Chapter 7 The Smith
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Reviews
To avoid a minor spoiler, I will put some respond to the review at the end.
Pnguyen18: If Surrak is the dragon dad, can you make a scene where Jon punches a dragon?
Of course. It would be a shame to let that opportunity go to waste.
Guest: I really hope you won't pair Daenerys with Jon. 70 percent of most fic has them paired together; it gets annoying.
See the character tag. BTW, what is the 70% of most? 66.5%? 😊
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Previously
"It seems this is a goodbye, milady. If Avacyn willing, we may meet again soon."
"Jon. My little pup. Who's your friend?"
…
Growing up at Winterfell, Jon first thought that he was used to cold. It turned out that the coldness of the North was nothing compared to the frozen wasteland of which they planeswalked to. His mother told him that Tarkir was a plane ravaged by war and it hardened its denizens. What she didn't tell him was that the environment was as much as dangerous.
He and his mother had been wandering in this frozen tundra for months. They found down a small heard of mammoths. Their wolf instinct told them that there were active hunters in the area and following these preys would lead to them.
And what do you know, they were right.
After Jon and Arlinn downed two mammoths and some yetis, they were confronted with somewhat friendly hunters. Jon didn't know what his mother is thinking but decided to follow her anyway. She had been a planeswalker for far longer than he was, of course, she knew what she was doing.
"Tell me about everything." Said his mother. She behaved strangely. Probably her version of charm that she had him practiced so much.
So, this is how an adult does the charm thing. I should observe this carefully.
Jon sees the hunters looking at each other as if they are waiting for something. They look back and forth and then to the man with antlers over his chest. He is a man a little more than twice Jon age, which means that he is also about half Arlinn age.
So, the one that is talking to me is the leader of the group. Mother is so amazing that she knows it right away.
"I'm Surrak the Hunt Caller of Atarka." The man announces his name with eagerness. "Who are you two and what brings you here?"
Jon observes that this Surrak is nervous. Jon is amazed at what his mother could do. When he was younger, he doubted why his mother wants him to train himself wooing a girl. Now, he knows why. Just by saying two sentences, his mother had left her target vulnerable. She doesn't even need to invest anything.
And then he thought back about his performance with Thalia. It makes him knows how inefficient he was. He spent months wooing her. He risks his life saving hers. And in the end, he even had developed feelings for her.
I need to be like Mother. Strong. Relentless. Wise.
"My name is Arlinn Kord. And this is my son, Jon Snow. We are wanderers looking for a place to call home." Once again, his mother tells a half-truth.
The hunters look at each other again. They say nothing. Until Surrak breaks out with a laugh.
"Then you have found it!"
"Surrak!" The hound-man yells his name. "They are strangers. They could be spies."
"Quiet Kharkus! Surrak is the Hunt Caller, not you. Who in the right mind would send a mother and a child as a spy? I say bring them with us and let Atarka sort them out." Berated one of the other hunters. This one is burning.
That's it. Tarkir is weird.
"A hunter of your skill is always what we Atarka clan strives to be. The Dragonlord will be pleased with the service you will provide. I'm sure she will find both of you worthy." Comments Surrak as he waits for his peer's argument to die down. His eyes don't move away from Arlinn. "But we are on a hunt right now and we need to bring the prize back."
As if Arlinn catches the meaning behind Surrak word, she cut him mid-sentence. "Then you are welcome to have our kill. Consider it proof of our skills. But with two conditions." She smiles. A wicked smile.
Surrak face shifts as he hears the latter part. He doesn't even know what hit him. "And what are your conditions?" His eyebrows are raised.
Seeing his mother smiles like that make Jon proud. He knows who is in control of this conversation. Such dominance.
"We want an audience with the dragonlord. And ….." She then walks toward Surrak with her seducing steps. Then she whispered something into his ears. He can see that Surrak's eyes light up and enlarge to twice its original size.
Even with his enhanced hearing, Jon couldn't make out what that whisper is. Something about riding and something she want to do with his sword. Singular. Which doesn't make sense because the man uses two swords.
That whisper will continue to elude Jon for many years. It is only when, in his later years, Thalia shows him what does that phrase means.
And of course, Surrak accepts. They tag along the hunting part to kill more mammoths and carries their prize to the worshiping place, where the dragonlord reside.
…
Arlinn Kord smiles. She will soon meet the dragonlord. From what she knows, Ulgin is not only a pre-mending planeswalker but also a dragon. He should know what to do with Jon.
