AN: Hello again! Thank you for your reviews and support so far! It really makes the writing process much more fulfilling to get feedback. Just a heads up, for those who followed chapter 1 before October 12, there have been quite a few edits to the chapter for continuity and consistency made to the chapter. The overall plot has not changed drastically but, if you find yourself thinking "That's not how things worked last chapter," then I recommend that you take a few minutes to re-read the first chapter. :-)
Jon woke up feeling more refreshed than he ever had in all of his days at Winterfell. No grogginess was present as he opened his eyes and saw words floating in the air above him.
Jon Snow Level 5: 2100/3100
HP: 120/120
SP: 120/120
MP: 100/100
After sleeping for 8 hours in a bed that you own, you wake feeling rejuvenated. All negative status effects are cured and HP, SP and MP are fully restored.
That's interesting, Jon thought as he pulled on his clothes. That could come in really handy down the line.
Jon pulled his boots on and examined his room. His sparse chambers were nothing to brag about. There was a wooden dresser that housed his clothes and supported a deep bowl of fresh water which must have been brought in by one of the servants over the night, for him to use while freshening up in the morning. A mid-sized rug covered the expanse of floor between his bed and the fireplace. There was a simple desk with an equally simple chair and a chamber pot nestled in the corner near the window.
Even though he had woken up in that room most every day since his fourth name day, he had never really noticed how sparsely decorated his chamber was in comparison with the rest of Winterfell. As a Northern family that was quick to remind their countrymen that Winter is Coming, the Starks were not a family for garish, displays of wealth. However, there were subtle reminders of the family's wealth and power in most every other room in the castle.
Finely embroidered banners and intricately carved wooden furniture was the uniting theme throughout Winterfell. By commissioning such works from his bannermen, Eddard Stark was able to redistribute income to help drive the Northern economy while providing work that gave the men and women of the North a sense of pride. It makes sense. The Lord of Winterfell can commission works from his bannermen to keep them happy and productive during times of peace which would make them more willing to fight for the Lord if he was forced to call his banners during a time of war.
A puzzled look settled on Jon's face. Why would such a thought come to mind? I cannot count the number of times that I've looked over the contents of this room and I've never thought of either how the decorations here compare to the rest of the castle nor why the castle had been furnished in the way that it was or the potential rationale for the various purchases that Lord Stark made throughout the years.
Could this be a side effect of adding a point to the Perception perk yesterday? It's like everything has another level to it that was not there yesterday! If this is what one extra point does, what would the world seem like with ten points of Perception? For that matter, how would adding points to Strength, Endurance, Charisma, intelligence, Agility or Luck change my life?
Strength, Endurance and Agility were fairly easy for Jon to imagine. An image of him lifting a horse came to mind at the thought of him adding points to Strength. A vision of him sprinting at full speed and leaving a huffing and puffing Robb in his wake flashed through his mind at the thought of adding points to Endurance. The thought of him weaving through Theon's sword strikes, untouched came to mind, as he thought of adding points to Agility.
As welcome as these thoughts were, the prospect of increasing Charisma, Intelligence and Luck was equally appealing to Jon. He could see himself convincing a large group of men to take up arms and march to battle with him if he increased his charisma. He could imagine himself sought after for his keen advice if he increased his intelligence. He could envision himself finally beloved by the woman who scorned him, if he was a bit luckier.
The last thought caused Jon to grimace. All the luck in the world probably could not make that happen. However, maybe, if he was lucky, she would just ignore him and not be so keen for him to be reprimanded for every slight, real or imagined, against her or her trueborn children.
So far, I've gained four levels but only got one perk point. If the amount of experience needed to increase from one level to the next continues to double then it will be incredibly difficult to get perk points as my level increases. I'll have to take care when deciding where to add perk points in the future. It will take forever to get perk points by leveling; hopefully I can find another way to get them in the future.
Jon's finger grazed the surface of the Stargaryan Ring and caused the four-point menu to appear before him. The option on the right still read ? and Jon was unable to access the portion of the menu obscured by the question marks. He tapped Items to access his inventory and tapped the Stargaryan Ring.
Stargaryan Ring: This ring was ? to activate when slipped on the finger of the intended wielder. When activated, the Stargaryan Ring will provide an accurate assessment of his/her abilities among other things. The perks that the ring grants to its wielder will allow much faster skill growth than unmeasured leveling that occurs as a result of the typical human experience. The full potential of the ring has not yet been realized by the current wielder. Only the wielder of the Ring can see it once it has been activated.
The description has changed since yesterday! Maybe if I increase my Perception and Intelligence further then I will unlock the section of the Stargaryan Ring that is currently hidden by question marks. Well, if it wants me to level up in order to fully discover its secrets then I will do my best to level up. In the meantime, I probably should be getting downstairs to break my fast with everyone.
Jon exited the menu by grazing the ring with his finger as he left his chamber and closed the door behind him. His walk was uneventful as most people would already be down in the dining hall to break their fasts. Jon broke into a quick trot and noticed that with his twentieth step his SP bar lost a point.
SP: 119/120
Apparently SP stands for Stamina Points, Jon thought to himself. I bet that adding perk points to endurance will cause SP to increase.
Jon continued at the quick pace that he had set going down the staircase that would lead him to the dining hall. He noticed, along the walls of the staircase, that the windows were angled in such a way that if an archer was in stationed at the window he would have almost complete visibility to shoot at enemy forces but enemy archers would have had a much harder time firing an arrow at the correct angle needed to get their arrow through the window and hit the defending archer that was raining arrows down upon him.
Wow, Winterfell is definitely much more than the fancy castle that most think it to be. I'm sure that there are many more features that I've overlooked over the years that would make the fortress extremely formidable in the event of a siege.
Jon shook his head and continued down the staircase toward the smells of food. Jon arrived and took his place with the servants. Small bowls of berries from the Winterfell's glass gardens, toasted bread on cutting boards with butter dishes at their side and a thick porridge made with milk was made available for all to take their fill. The breakfast was not so lavish that it would go against the Stark words that Winter is Coming. The family would not be wasteful in the warm seasons as their words always proved true in the end and they would be prepared for the lean times that it brought upon them at Winterfell.
Jon sliced a hunk of bread and buttered it deftly before putting in on his plate. He reached for one of the bowls of berries and tilted it so around ten dropped onto his plate. He poured porridge into his bowl and started eating without ceremony. As he raised his first spoonful of porridge to his mouth, the ring on his finger glinted in the sunlight and he had an idea.
Discreetly brushing the ring with this thumb, all motion and sound instantly came to a halt. Jon attempted to stand up and leave his seat only to find that, when he stood up, he was unable to move from his spot. He could lift the foot that would be used to return to the main four-point menu but could not make his body leave the spot he was when he opened the menu.
That's disappointing, but I suppose that it makes sense that freezing time to allow access to the menu was probably incredibly difficult to accomplish and that allowing the wielder to move through frozen time was probably darn near impossible. With a slight frown, Jon sat down in his seat and accessed his inventory.
Jon tapped 'Food,' 'Books' and saw Berries (10), Buttered Toast and Hearty Porridge. Jon decided to investigate further and tapped the first food option.
Berries (10)
Increase HP and SP regenerate at a rate of 1 point per minute outside of combat over the next two hours
Buttered Toast
Increase SP by 10 over the next two hours or until points are used.
Hearty Porridge
Increase HP and SP by 20 over the next four hours or until points are used.
Woah! The maester was right when he said that breaking one's fast is crucial to starting the day off on the right foot. Getting stat boosts just from eating was a huge win from Jon's perspective. He exited the menu and proceeded to scarf down his rations getting a notification when he finished.
Jon Snow Level 5: 2100/3100
HP: 140/120 (Effect: HP regenerates at a rate of 1 point per minute outside of combat over the next two hours)
SP: 150/120 (Effect: SP regenerates at a rate of 1 point per minute outside of combat over the next two hours)
MP: 100/100
Jon grinned at his temporarily boosted HP and SP before felling a tug on his tunic.
"Good morning, Jon," a young boy asked while beaming at him. "Will you come to visit the performers with Robb, Theon and me this morning?"
Jon turned and looked at the boy who was holding the sleeve of his tunic.
Bran Stark, The Sure-Footed Stark
Level 5: S. 1 P. 2 E. 2 C. 2 I. 1 A. 4 L. 1
Reputation: 51%
"Good morning Bran. That sounds like a fine way to spend the morning," Jon agreed with a grin. "You all ready to go?"
Quest Activated!
Winterfell's Guests: Meet the performers who have taken short-term residence at Winterfell
Reward for completion: 400 Experience and increased Reputation with Bran Stark, Robb Stark and Theon Greyjoy and others.
Penalty for failure: Decreased Reputation with Bran Stark, Robb Stark and Theon Greyjoy, potential negative long term consequences.
"I can't wait to go! Robb and Theon just left, saying that they would meet us at the training ground."
"Right then, let's go join them," Jon agreed while standing up and taking leave of his place at the table. "Maybe we can get some practice at swords in before we make our way over to where the performers set up their camp."
"Ser Rodrik says that I'm doing even better than Robb was when he was my age. I'm going to be the next great knight in all of Westeros," Bran promised with a spark of determination in his brown eyes. "I'll be even greater than Arthur Dayne, Barristan the Bold or Jaime Lannister!"
"Well we best get to practicing if that's going to happen!"
Bran set off at a run, causing Jon to run to keep up.
SP: 139/100
SP: 138/100
SP: 137/100
SP: 136/100
SP: 135/100
The boys appeared in the training grounds laughing at their quick passage through the corridors of Winterfell. In the center of the training field, a grizzled man with a beard that he tied beneath his chin and a barreled chest was putting the Winterfell guards through drills.
Ser Rodrik Cassel, Winterfell's Master-at-Arms
Level: ?: S. ? P. ? E. ? C. ? I. ? A. ? L.?
Reputation: ?
Here was another person that was beyond Jon's current ability to perceive their attributes. It's not surprising. As Winterfell's Master-at-Arms, Ser Rodrik should be strong.
"Oy! Jon, Bran," a voice shouted. "Over here."
Jon and Bran turned toward the voice and saw Robb and Theon standing across from one another with their wooden training swords drawn.
Robb Stark, Heir to Winterfell
Level: 18: S. 4 P. 2 E. 3 C. 3 I. 2 A. 2 L. 0
Reputation: 29%
Robb was tall for his age. He had an easy smile and had inherited a shade of red in his hair from his mother. He was everything expected of the future Lord of Winterfell. Across from Robb, stood his closest companion and trusted companion.
Theon Greyjoy, Heir to the Iron Islands and Ward of Winterfell
Level: 18: S. 3 P. 3 E. 3 C. 2 I. 2 A. 3 L. 0
Reputation: 6%
The gangly boy had been taken as a ward to ensure his father's complacency immediately following the Greyjoy Rebellion that had occurred at the end of Robert's Rebellion. Theon was a haughty boy who had a perpetual smirk on his face. He took every opportunity to remind Jon of his status as a bastard while reinforcing his own superiority. As such, Jon did not seek out the older boy's company and only tolerated his presence when courtesy dictated it to be necessary.
With a shout, the two boys launched themselves at one another. Robb swung his sword down in a mighty arc which Theon evaded with a quick step to the side before launching a horizontal strike at Robb's chest. Robb's sword was brought up quickly as he recovered his balance from the missed attack. He caught Theon's attack on the side of his blade before lashing out with a kick to the other boy's midsection. Theon fell to the ground in a sitting position and Robb's wooden sword was immediately at his throat.
"Better luck next time, Greyjoy."
"Enjoy it while you can, Stark."
The two boys glared at each other for a moment before Robb laughed and extended a hand to help his opponent to stand. With Theon back on his feet, Robb turned his attention to Jon. "Care to try your luck, brother?"
Quest Activated!
Playing at Swords: Show your prowess with the sword and defeat Robb in a spar.
Reward for completion: 1000 Experience and increased Reputation with Bran Stark, Robb Stark and Theon Greyjoy.
Penalty for failure: Decreased Reputation with Bran Stark, Robb Stark and Theon Greyjoy, potential negative long term consequences.
Jon grinned and caught the wooden training sword that Theon threw his way, knowing that Jon would not refuse Robb's challenge. Jon swung the sword in a circle experimentally at his waist as he took Theon's place in the training yard.
He quickly pulled his stats to compare his S.P.E.C.I.A.L. skills to Robb's.
Jon Snow Level 5: 2100/3100
HP: 140/120 (Effect: HP regenerates at a rate of 1 point per minute outside of combat over the next two hours
SP: 135/120 (Effect: SP regenerates at a rate of 1 point per minute outside of combat over the next two hours MP: 100/100
S. 2 P. 2 E. 2 C. 1 I. 1 A. 2 L. 1
Then Jon focused upon his half-brother causing his S.P.E.C.I.A.L. stats to appear.
Robb Stark, Heir to Winterfell
Level: 18: S. 4 P. 2 E. 3 C. 3 I. 2 A. 2 L. 0
Robb had a significant advantage in Strength which would be useful in their spar. Their Perception was equal, so neither had an advantage in that category. Robb also had slightly more Endurance than Jon which could be the deciding factor in conjunction with his superior Strength. Charisma and Intelligence probably would not play a factor in the spar, so Jon did not factor them into his comparison, though he made a note that he should do what he can to reach Robb's level in both as that would put him on par with the heir to one of the most prominent families in Westeros. Jon was only statistically better than Robb when it came to his Luck, though he doubted that one point would make a significant difference in a spar.
"Ready, Snow?"
"On with it, Stark."
The two boys lunged at each other, Jon immediately forced on the defensive as Robb initiated a rapid series of strikes. The first was blocked and Jon saw letters appear in the air between himself and his opponent.
Skill Level Up: Blocking 2 +100
Two more fierce strikes were aimed at Jon. The first strike was a horizontal strike from his left which met Jon's waiting sword. The second was an overhead slash coming down with surprising quickness after Robb disengaged from their brief sword-lock. Jon raised his wooden sword over his head and moved his left hand to the flat of the blade to reinforce his block as Robb's sword connected.
Skill Level Up: Blocking +100
Jon smirked. If sparring is such an effective means to increase my skill level then I will be doing a lot of sparring in the coming days.
With a grunt, Jon let his sword arm drop while pushing fiercely with his left hand to separate Robb's sword from his own. He followed this action quickly by swinging his blade at Robb, who met the edge of Jon's sword with his own.
Skill Level Up: One-handed +100
Armsman: One-Handed weapons do 20% more damage.
I can't believe that I forgot the skill point that I added to One-Handed weaponry last night! I have to take advantage of this skill.
Jon abandoned the two-handed grip that he had automatically fallen into at the start of the spar. Jon struck again quickly with a horizontal slash and met Robb's waiting blade.
Skill Level Up: One-handed +100
Armsman: One-Handed weapons do 20% more damage.
Changing his tactics, Jon aimed a diagonal cross slash only to be foiled by Robb's guard again. Backing away, Jon swung his sword in a quick circle at his side before launching a horizontal slash that made Robb wince as he blocked the blow.
Skill Level Up: One-handed +200
Armsman: One-Handed weapons do 20% more damage.
Jon wanted to keep Robb on the defensive to minimize the older boy's greater strength. However, Robb seemed to figure out what Jon was trying to do and launched a sweeping strike at Jon's knees that he was able to leap over.
Skill Level Up: Evasion +100
Evasive Tactics: 20% more likely to evade enemy attacks
Jon must have been grinning like a mad man as he dodged each of Robb's next five attacks with increasing ease.
Skill Level Up: Evasion +500
Evasive Tactics: 20% more likely to evade enemy attacks
Level Up!
Open the menu to upgrade skills
Alright! My HP and SP were restored when I leveled up! "What's wrong, Stark? Can't deal with this level of snow?"
Skill Level Up: Speech +100
"I'll show you, Snow," Robb challenged while renewing his assault.
Jon ducked under the first swing and blocked the follow-up swing with his wooden sword, locking his blade with Robb's for the third time in as many minutes since their spar had begun. Seeing Robb's center of gravity shift, as it did when he kicked out at Theon, Jon hopped backwards letting the force of Robb's sword push him away from the front kick that would have resulted in Jon spending time on the ground. In the second that Robb's foot was extended, Jon reached out with his left hand to push Robb's leg sharply to the side causing his older brother to lose his balance. Jon followed his momentum with a spin and landed a fierce horizontal two handed blow to Robb's chest causing the Stark to fall over onto the ground.
Evasion +200
Skill Level Up: Blocking +100
Skill Level Up: Two-Handed +100
Quest Completed!
Playing at Swords: Show your prowess with the sword and defeat Robb in a spar.
Reward for completion: 1000 Experience and increased Reputation with Bran Stark, Robb Stark and Theon Greyjoy.
"It looks like the victory goes to me today, eh Stark?"
"Aye, you got me at the end. I didn't think you would expect me to try the same thing that I did to take Theon down and got a bit reckless at the end," Robb said, not begrudging Jon the victory while assessing his own performance as his father had taught him to do at the end of battle. "We'll see what happens tomorrow."
Quest Activated!
Robb's Rematch: Prove that your first victory was no fluke and defeat Robb in a second spar
Reward for completion: 1500 Experience and increased Reputation with Robb Stark and others.
Penalty for failure: Decreased Reputation with Robb Stark and others, potential negative long term consequences.
The sound of clapping broke Jon and Robb from the promise of the next day's rematch. "It looks like you have finally come to understand the lessons that I've been trying impart since you first took up the sword," Ser Rodrik Cassel praised while walking over to where Jon and Robb had sparred. "If you're in the mood for a challenge, some of the newer recruits are in need of a new sparring partner."
Quest Activated!
Rodrik's Recruits: Face and defeat Rodrik's Recruits in a sparring session
Reward for completion: 500 Experience per recruit defeated, ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? if all recruits are defeated, increased Reputation with Roderick Cassel, Robb Stark, Bran Stark, Theon Greyjoy and others.
Penalty for failure: Decreased Reputation with Robb Stark and others, potential negative long term consequences.
The prospect of the rewards for successfully completing the task caused Jon to grin. What kind of mystery reward would I get if I can defeat all of the recruits? Also, how will I be able to defeat all of the recruits with my SP already being reduced from sparring with Robb? Also, I have to figure out a way to get the experience notifications to appear after combat, they could be very dangerous in a battle with live steel.
"Ser Rodrik, would you permit me a short rest before we start the challenge?"
Bran appeared at his side. "You can do it, Jon. I believe in you!"
"Chances are that none of the recruits will be better than our Robb. I'd say he has at least a decent chance, even with his piss poor swordsmanship," Theon added, throwing the bard in with his vote of confidence. "Then again, I wouldn't put too much faith in a bastard like him."
"Apologies, Jon, but, in a real battle, your enemies won't wait for you to catch your breath. It's now or never. Though I can only imagine how pleased your father would be if I told him that you managed to single-handedly beat our nine newest recruits in relay combat."
Jon beamed at the notion of being a source of pride for Lord Stark rather than a reminder of a decision that his lady wife refused to forgive.
"I'll do it then."
"Thattaboy! Alright, you lot come and see what I'm training you to be able to do. Jon has also had the privilege of my instruction and has agreed to pass the lessons onto you." A ragtag group of young men trotted over to stand behind Rodrik. "An extra serving of ale goes to the man who manages to get the best of our young swordsman. Toddrick, you're up first."
A sandy-haired, blonde of medium height and a thin build stepped out to face Jon. "Now you lot watch how it's done. I'll be happy to take the young lordling down a peg."
Jon raised his sword, gripping the pommel with both hands and readied himself for Rodrik to signal for the spar to start. The burly man raised his sword and sheath above his head and knocked the flats together causing a harsh clap that the combatants took as the signal to start their spar.
Jon's heavy two-handed swing knocked Toddrick's sword wide and he poked point of his sword firmly to Toddrick's throat with one hand.
Two-Handed +100
One-handed +100
"Brendan, you're up next. Give us a better show than Toddrick, if you will."
Jon returned to his initial position with his sword held loosely at his side in one hand as Brendan, a gangly teen with brown hair and dark eyes common to the north took his position across from Jon.
When the clap of Rodrik's sword and sheath sounded, Jon and Brendan sprang into motion. Jon lunged forward with a horizontal strike that was met by Brendan's blade. Instead of locking blades with Jon, Brendan hopped back before lashing forward his own horizontal strike. Jon ducked under the sweeping blow quickly while striking Brenden across his stomach with a two handed blow and causing his opponent to fall to the ground before the tip of Jon's sword pressed firmly into his chest.
Skill Level Up: Two-handed +100
Evasion +100
One-Handed +100
"We're going to have a lot of work to do if this is the best that you lot can do. Darryl, you're up."
A muscular yet short opponent with long, greasy black hair took his position across from Jon who was once again standing in his starting position with his sword held aloft in his right hand. When Rodrik clapped his sword and sheath, Darryl rushed forward while Jon stood still.
Darryl brought his sword above his head and roared as he chopped down, mightily. Jon quickly stepped to the side, causing Darryl's swing to land harshly on the ground with a crack. The stout guard recovered quickly and launched a horizontal strike at Jon that was easily ducked.
"Stand still and fight me like a man!" Darryl spat venomously.
"You call that fighting? I thought you just wanted to see how badly you could miss me?"
"I'll show you," Darryl snarled while launching another powerful overhead swing at Jon. It looked like the blow was going to connect but, as before, Jon side-stepped the blow causing the sword to hit the ground again with a mighty crack.
Jon attacked for the first time in the spar and landed a sharp one handed horizontal strike to Darryl's arm which caused his ill-tempered opponent to drop his broken sword.
Evasion +300
Speech +100
One-handed +100
"Go Jon," Bran yelled, fired up from the way that Jon had dispatched his opponents. "Only six more to go"
"Don't get your hopes up too high, young Lord," Rodrik cautioned. "As I'm sure Jon will tell you, getting through these six will be tougher than what he has experienced so far. Mykhail, you're up next. Show our young Lords the strength of the Winterfell Guard"
A boy who could have passed for Jon's brother stepped in front of him. Mykhail had long and curly, dark hair that fell to his shoulders, a pale complexion and a solemn face. The resemblance was much stronger that the resemblance that Jon bore to his half-brothers. When they stood they stood at a similar height and looked to share a similar build.
The clap of sword and sheath started the spar.
The two dark haired boys lunged at each other. Jon gripped his sword with two hands as he swung his sword in a mighty downward slash that was met by the flat of Mykhail's sword. The two glared at each other for a moment before Jon stealthily hooked his ankle around the back of Mykhail's foot and pulling, causing the other boy to lose his balance before Jon used one hand to push the tip of his sword firmly into Mykhail's throat.
Two-Handed +100
Skill Level Up: Sneak +100
One-handed +100
"Oy, learned something from Robb's spars, did you, Snow?" Theon jeered. "Maybe you'll make something of yourself, yet."
"Lay off, Theon," Robb chastised. "You couldn't win one spar today and, so far, Jon has won five in a row!"
"Well, let's see if he can make that six in a row. Trevin, you're up. Let's see what you got. Surely, young master Jon must be running out of steam by now!"
Jon was panting heavily but couldn't help bit to smirk. I'm about to level up and, when I do, my SP will refill. Unless these last five guards are something special, I should be able to come out on top of this challenge as the victor.
Trevin took his place opposite Jon on the training field and the two burst into action at the clap of sword and sheath.
Trevin was quick and he launched a horizontal strike at Jon's head before the weary bastard could raise his sword to guard himself. Fortunately, Jon was able to slip under the blow as he felt a burst of energy.
The first one handed sweeping blow was caught by Trevin's guard, while the second also met the edge of Trevin's sword. The third managed to get past Trevin's guard but was only a glancing blow on the shoulder of his non-sword arm.
Trevin gritted his teeth as he lashed out at Jon. His first blow was dodged when Jon hopped backwards. However, Trevin did not allow Jon to regain the offensive and followed up with a sweeping slash that met Jon's sword causing their swords to lock.
Trevin was cautious after seeing how Jon took down Mykail and did not allow Jon the opportunity to upset his balance. Jon noticed his opponent's attention on his lower body and sprung away before launching a two handed strike that succeeded in ripping the sword from Trevin's hand. Jon quickly followed up by stabbing out with his sword and pressing firmly against the center of Trevin's chest.
One-handed +300
Skill Level Up: Evasion +100
Skill Level Up: Blocking +100
Two-Handed +100
Level up!
Open Skills Menu to Level Up!
I have to be careful with these last three. If I'm not, I could run out of SP before I get to the last opponent, Jon thought while relishing in the fact that his SP had been completely refilled following his fight against Trevin.
"You've done much better than I expected, Jon. Color me impressed. Don't let up now. Imagine how impressed your lord father would be if I could tell him that you actually succeeded in this test. Jaime, you're up next."
The haughty looking blonde stepped forward with an arrogant look in his eyes and took his place across from Jon. "Don't expect this to be easy. I was named for my mother's cousin, Jaime Lannister and he is known to be one of the greatest swordsmen in all of Westeros."
Jon did not reply, deciding to let his actions do the talking for him. When Rodrik sounded for the spar to begin, Jon moved quicker than he had in any of his previous matches and started by raising his sword above his head preparing for a mighty swing. Jaime raised his sword above his head and braced the flat of his blade with his off hand to catch what appeared to be a mighty blow. Instead of following through with the downward swing, Jon pulled his arms down quickly and pressed his sword firmly against Jaime's unguarded chest with both of his hands.
"It seems that all you inherited from you mother's uncle is his name," Jon said without emotion.
Skill Level Up: Sneak +100
Two-Handed +100
Skill Level Up: Speech +100
"Don't take it too hard, Jaime! Wolves have their teeth after all!" Rodrik said with a chuckle while putting a hand on the boy's shoulder before sending him to wait with Toddrick, Brennan, Daryl, Mikhail and Trevin. "Qarl, it's your turn."
The mousy and boyish recruit who had been standing behind the others moved to stand across from Jon. His black hair was pulled into a pony tail and it seemed that he did would rather not be forced to face off against Jon.
When Rodrik signaled for the spar to begin, all reservation seemed to be forgotten by Qarl. He quickly closed the distance between himself and Jon before launching an attack on the larger boy. Jon was not expecting such an initiative from such a small boy.
