Salty humid air filled his lungs as they boarded the Galley. Its large sails were rolled up the men on deck stood at the ready to cast off. Jack relaxed as they rowed out to the ship. Slung over his back was a simple long bow, a quiver of valyrian steel arrows, and a leather bag filled with fishing ingredients.
In his bag were hooks built for snaring sharks, a broken-down pole made of iron wood, and a rill made of valyrian steel. The delicate threading and fitting required to make such an engine forced him to make it a bit bigger than normal. It was the year 291 and summer was in full force after the last winter. The larger sharks have migrated further north. A few were trapped here in blackwater bay.
Jackus took a few spools of silk and tied one end to his rig. Once his pole was together, he turned gathering the spool to his own rill. His father saw this and looked at his pole curiously. "Boy this isn't river fishing we're going to use a net. What do you want to catch? You seem to have set your contraption up for something special in mind." Robert asked.
"I plan to catch one of the large sharks. These waters are colder than down south so one might have swum upstream." Jaime nodded politely but otherwise took up his position as king's guard.
Jack waited until they caught up to a school of fish and brought in their first net of large sardines. After picking one of the larger fishes up, he hooked it and cast out. The fish was still alive on the hook and swam fine. His father shook his head and picked up Jackus's bow.
"Since when have you taken up archery. You've been more of an axe man if I recall." His father said. Jack nodded his head and continued to watch his pole. His luck stat was rather high. He was banking on that to hook the fish he wanted or perhaps something larger. At thirteen he was just as tall as Robbert and still growing. This was natural for someone with high stats in strength, dexterity, and vitality. His body would continue to grow until he was nearly ten feet.
There was the thought that the shark my bite through his line. He had made the hook very long for that reason. A man could use his hook as a deadly weapon if they had to. His father pulled an arrow from Jack's quiver and looked it over. "Why did you make a valyrian steel arrow? Even the shaft is steel, and the fletching."
Jaime walked over and looked over the arrow. "Are you planning to shoot through armor? I believe it could." Jaime said. Robert looked over at Jaime with a twinkle in his eyes.
"Ser Jaime take off your chest plate we're going to test something out." Jaime took only a second to get his armor off. A boyhood curiosity took over. There were no women on board or court flatterers. They could do anything they wanted. Jack focused back on his fishing shaking his head and smiling.
Back in king's landing Cercie relaxed in a warm bath. Her men were gone Jackus included and though she loved her son and brother it was good to relax. Her husband had finally caved in to their eldest's requests for a fishing trip and perhaps he wouldn't return drunk. Undoubtedly, she would have to eat what they catch. Living in king's landing she was no stranger to sea food.
Another matter came to her attention. Jackus needed to be betrothed. He was young yes and his stunt the day before would undoubtedly lay some rumors to rest while other would emerge. His eyes were blue like his fathers a trait that proved him to be the heir to the throne. That alone may protect him from being declared a bastard. Who would marry her dear son? She was no fool, she knew how he looked.
Jackus was a monster through and through. He was stronger than any man should be, faster, and more intelligent. There were no tails of what her son could be. It could be some curse hidden deep within their blood lines. Old Valyrian fell a thousand years ago who knew what their cursed lines held. Could her son have inherited such cursed blood. Her other son looked nothing like Jackus.
Her mind lingered on that thought for a long time soiling her mood.
Stannis had joined in on his brother's childish game. Despite the look of worry from his nephew he did nothing to stop his brother from his foolishness. As his brother pulled back the arrow, he called the crewman away from the golden king's guard armor. When the arrow was drawn back all the way he fired.
The arrow made a harsh whistling sound like it was cutting through the air. It hit the chest plate and buried itself to the fletching. Jaime pulled the stool out from under the chest plate and it remained held up by the arrow. The message was clear if a man armed their archers with valyrian steel arrows even the thickest plate mail wouldn't be enough.
His nephew barely paid attention to the display his focus was on the dipping of his pole. At first Stannis thought it was only the weight of his nephew's massive hook until the rod flexed nearly in half. All four of his nephew's arms gripped the pole and a foot clasped the railing. Jack lifted his rod upward and began to reel in earnest. The talons on his nephews' feet dug in the wooden deck as he stepped back reeling his contraption at an incredible speed. The crew all turned to the prince and a few men went to help.
"Father knock another arrow for this thing." Whatever was on the other end of that line was strong enough to pull his nephew. Form his experience his nephew was strong enough to toss trained knights around like toys. His brother took the bow and then Stannis heard a splash. He ran to the guard rails and saw a massive grey shape splash back in the water and move the opposite direction. Jack turned and continued to dig into the deck with his talons to keep his grip. With every step he rilled in a little more bringing the creature closer.