She, however, doesn't notice a confusion of her child, nor does she care if he did. The faster they get to Ugin the better. Sure, she loves to spend time with her son, but she also has needs that she finds …. Relief.
Atarka clan seems to respect strength. This Surrak better gives a lay worth my time.
For two years, she stays vigilance taking care of Jon. She ignores the bestial impulse of the wolf spirit as much as she could. But she also knows it a thing that she could not overcome. Best she gets it releases on a mate of her choosing. Someone strong and confident like this Surrak.
Oh. I would enjoy breaking you, Hunt Caller. Just you wait.
It does not take long before they arrive at the worshipping place, Ayagor, the Dragon's Bowl. They travel past many of the Atarka clan who wonders who two of them are. Some look up to them as someone they aspire to be. The others look at them with disdain, probably because they walk among the best hunter of the clan. As they approach, Arlinn could see beast-like dragons unlike the likes of those on Innistrad. Some are even twice the size of the largest dragon she knows of her home plane. They have antlers, horns, and furs. It makes her wolf spirit screams warning her of danger.
Then, the ground quakes as the largest dragon of the brood landed.
"Great Atarka, dragonlord and protector. This is a gift. Spare us, and there will be more." ceremonially said Surrak as his companions present five intact mammoth corpses in front of her.
Shit. We come to the wrong dragonlord. Where is Ugin?
The dragonlord Atarka doesn't hesitate to take a large bite on the mammoth carcass. Arlinn could see her serrated teeth the length of a horse cut through fur and flesh like a hot blade through the snow. With one big yank, she swallows half of the corpse in one go. She then let out an earth-shattering roar, signaling the others to begin the feast.
"Jon. Stays close to me." She calls for her son and grabs his hand. "If something happens, we are going back to where we came from." She sees Jon nods. "Be brave, my little pup. Do not show your weakness."
The feast ended in seconds. If it could be called a feast at all. The corpses are picked clean, only broken bones remain. Only then do the dragons notice them. They seem curious. Many moves closer to inspect them, some bare their fangs to intimidate them, some … some are preparing to do more. Their throat glow bright green, a clear signal for a fire breathing.
*ROAR* A deafening cry from the dragonlord throws stop other dragons in their track. They hurriedly back away in fear. Arlinn tenses as the dragonlord move closer to her and Jon.
She could only curse her luck as she prepares to planeswalk Jon back to Innistrad.
…
Since the moment she was spawned from the dragon vortex, Atarka had never been as perplexed as of now. Two new faces that come with her servants and she could notice their scent all over the offering. They seem to be new hunters, even one of them seems very small. The larger one seems stronger than what she let on. She carries herself like an apex hunter and very protective of the smaller one. Her ferociousness is admirable, for one so small.
Not since Yasova Dragonclaw, the last Khan of Temur and her first Hunt Caller, had Atarka feel this much strength emanates from such a weak body. She respects that.
But the smaller one is even more peculiar. His body is still weak, but his essence is strong. It is even stronger than most of her brood. His presence is that of a dragonlord, for his blood, even diluted as it is, reeks of something even far more ancient than her.
"WHO ARE YOU" She growls in draconic. Her voice echoes throughout her land. It startles her servant, but she doesn't care. She only cares for the two strangers in front of them.
Her question is met with silence. The larger woman seems like she doesn't understand her question. The smaller react, but not in the same way as her servant. He seems … enrage.
As her servants about to translate her word to them, the small stranger growls back in draconic. His throat lit up bright orange as his eyes turn into that which promise an utter annihilation. "My name is Jon Snow."
The little man seems shocked for his ability to speak a perfect draconic. He tries to hide his confusion, but it cannot escape the ultimate predator that is Atarka.
Good. Such vicious power so packed inside that little frame.
"And what do you want, little Snow?" Once again, she asks the little man in draconic.
"I seek an audience with Ugin!" The one called himself Jon roars back. His booming voice is as harsh and cold as the winter itself.
Atarka eyes lit up as she heard the name.
He seeks father.
He is one of them.
Lucky me.
Atarka internally laughs. It is about time she gives a new command. It is about time for her ascendency.
"You are not yet worthy, little snow. Stay with the clan and become stronger. When you can fight and kill a regent dragon by yourself, I will take you to Ulgin." She roars a command. Her very voice shakes the sky itself.