After blocking four quick strikes, Jon was able to take the offensive and found his two-handed strike blocked and his sword locked with Qarl. Jon channeled Robb again and kicked out hitting his opponent in the stomach and causing him to fall back in the dirt. Jon was on his downed opponent in a flash and stabbed his sword into his opponent's stomach before Qarl could bring his sword to bear.
Skill Level Up: Blocking 5 (800/1400) +400
Two-Handed 4 (700/800) +100
Skill Level Up: Sneak 4 (400/800) +100
One-handed 5 (1300/1400) +100
Only two more opponents, Jon thought ruefully. I can definitely do this.
"Alright boys, only two chances remain to prove you mettle against young Jon. Will one of you be able to do what your brothers couldn't? Who's it going to be? Aiden or Paxton? Here's an idea, Jon how would you feel about taking the both of them on at once?"
Quest Activated!
Twin Blades: Defeat the twin blades of Aiden and Paxton and prove you are something special
Reward for completion: 1500 Experience, (? ?-?), increased Reputation with Roderick Cassel, Robb Stark, Bran Stark, Theon Greyjoy, Toddrick, Brendan, Daryl, Mykhail, Trevin, Jaime, Qarl, Aiden and Paxton.
Penalty for failure: Decreased Reputation with Roderick Cassel, Robb Stark, Bran Stark, Theon Greyjoy, Toddrick, Brendan, Daryl, Mykhail, Trevin, Jaime, Qarl, Aiden and Paxton, potential negative long term consequences.
"Why not? Let's get done with this," Jon agreed.
"That's the spirit Jon! Show them the power of the Starks of Winterfell!" Robb cheered vigorously.
"Ballsy move, Snow. Let's see it, then," Theon agreed with grudging respect.
"I hope I can be as good at swords as Jon when I'm his age," Bran said with his admiration for his half-brother clearly visible for any to see.
"Where did this warrior come from? You've got spirit boy. Let's see if you can handle the twins, then!"
Aiden and Paxton remained quiet as they moved to stand beside each other across from their opponent. As Rodrik indicated the two boys were twins. Both were of the same height with the same brown hair and the same blue eyes. There was nothing that would differentiate Aiden from Paton other than the fact that Aiden's sword was held in his right hand while Paxton's sword was held in his left hand.
With the now customary sound of sword clapping against sheath, all Aiden and Paxton separated with Aiden moving to Jon's left and Paxton moving to Jon's right. They mean to split my attention while giving themselves the best opportunity to attack by keeping their sword hands forward. I have to take one out while making sure that one does not have a chance to strike me while my attention is on his brother.
Jon lunged for Aiden with a vicious horizontal two handed blow. I'm used to fighting against right-handed opponents. If I can take him out then his brother should not be as dangerous in a one-on-one encounter.
Aiden was able to parry Jon's attack and attempted to lock swords with Jon. Jon knew that Paxton would be on him in a moment and jumped to his right to get the approaching Paxton back in his vision before bringing his sword up to block Paxton's strike. Aiden joined Paxton and the two rained blows on Jon's sword causing him to pant in exertion. Two blows, four blows, six blows. Jon had to backpedal fiercely to get away from the onslaught of blows that the twins were raining down upon him.
Shit, these guys are tough. When they are together, all I can do is mount a defense. Wait a second, I have stat upgrades that I can use. Jon's finger brushed the Stargaryan ring, causing the twins to freeze in their pursuit as a menu appeared showing his HP, SP and MP.
20 Points Available
HP: 120
SP: 120
MP: 100
I planned to split the skills between HP and SP but, at the moment, it seems like SP is probably the way to go.
HP: 120
SP: 140
MP: 100
Accept?
Jon accepted the skill changes and saw his remaining SP increase from 15 to 35. That's seven action moves to take down these two. If I can't do it with those seven action moves then I'll have to surrender.
Upon closing the menu, Jon abruptly halted his backpedaling and struck at Paxton viciously with a one handed horizontal slash. The two locked blades and Jon grabbed Paxton's wrist with his left hand before prying the sword from Paxton's grip. With Paxton's sword, Jon knocked Aiden's attack clear from his chest with a fierce block before hitting Aiden in the chest with his original sword.
With Aiden down, Jon turned to Paxton who finally spoke, "I don't have a sword anymore. In battle, I'd be good as dead. I surrender."
Skill Level Up: Two-Handed +100
Evasion +100
Skill Level Up: Blocking +700
Skill Level Up: One-handed +300
Sneak +100
Quest Completed!
