He had to create a great army and get past the already weakened Night's Watch.
When he left his post, breaking his oath, he had no feelings since he had joined the side of Night's Watch to scout out the enemy and understand them. When he left, barely 2 thousand men were left on the Wall, and if he could have the support of the Thenns, he could pull most of the Free Folks to his cause.
Styr couldn't take his eyes off this unnatural spectacle. He didn't truly believe the Old Gods since he only believed something if he could see it. His relationship with the Old Gods was more like a habit. He was showing respect to them because it was ingrained in him from birth, but it all had changed at that moment. Could it be? Could they be telling the truth? Was this a call from the Old Gods?
...
Jon and his group moved through the snow-covered frozen forest with a sense of urgency. The biting cold stung their faces as they pressed forward, the snow crunching beneath their boots.
Despite the frigid surroundings, Jon felt an additional chill creeping up his spine. His connection with Ghost heightened his senses. Their silent communication hinted at unease, and Jon couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss in the vast expanse of the frozen wilderness behind them.
The dire wolf's fur bristled, and his eyes kept darting to the back, alerting Jon to an unseen threat. Something was coming, and it was making Ghost anxious.
The relentless journey through the frozen expanse continued unabated. For the last two days, Jon and his group had been running with minimal rest and sleep, but the feeling of impending doom was not going away. On the contrary, every day, it was rising. They still didn't know what was chasing them, but he decided to trust Ghost's instinct and Druid's warnings. But they were at their wit's end, especially Sam, since he could not run anymore,
"Please, for the love of the Seven, let us rest just an hour. I can't take even one more step."
He sat down on top of a rock, and his breathing was really laborious. A snow owl swooped down and attacked Sam, urging him to move. This owl was different from the other one; this one was a normal size, and Jon couldn't form any connection with it. Everyone was spent, so even Benjen shooed the bird and said,
"Let's rest just several minutes, then we will continue."
At that moment, they saw a pillar of light reaching the sky beyond the Skirling Pass and Frostfang Mountains. They couldn't know where it was coming from since they could only see the tip of it because of the mountains, but it was still a terrifying and magnificent sight at the same time.
...
Aermir, having regained his composure after the intense ritual. This confrontation with the night King was a boon for him. The ritual and the pure mana used in it had boosted his mana to new heights. Now, he had 800 mana. As Aermir was circulating his mana through his body, he sensed a great anxiety from Skadi.
"Master, Jon and his friends are going to get caught; we need to do something."
He couldn't understand what was happening, and he angrily shouted,
"Didn't you say it would still take three days for White Walker to reach them?"
"Ma-master, it is not my fault; because of that fat human, they are taking too many rests. I am trying to hurry them with my owls, but he wouldn't get up, and most importantly, it took two days for you to finish this ritual."
Aermir felt like he had heard it wrong: "What did you say? How long did it take?"
Poe interrupted, "Father, it looks like you didn't realize how long you were in that fire. The pillar lasted for two days. We have been keeping the Free Folk and the Night Watchmen in distance by threatening them." To Aermir, it only felt like it lasted several hours, but it had been two days. Aermir jumped on top of Sith, "Run! Run with everything you got."