Soon the other four will bow before me. Then, and only then, Tarkir will be my feeding ground.
*ROAR* Her fellow broodings echo her edict. The very sky above their territory lit up with radiant green fire.
…
It has been three months since Jon and his mother were accepted into Atarka clan. He has just passed his eleventh nameday if his calculation is correct, but Jon knows he isn't that good at math. It's something he needs to correct in the future. Jon has no idea what his mother is thinking, but he trusts her with all his heart. They come here to seek out Ugin. He doesn't understand why she needs to be so …. Intimate … with the Hunt Caller. Not that he complains. He is happy with it, his mother is also happy with it, so it's all good.
Surrak sees himself as Jon elder brother and seems to dote on him. His mother even openly supports the idea. Surrak told him that it's his duty as an elder brother to guide his little brother to greatness, especially one that impresses Atarka. It is the same sentiment that his mother also shares, and somehow, he doesn't know why they are so in sync with each other.
That and the fact that his mother decides to spend a lot of time with him alone doing gods know what. Everyone told him that he will eventually know when he grows up. And many female hunters offer to be the one to teach him when that time comes.
Sooner than he realized, Atarka clan becomes his family. Here he has a mother and a brother, who somehow had been very close to each other. Jon fears that his mother will abandon him in favor of Surrak, but both of them assure him that he is still their favorite, somehow. He has friends who only judge him by his performances. And when he does overperform, they praise him for that. He even gets to see a dragon up close!
The latter is a courtesy of the dragonlord. An actual dragon unlike the inbred Targareans of Westeros. Atarka herself seems to have a grand plan for him, which makes him her next favorite thing since food and Atarka does obsess her food.
This family is weird. At least it is better than Winterfell.
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Jon finds Surrak a nice fellow. He is friendl and cares for others. He teaches Jon all about the five clans of Tarkir: their member races, their strength, their tactics, and how to fight them. He even spares no expense teaching Jon in his brand of magic. And more importantly, he teaches Jon how to punch a dragon and live to tell the tale.
"Remember, little brother. When you tapped into the land and summon its power, you need to focus. Concentrate and observe everything around you. Feels the rage of the mountains and the vigor of the forests. It allows me to best a dragon and I believe it will allow you to achieve something even greater." Surrak pats Jon's shoulder.
"Even greater than besting a sick dragon?" mocked Jon. Surrak laughs.
"A sick dragon is still a dragon Jon. It may lose its reason, but it can still kill you as easy. Anyway, I believe you are more talented than me. Atarka even favors you, and as you know she doesn't like anything unless it comes to her food."
"She wants me to hunt a dragon alone!" Retorted Jon. "How can I even reach a dragon when I have an entire clan that hates us in my way?"
"Don't worry about that yet, little brother. Now, concentrate and try."
Jon sighs in defeat and follows his elder brother instruction. He closes his eyes and concentrates his mind at his surroundings. He feels the earth beneath his feet. He feels the air above his head. His consciousness expands outward and, at that moment, he feels like he is one with his surroundings. He could feel the mana of the plane itself traveling through the leylines. He reaches out for it and it rushes to him like a dragon to the offering at Atarka's feast.
It makes him feels like he could wrestle an alligator and tussle a whale. He feels like he could catch lightning and throw it in jail.
Jon opens his eyes and it burst out with more power than he ever could imagine. The very air seems to crack open around him. He could see excitement in his elder brother eyes.
"Well done! Jon. You did it on the first try. You are natural at this. You are indeed destined to do great things. Arlinn would be pleased." Surrak laughs. "Now, I will show you how to use that power to increase your strength."
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More months have passed. Day by day, Jon grows stronger. He learns all he can from Surrak, the clan shaman, and on one occasion Atarka herself. The latter could be described as a verbal lecture in draconic. It was the feat that leaves the other clan members stunned, for it is well known that out the dragonlord doesn't like opening her mouth aside from eating and breathing fire.
What they don't know that the dragonlord want something to tip the balance between the five clans. And she deems Jon capable of doing so.
To the mundane observer, they would only hear a dragon and a boy taking a turn and growls at each other. Those who could grasp draconic would make out some word. Atarka's brood would not care what two of them speak. But between Jon and Atarka, it was a heated debate. The dragonlord sought to mold the boy into her image, while the boy questioned everything he heard.
"You have dragon blood in your veins, Little Snow. You can become much stronger, but you need to think as we do." Atarka growls. "Your thought is shaped by that of a human. Your limited mind is your own shackle, you need to break it. Allows your instinct to take control."
"Won't that mean I will lose control?" Asked Jon. He still remembers when he went on a rampage across Winterfell during his first transformation. The one that he almost killed Robb, which make him sad. But it also led him to Thalia, which make him less sad.
"Lose control? Control is just one limitation lesser races put on themselves. Dragon needs to be free. Embrace your passion. Be true to your own nature. When we are hungry, we eat. What enrages us, we destroy. What we want, we take. All because we are strong enough to do so."
Jon becomes silent as he contemplates what he heard. He knows Atarka is not a scholar. She just does what she does. But that doesn't mean that she is a mere brute. She is cunning, viciously so, and can easily contend with the other much shrewder dragonlord, such as Ojutai and Silumgar.
"Because you are strong enough to do so?" Asked Jon. "What about when you are not strong enough?"
"Then you are a fool to do such a thing. When a weak try to emulate the strong, they die a horrible death. Why does dragon rule and man serve? Because we are stronger. Why do we tolerate other clans? Because they are strong enough to resist us. Why do we don't expand beyond our territory? Because we are not strong enough to hold it. Do you understand?" Atarka let out an annoyed growl. She doesn't like talking too much, but she makes an exception this time for Jon.
Jon nods.
"Change your mind into that of a dragon. It will allow you to draw power from your essence." She spreads her gigantic wings and ascends to the sky. "Only then you can achieve the goal I set for you."
*Roar* Atarka lets out a bellowing cry. She circles around Jon's head, doing laps. Then she breathes out an emerald flame that lit the very sky ablaze.
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Jon continues to train with Atarka clan for one more year. The harsh condition of living and the constant use of magic molded him into a strong young man. He might be only twelve namedays old, but he is more than qualified to join the hunt. He tried to learn everything he could. From time to time, he tagged along the raiding party to learn the way of guerrilla warfare. He received a lecture about the clan's history from the clan elder. He even sought out a hidden shaman of old to learn the old shamanistic way of the Temur Frontier.
They told him about thousands of years old legend of a man called the Sarkhan. A man that appeared out of nowhere and spoke about the unwritten. A man whose actions changed the caused of the war between khans and dragons. A being that was human and dragon both. A man who seemed to mysteriously disappear the same way he came.
Jon had no doubt this Sarkhan was a planeswalker. Strange, a pre-mending planeswalker should be much more powerful than what was described.
Seeing that Jon is being cared for by those she could trust, Arlinn left him to learn all he could and went back to Innistrad. She still occasionally drops by to stay, mostly with Jon but sometimes she spent it alone with Surrak. Jon still has no idea what happened between the two of them.
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Today is the day that Jon is waiting for. Silumgar clan marches across their border, only to find them ready and waiting. Their attack had been seen in the shaman's visions.
Servant of the Drifting Dead, both alive and dead, pour into the valley that they call home. In the sky, serpentine dragons colliding with the hungering host of antler and furs. Emerald fire and noxious acid cloud block out the sun. On the ground, men kill men. They led a relentless horde of zombie, naga, and rakshasa clashes with the ainnok, elemental, and their beast companions. Warriors are dying, just to be raised up and killed again. Swords and spears cut through fleshes as if it had no meaning. Spells are slung without hesitation about how much damage it would cause. It is brutal. It is horrible. And somehow, Jon finds that it is where he belongs.
There! Jon finds his target. A Deathbringer regent. He roars a deafening challenge in draconic. With spear in hand, he readies himself for a confrontation a lifetime.
*Roar* The Silumgar's regent accepts. It cut through the air as if it was nothing. Acidic poisons spew from its mouth. Its serpentine eyes promise a horrible death.
At that moment everyone around him, both friends and foes, know that a new legend will be forged today.
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Reviews (Cont.)
Ragnarshadow: Surrak is the dragon dad …
Still thinks he is?
…
Custom Card of the Chapter
Card Name: Force of Brutality
Mana Cost: 3RG
Types: Instant
Card Text:
You may exile a red card and a green card from your hand rather than pay this spell's mana cost
Choose one –
Deal 3 damages to each creature except for green creature you control. Your creatures gain trample until end of turn.
Destroy all creatures with flying except for red creature you control. Your creatures gain double strike until end of turn.
Rarity: Rare