His brother ran next to him and Stannis pointed to the blur. It was getting more agitated. The monster rammed their ship. He grabbed on to the deck rail as the ship rocked nearly capsizing. Robert hooked his foot between the railing to keep himself stead and released an arrow missing the creature as it made a swift turn. Jackus twisted and Robert knocked another arrow. "Jack hold it steady." Robert yelled and his nephew continued to strain but kept the monster in place long enough for Robert to let fly another arrow. This one struck true and he fired another one aimed for the things head. It was a shark but not like one Stannis had ever seen. While most may be 11 or even 20 feet long this monster was perhaps 26 or even 30 feet long. It was more than large enough to swallow a man.
Somehow his nephew was strong enough to not only pull the monster but bring it to the surface. "Get the nets and hoist." Stannis ordered and the crew broke from their stunned positions and tossed their net and used pullies to hoist the creature up on the deck. It easily hung over both sides.
"It looks like out cooks will have their work cut out for them." Jaime said after pulling himself from the back railing. The monster woke up and twisted nearly grabbing a sailor between its great jaws. His nephew pulled Robert and him back as the tail swept through knocking a few crew members into the ocean. Once they were safe the ship began to rock as the beast attempted to get back in the ocean. Jack took his bow back from Robert along with three arrows. He leapt on the creature's back dodged its dorsal fin and reached its head. From there he fired all three arrows rapidly in the creature's skull. Robert approached it Warhammer at the ready in case it came to life for a second time.
The crewmembers fallen overboard were rescued in short order with only a few broken toes or ribs. He ordered the captain to set sail back to king's landing.
Jack was laughing as he stared at the big bitch he managed to drag up from the deep. His luck worked and the silk line wasn't even scratched by the monster's teeth. All thanks to the massive hook he used. The fish he used for bait was a tuna that go caught up with the sardine's it must have weighed nearly 100lbs by itself. The shark probably weighed 3000lbs.
Despite his own superior strength, he didn't have the weight to just lift it out of the ocean. Something to think about if he wanted to make great white fishing his sport. The beast would feed them well tonight and it was fun.
Later that night the cooks served them shark steak. Jack tossed it in his toothless mouth and swallowed it down. Not how he usually fed but it would do. The meat fell into his crop where it would slowly get worked over before entering his stomach for proper digestion. Sometimes his existence wasn't so pleasant. The lack of teeth to chew food was one of those times. He preferred to rip into his prey with his tail spear, melt them down, and absorb them. Eating with his mouth was uncomfortable and somewhat barbaric.
Still his father was bragging about the catch to anyone who would listen. Varys was there politely eating and making conversation with Petr Baelish of all people. The current master of coin wasn't his favorite person. Anyone who owned so many brothels in the city yet paid few taxes was trouble in Jack's opinion. Making him master of coin was a mistake the man was either corrupt or an incompetent. Either was worthy of death in Jack's opinion. He slammed his tail against the floor in displeasure. Those around him looked at him in confusion. Jack smiled in embarrassment.
"I apologize father's stories have gotten my blood pumping again remembering our earlier adventure." Jack said. Thankfully he only received a warning glance from his mother and a chuckle from his father. Joffrey smirked while Myrcella patted Jack's side.
Later Jack wondered the streets of flea bottom. He moved about quickly and silently taking to roof tops and blending in to the shadows. As only a predator could he sensed out his prey for the night. Life in flea bottom was fast and hard. Death happened all the time over the pettiest of reasons. Sometimes a young tough will get too big for his britches and start throwing his weight around. Often, they step over the line and Jack finds them. One such young tough was a witch named Anna. He tracked her scent all the way to her little hide out in a basement beneath a run-down section of flea bottom. She waited for him.
"Little witch, you should know hiding won't work. I can smell the blood on your hands from anywhere. If you had fled the city, I might have let you go." Jack said. Why did he speak? Normally Jack hunted down his prey and ended them. His hunger demanded to be sated. But tonight, he wasn't very hungry. He snuck in the galley cargo hold and used his tail to absorb a few fish. It was nothing compared to the fullness he gained from a full human, but it helped.
"The rumors about you are true. They say you come for the murderers. Divine judgement from the seven the stranger's shadow." Anna said. Jack laughed out loud sending his voice echoing through the halls.
"Whether the seven exist or not doesn't matter to me. But I'm unaffiliated, I'm just a hungry predator picking away at those that kill their fellows. Once you kill another in cold blood you gain my attention." Jack said locking his eyes on her. He opened his mouth and breathed in tasting the magic radiating off her. For a second, he was caught up in the euphoria of her scent.
She lunged at him stabbing at his throat with a knife. It bounced off his throat doing nothing to him. Anna's eyes widen her silver hair and purple eyes seemed to glow even in the darkness. He turned his head to the side. The girl was fourteen his age. Was she a long-lost Targaryen?
"I'm going to give you the deal I have given to no one." She looked up at him terrified. He smiled down at her before his tail lashed out spearing through a man sneaking up on him with a hammer. