Mycah's diagnosis for Bran's back wasn't good. The boy couldn't have fallen worse if he tried. Which meant, this was going to take days to do. Perhaps, he should have asked for chunk of the North in return. He paced around the room much to the lady's chagrin.
"Can you do it?" Lady Stark asked. Mycah nodded his head. His pacing increased in speed.
This wasn't an issue for his kind. Pilot's healed their bodies with aura. Any damage done without aura behind it could be healed. Well if no divine entity was involved. A powerful priestess for instance could do some damage. Avatars were worse fully capable of killing a pilot. Then there were incarnations. Mycah shivered at the thought of one emerging.
"What's the problem Mycah?" Mycah opened his mouth to reply. The stopped how could he tell her there was something he feared. She looked at him with large expectant eyes driving him to speak. Just before he would have spoken his fears, a burly auburn-haired man burst in.
"Mother are you and Bran alright, there was a fire." Rob shouted then stared down at the corpse with a smoking hole in its chest. A Valerian Steel dagger with a dragon bone handle attached to it lay next to the catspaw's hand. And we children who shouldn't be here. "What's going on?" Rob asked.
"Everything is fine Rob, could you take care of that corpse?" Lady Stark asked.
"Mother what's going on, why is Arya and a strange boy here in Bran's room?" Rob asked.
"Oh, he's a wizard your father sent with Arya to heal Bran. He says he can do it, but I think he's trying to figure out where to start." Lady Stark supplied.
All the time spent shivering and thinking about incarnations wasn't time well spent. Mycah focused his attention back to Bran's body. His sixth sense slipped easily beneath the skin as he observed what was hidden. Ultimately, the breaking of Bran's back was a mechanical problem. A mechanical solution would have to do. Mycah wasn't a doctor but perhaps he could be a mechanic.
"The fall didn't do him any favors. I can do it but, it'll take days." Mycah added.
"Wait how, Maester Luwin said its impossible." Rob said.
"He's a Pilot Rob." Arya supplied. Mycah turned to Arya to see her grinning at him. He let out a sigh and prepared to get to work.
"Wait, I thought mother said he was a wizard." Rob said his eyes were watching the room for another danger. This was going to take three days of straight concentration and herculean control. It was just the thing to push him to the great circle of foundation.
"Wizards require blood sacrifice on weirwood trees to boost their magic. We Pilots don't do that." Mycah said.
"Can anyone become a wizard?" Arya asked. She wasn't fooling him.
"Some have more talent than others, but you can't, you must have balls to be a wizard. You'd be a witch. Some in the last great council threw around the title of wizardess but it never caught on. Wizard as a title holds true to the grey beard stereotype." Mycah said, as he continued to scan Bran.
He could use his tentacles like tubes to create a path through the inflammation for the nerves. Once he reconnected them, he'd send small shocks through to wake them up.
"What if I wanted to be a Pilot?" Arya asked.
"I'd tell you to practice meditation for an hour today and increase your time to six hours. Once you can meditate for six hours straight, survival of the first stage is guaranteed. Going from the refinery stage to my stage is often deadly. I'll walk you through it when the time comes. It's better to have someone help you through it. Its best to have two pilots assisting but I'm the only one." Mycah said as he focused on Bran.
"Can you really fix my brother?" Arya asked.
"I have a game plan and if I don't fuck up it will work." Mycah said.
"So, what are you going to do?" Lady Stark asked.
"I'm going to create small tubes to act as tunnels through the inflammation to protect his spine. I'll reattach any nerves I find detached. This will take three days and nights." Mycah said. He looked at Arya. "Once I get going, I can't stop." She still didn't seem to get it. "If you have any more questions ask them now." Arya opened her mouth then closed it. Her mother was glaring at her.
"What do you need?" Rob asked.
"I just need to focus for three days straight."
A golden tentacle appeared and rose to Bran's neck. Then it burst into millions if micro tentacles. They slipped through Bran's skin and followed his nerves down. Mycah closed his eyes and devoted himself entirely to his task.
He traveled down from the brain stem finding dozens of tiny nerves separated from the beginning. The impact wasn't kind to Bran. From the micro tentacles nano tentacles emerged to grasp the nerves and pull them back together. He used aura to make a cast of sorts then used a tiny electrical pulse to stimulate the nerves. The cast would dissolve in time.
Hours passed as he worked repairing nerves in the chest to ease Bran's breathing. He'd expected some damage here but not to this extent. The boy would still be able to breath but just barely. Sleep would be difficult for him.
A day had passed before he finished with the chest. Then he came to the next issue. The inflammation had crushed the nerves. He pushed at the inflammation. At this point it was more akin to mining than any surgery. Bleeders happened all the time and he had to patch up the holes. Then he pumped the blood back to an artery.
It was the second day and he still worked. He tunneled out a single section. The nerves were broken in several places. He placed them in casts thought it felt more like molds. With a few shocks the nerves came back and he used the cast to connect them. Without the pressure from the inflammation the nerves tried to reconnect themselves. He started to pull back from his first tunnel and waited for any sign of collapse.
Instead of collapse bleeders appeared everywhere. Hours of patches and pumping later the tunnel was cleared and stable. Mycah started the next tunnel. He only had thousands to go.
It was the third day and he was on a roll. His ability to manipulate flesh was improving with each tunnel. Bleeders hardly happened with his newer tunnel design. He used a suction cup like end to his arches to distribute the pressure more evenly. This increased the speed of his progress by 80%.
The occasional bleeder still happened. Now he had the process down. They were patched up and the excess blood was pumped out almost automatically. To make matters better the swelling was going down on its own. At exactly 71hours and 29minutes Mycah had finished the little operation.
Mycah opened his eyes and gently withdrew his tentacle. He turned to see Lady Stark watching. She looked like warmed hell but hopeful. A smile flashed on Mycah's face. He nodded his head.
"Did you do it, he'll be able to walk?" Lady Stark asked.
"Well, it's more like I've set his body up to heal properly. Everything is back together. He just must let his body heal. So, I'd advise keeping him in bed for a few more days. Want to see something cool?" Mycah moved to Bran's foot and brushed it. The toes moved. Her breath hitched at that.
"You've done house Stark a great service today. Is there anything we can do for you?" Lady Stark asked.
"I've already told Lord Stark family of my friends get healing for free." Mycah thought about it for a moment. "Besides, I owed Arya one."
"That is very noble of you. In return you will always have a place in Winterfell." Rob said as he made his way in. A shaggy haired blonde guy followed behind him.
"How do we know it worked?" Bran's foot moved and stretched at that. The boy rolled over on his side and started opening his eyes. He began looking around.
"Hey why is everyone in here? Did something happen?" Bran asked. Maester Luwin stepped in.
"Bran you were in an accident. You fell of the broken tower. Do you remember anything?" Maester Luwin asked.
Bran shook his head. He moved to get up when Lady Stark moved. "Bran you were hurt bad. Maybe you should stay in bed for one more day to make sure you heal.
"But I feel fine mother." Bran said.
"Oh shit, I forgot to ask someone to inform Lord Stark that we'd be gone for three days." Mycah said.
"I sent a raven." Maester Luwin said.
"So magic is real and practical." The Maester said.
"It's a tool. Anyone can use it. Few use it responsibly." Mycah said. The old man nodded at that.
"How exactly does a flexible object like a tentacle repair a spine?" Maester Luwin asked.
"It doesn't." Mycah said.
"Then how did you repair his spine with a tentacle?" Maester Luwin asked.
"I didn't." Mycah answered.
"Bran's spine was broken and now its healed." Maester Luwin said.
"No, it isn't." Mycah said. "That's why he should remain in bed." Mycah said.
"Wait but his legs are moving." Theon said.
"They are." Mycah acknowledged.
"Doesn't that mean his spine is healed?" Lady Stark asked.
"Have you ever repaired a broken spine before?" Mycah asked.
"No, it's considered impossible. Did you not repair it?" Maester Luwin said.
"Where is Arya she would understand?" Rob asked.
"Still sleeping with her feet crossed." Theon said with a smirk.
"This isn't the time for smiles Theon. You said you fixed him." Lady Stark said.
"Is a broken arm fixed because it's in a sling?" Mycah asked.
"Oh, I get it now. You set his spine to heal but it needs time to fully heal. So even magic has its limits." Theon guessed.
"Magic has no limits. The body on the other hand does." Mycah turned to Maester Luwin. "You're the one who wanted a lesson on magic. This is it."
"Fascinating, so you took advantage of those limits and set the boy to heal himself. Truly remarkable, I've never heard of such a use before." Luwin said.
"Yes, not many know when to stop throwing magic against a problem. Valeria is a prime example of a backfire. When throwing magic and blood sacrifices at a problem doesn't solve it try something else. The Valerian's would have taken slaves and killed them while demanding magic fix Bran's back. Either Bran's back would be repaired, or they would run out of slaves. Truly they were a remarkable civilization." Mycah said.
"How do you know that's what happened?" Rob asked. Mycah pointed at the Valerian steel dagger on the nightstand. When he focused on it, he noticed a glamour. With a little push of aura, the illusion opened. It was Willy Wanka's hell.
All the burning pain and eternal torture a monotheist could wish on their worst enemies.
"Two hundred lives were minced with clay before being evenly heated with dragon fire. Powerful and wasteful would describe them perfectly." They were screaming at him in anger and vengeance.
Why someone wanted to bind a consciousness to steel was beyond him. To Mycah's eyes the dagger was a knife wrapped in burning consciousness. They screamed how they were made into the air for anyone to hear. Fortunately, Mycah was great at ignoring. He wondered what ice the Stark's ancestral sword would look like.
"I'm going to find Arya. We should return to Lord Stark with the good news." Mycah said. He turned and got the fuck out of there.
He stepped out of the room and enhanced his sense of hearing with aura. From there he followed Arya's light breathing. He walked the stone halls and wondered what the former kings of winter would think of his designs. This world was his playground now and one of their daughters his own playmate.
After a few twists and turns the old castle gave up her secrets. Arya's room opened to him and he stepped inside. Next to a roaring fire Arya sat cross-legged. She remained silent as he closed the door behind him. He took a step on the cold stone floor for her benefit. She opened her eyes and looked at him.
"Arya I've come for my reward." Mycah whispered. The sounds were carried by his aura and only touched her ears. Her ears twitched and Arya opened her eyes. He sat down on a cushion of air.
The fire raged in the fireplace as Mycah thought about what he wanted to do. Civilization started with two families getting together to increase their chances of survival. "I'm going to teach you so many things." Mycah said, with a chuckle.
"You sound like an evil wizard." Arya said.
"Pilot, I've killed a few wizards." Mycah said.
"Why were they evil?" He shook his head and smiled at the girl.
"Nah, they wanted to live, and I opposed their choice." She was blushing and he knew where she was looking.
"Are you sure this is what you want? My father could give you land, gold enough to make you a knight, and a horse." She offered. "You could be a Knight Mycah, isn't that what you told me you dreamed you were." Arya said.
"I dreamed a dream of endless steel, battle fields unending, and enough blood to quench my thirst. But when I awoke, I thirsted not for blood. Awake from my dream I remembered a princess with hair of black and spirit wild. With bravery unmatched against the steel unworthy, even a god slayer would swoon for the daughter of winter." Arya blushed at his words.
"That's stupid, Sansa would love it but I'm not some dumb girl. I'm not a princess. I want to be a knight." She moved her hand to his pants and pulled them down. Arya's warm hand wrapped around his member.
"I'll show you how to gain the power you seek. But I'm going to warn you now. Everyone has their limit. Let's find yours."
His member slipped between her lips and her tongue greeted him. The wet muscle slipped around tasting and exploring every nook and cranny. Every now and then she swallowed and continued her exploring. Locks of black hair shielded her face. Then she got to sucking.
Her pouty lips moved up and down his shaft tonguing him. He let out a gasp as she brought him closer to the edge. She had a dangerous look in her eyes when she felt him throb. While she sucked on him their eyes met and her hand grasped his balls.
Arya didn't have much in the way of technique in his opinion. What she had was determination and spit. She bobbed her head like a champ and despite his resistance she kept finding openings. This girl was talented beyond her years. Something that only experience would improve upon.
He lost his confidence when she did the unthinkable for an amateur. She bobbed her head all the way down until he nearly touched her throat. Then she turned to the side throwing him for a loop. She clenched her cheek creating an optical illusion of deep throating. Clever girl.
Of all things she'd beaten him with a trick. He gritted his teeth as her mouth filled up. She backed up holding on to his tip with her lips. This one was dangerous, and she knew it. Mycah watched her give a big swallow then let out a sigh.
"I don't know what the big deal is. It was salty and sweet." Mycah raised an eyebrow. He felt refreshed and ready really get started. But that would have to wait.
"Arya we're going to build a printing press."
"What's a printing press?"
Author's Note: Thank you for reading. Leave a review and tell me what you think.