[Edric's POV]
Right after my pep talk, things seemed to smoothen out and the whispers in the dark came to an end. Even so, I didn't grow complacent and focused on inspiring loyalty in the ranks of the former wildlings. I worked alongside them, shared their drinks, jested with them, trained them and filled them with sweet words about what the future could hold.
Alongside that, I had another focus. I knew I couldn't triumph over the Night King and his army alone. The scar on my face was a grim reminder of that. I was just one person who could only be in one place at a time. Where I'm absent, there would need to be other, magical and valiant heroes ready to take up the mantle of besting the Others.
I needed more men... or women... like Arthur.
"Right."
I gathered all my Kingsguard in the yard, holding a rather basic and light warhammer—my temporary replacement. Given my strength, it still did its job pretty well. One strong bonk to the head was more than enough.
"We've been sparring almost daily now, but... admittedly, I've been going pretty easy on you lot." I stroked my chin. "It's time I pushed you all to the brink."
"I am ready for any obstacle you throw at me, Your Grace." Brienne spoke with a dutiful tone.
"Why the sudden change?" Loras questioned.
"Well, to put it bluntly, none of you are where I want you to be. Yes, you've proven yourself the best amongst your peers... but that's not good enough. Ser Mandon and Ser Arys' deaths are proof of that." I pulled back my glove, tightening my grip around the warhammer. "There's a reason why I told you to withdraw while I advanced against the Others."
"Simply put, you're too weak to fight in such battles."
They all shared similar frowns or looks of disapproval, but none denied what I had said. I don't think the looks were for me, either, but rather, themselves.
"Had Ser Arthur been there... do you think I'd have told him to run too?" I added fuel to the fire, raising an eyebrow.
"No," Loras answered first. "You would have trusted him to hold his own."
"Quite right. In that scenario, Ser Arthur is the only Kingsguard I would trust to truly be capable of protecting me. Sooner or later, you all will meet the same fate as those who fell in Eastwatch - unless you awaken your latent talents."
I pointed the warhammer at each of them.
"I've never had any magic, Your Grace." Ser Balon looked sceptical. "I don't believe sparring can change that."
"Neither did Arthur. Not even a whisp of fire magic... nor some ancient magical bloodline to lean on. Yet, he did have a will that no one could match. Infallible loyalty and faith. The fire to overcome any struggle. These qualities sparked and awakened those talents hidden deep within when he needed them most."
"None of you are ordinary, either. Ser Balon, you are brave, valiant, and capable of using any weapon with lethal proficiency. Above all else, your exceptional skill with the bow is supremely rare - especially amongst knights. Ser Loras, you are a prodigy with no equal in regards to the lance, and your skill with the sword puts you into contention with the very best. As for Brienne, well, need I say much?"
"You are the sole woman to wear a white cloak in the history of the Kingsguard, and for good reason. Your size and strength are extraordinary, and your tactful mind in battle makes you an even more formidable foe than any unknowing man could imagine."
Though she didn't say anything, I could tell she took kindly to my remarks.
"From what I know, magic seems to awaken in those who seek more, those who defy standards and stand out amongst the crowd. You are all exceptional already; you only need an unrelenting desire to push you past the wall you're facing. That's why I'm here."
"Now... are you ready?"
"Any time." Loras drew his sword.
"Don't hold back." Brienne looked determined.
"Whenever you are ready, Your Grace."
"Brace yourselves," I warned as a layer of electricity sparked around me. Suddenly, the hammer felt as light as a piece of paper. "As I said, I won't be holding back as much."
Sooo... when I said it, I did mean it. I deflected Loras' first blow and sent him back with a spark of weaker lightning. Then, I sidestepped Brienne's swing and sent her down to the ground with a leg sweep. Balon tried to swipe at me with his sword, but I easily dodged every swing before the wind took him off his feet and smashed the knight against the wall.
"There's much work to be done, clearly."
Over three months would go by...
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Status Page
Name: Edric Storm
Age: 13
Lord
Charm: 80 (Diplomat III)
Leadership: 72 (Inspiring Leader III - Recruiting is far easier based on your great reputation. Even former enemies can turn to your side.)
Steward: 50 (Midas Touch II - Able to get away with paying troops less than normal and able to manage resources more effectively.)
Warrior
Athletics: 100 (Titan V - Your strength, endurance and sheer size know no bounds)
Battle Instincts: 83 (Hyper Focus III)
Warhammer: 76 (Thunderous Warhammer III)
Knight
Sword: 85 (Swordskill IV)
Riding: 83 (Riding III)
Armour: 75 (Fortress III)
Ranger
Marksman: 115 (Sniper V)
Scouting: 72 (Scouting III)
Throwing: 84 (Throwing IV)
Smith
Blacksmithing: 42 (Blacksmithing II - Forging is quicker and more effective)
Engineering: 63 (Engineering III - Able to lead in more elaborate projects)
Stranger
Roguery: 30 (Serpent I)
Trade: 24 (Merchant I)
Medicine: 20 (*)
Mage
Storm Manipulation: 50 (Stormlord II: Hand of the Storm)
Greenseer: 15
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A new branch?
I stroked my chin, observing the two branches of medicine.