Rodrik's Recruits
Rodrik's Recruits: Face and defeat Rodrik's Recruits in a sparring session
Reward for completion: 4500 Experience, Gain one Additional Perk Point for Each Perk used while completing the quest, increased Reputation with Roderick Cassel, Robb Stark, Bran Stark, Theon Greyjoy and others.
Quest Completed!
Twin Blades: Defeat the twin blades of Aiden and Paxton and prove you are something special Reward for completion: 1500 Experience, Unlock Dual Wielding, increased Reputation with Roderick Cassel, Robb Stark, Bran Stark, Theon Greyjoy, Toddrick, Brendan, Daryl, Mykhail, Trevin, Jaime, Qarl, Aiden and Paxton.
Jon felt super gratified that such a labor intensive task had provides such a phenomenal reward so he instantly brushed the Stargaryan Ring with his finger and saw his S.P.E.C.I.A.L. perks.
Strength: 3 (+1)
Perception: 3 (+1)
Endurance: 3 (+1)
Charisma: 2 (+1)
Intelligence: 1
Agility: 3 (+1)
Luck: 2 (+1)
Accept?
Jon was grinning like a mad man as he accepted the additional perk points that he earned as a result of Rodrik's quest. The menu then transitioned to his HP, SP and MP and Jon chose to add another 10 points to Stamina since he had a lot of experience to earn before he would reach his next level.
HP: 120/120
SP: 150/150
MP: 100/100
Accept?
Of course I accept, Jon thought impatiently causing the list of his skills to appear. It looks like I have three skill upgrades to set at the moment.
Archery 6 (1400/3000)
Overdraw level 1: Bows do 20% more damage.
Blocking 6 (1500/3000) (1)
Fundamental Defense: Blocks prevent 20% more damage
Evasion 6 (1400/3000)
Evasive Tactics: 20% more likely to evade enemy attacks Light Armor
Light Armor
Heavy Armor
One-handed 6 (1500/3000)
Armsman: One-Handed weapons do 20% more damage.
Dual-wield: Use one handed weapons with equal proficiency with either or both hands.
Skill Level Up: Two-Handed 4 (800/1400) (1)
Barbarian: Two-Handed weapons do 20% more damage.
Lockpicking
Pickpocket
Sneak 4 (500/800)
Stealth: You are 20% harder to detect when sneaking.
Speech 4 (400/800) (1)
Negotiation: 20% more likely to reach a compromise
Alchemy
Smithing
?
?
?
?
?
?
Accept?
Jon accepted and exited the menu.
"Well, I'll be. I did not think that you would provide such a fine showing today, Jon. Believe me when I say that I will be speaking of your excellent display here today with your father. Recruits, if Jon ever feels like training with you, I expect you to treat him just as you would treat me. You can learn a lot from this one. Anyway, it's time for us to get back to the more seasoned guards for our drills, if you all will be excusing us."
Rodrik looked to Robb and Jon, each gave a nod of agreement before he marched Toddrick, Brendan, Daryl, Mikhail, Trevin, Jaime, Qarl, Aiden and Paxton back to the other guards.
"Jon that was just… I mean the way you… It was so cool and…" Bran seemed to have so many things that he wanted to say about the spars that he was having trouble forming coherent sentences.
"Thanks Bran. That definitely was not what I expected to spend the better part of the hour doing."
"Seriously, brother. That was quite an impressive show. Father will be extremely pleased to hear of your abilities with a sword," Robb said, chuckling at Bran's antics. "Even Theon, over here, is impressed."
"Yeah, yeah. You beat a bunch of rookies, great work," though Theon's words dripped with sarcasm there was none of the usual malice that usually accompanied words to Jon.
"Well I think we've spent enough time here for the morning. Let's go and see what the performers are all about," Jon suggested while returning the wooden sword to the training rack that had been wheeled out of the armory.
"Best idea that I've heard all day from you brother," Robb agreed after returning his sword to the training rack and clapping a hand on Jon's shoulders before whispering conspiratorially. "Just so you know, I plan on beating you tomorrow so don't let yourself get a big head over night."
Jon laughed and gave Robb a playful shove as Theon and Bran joined them in leaving the training grounds to fulfill their stated purpose for going outside in the first place.
AN2: This chapter was SUPER time consuming to write. It will really make my day if you can let me know your thoughts on the chapter, the plot and my writing style by taking a few minutes to leave a review. I will continue to strive to make this an excellent story with as few consistency errors as possible in exchange for your feedback and support. :-) That's all for now!