"The 'Whole of Body' sub-skill of the Medicine tree revolves around ensuring your personal health and recovery. Someone who has mastered this side of medicine is capable of enduring and recovering from the most vile of poisons, climates and wounds. Higher stages also provide substantial increases to one's life span and stall the negative impacts of ageing, allowing you to stay at your peak for longer."
"Whole of Body I: Less vulnerable to small wounds, recovery is quicker. Small increase to poison resistance."
I'm not getting old anytime soon... but the faster recovery and greater endurance sounds appealing.
"On the other end, the 'Doctor' sub-skill allows one to treat others with greater effectiveness. The higher you rise in this sub-skill, the number of things you can't treat will lessen until there is hardly anything beyond your ability. Your presence could also passively increase the recovery of those under you slightly."
"Doctor I - Your treatments are more effective."
If I had known the medicine tree was so useful, I'd likely have put more focus on it earlier. However, truly, all the skills have their uses. There's simply too many of them to grow all at once.
Though the Doctor sub-skill would definitely have its uses, the Whole of Body one seems to grant one semi-immortality... there's already been a handful of times where I've been exhausted for one reason or another and wasted time to rest. Due to how cold I imagine the North will be, this seems to be the right choice. If I can't fight at my best in the most pivotal battles... I doubt my ability to treat others will even matter long-term.
After thinking over it, I comfortably chose 'Whole of Body'.
"So you chose the selfish option, hmm?" Raiden raised an eyebrow. I knew she agreed with my choice, only that she was pulling my leg intentionally.
"Yes. Besides, I can master the doctor discipline when I don't have to worry about an apocalypse. Also... Whole of Body seems quite easy to increase, compared to doctor. All I need to do is keep myself healthy-"
"Mhm."
"What do you mean, 'mhm'? Look at these muscles and tell me I'm not healthy."
"All from scarfing down inhuman amounts of meat and putting your body through hellish training."
"Precisely!" I stroked my chin. "That's why it's ideal. The whole point of Whole of Body is the ability to endure and recover. Doubtless to say, this one will passively evolve without me even trying, as I'm always pushing myself. A match made in heaven."
"Soon enough, you'll be drinking poisons to evolve it further."
"What a brilliant idea." I blinked. "Due to the poison resistance, I should be able to survive and gain experience in the skill once I recover. That's how it works, right?"
"Affirmative. Drinking poisons, should you survive, would provide growth in the 'Whole of Body' tree." The system kindly replied.
"The world's first professional poison tester." I smiled, finding the thought amusing. "Once I reach its height, I won't have to be paranoid about a thing."
"Should you survive..." Raiden reinforced.
"Of course, I'll need to be careful." I nodded. "It's not a focus for now... but something to keep in mind for the future."
By now, the Nightfort was complete, and most of my former division of the Night's Watch had gone south to enact my plans of developing the lands under the Gift. Given the wildling raids in the past, much of it had been abandoned, but it was my intention to change that. The Watch needed its own supply of food and resources to accommodate the rise in numbers and future expansions.
It was by no means an easy thing to accomplish, but... an anomaly had occurred during this process. The fertility of the land seemed to spike strangely one day. Almost as if the North wasn't falling deeper into winter.
I had personally seen this change, though I didn't think too much of it and pushed the men to make the most of it. If the land could be developed quickly enough, the winter might not be so bleak for the Watch. I focused primarily on vegetables and fruits that could endure the cold.
Once everyone seemed on board, I left them to their devices for a short while and moved to Castle Black to see how things were going.
...
I had a meeting with Jon and he informed me of some things.
"You know, you really do have a poor habit of not informing anyone of your plans," I looked at Jon, shaking my head. It was one of the things that had led to his death. "You expect others to follow along with whatever you say and not question a thing. We might be able to see what's best for everyone, the bigger picture... but such is not the case for most of the people under us."
"True enough..." Jon acknowledged.
"The moment I leave, everything will fall on your shoulders. Leadership is about more than simply making the right decisions. The title of Lord Commander is not enough. You need to have the confidence of your people. As soon as you lose that... things can get quite grim."
Life advice from the guy who knows exactly how you would've died...
"It's not an easy thing to do. Men question everything I do."
"Welcome to my world." I smiled, chuckling. "Do you know how much doubt I get from others because of my age? I've battled for my decisions countless times before. Offtimes I even doubt myself... but such is life. You can't be entirely right in everything you do. The important thing is to learn from your mistakes and move on."
"It's unfortunate I could not have you for longer. Truth be told, you would make a greater Lord Commander than I would."
"That's untrue." I smiled, shaking my head. "Believe it or not, deep down, you know how to improve the Night's Watch better than I ever could. I give the illusion that I'm more capable... simply because of my might. You are of the North, you know the people, the land. You can think of ideas that I simply would not be able to on my own."
"That might keeps everything together. It is definitely a factor to consider... and, in that regard, I could never match you," Jon remarked.
"It takes more than strength to bring unity. You need to represent your people, be their voice and act for their betterment. I simply hammered them down... but I'm not the solution. You're the leader they need."
I had certainly gone into the habit of inspiring others. Once, it had been mostly a skill used in battle but it has found its uses outside of it. After my pep talk and some advice, Jon seemed more ready than he was before. I was getting closer to returning south...
While stable when I left, I couldn't be too sure that everything was going entirely according to my wishes in King's Landing. Unexpected issues could arise as well. Euron may just appear out of nowhere and start raiding everything in sight... who knows.
However, I have to settle things here first.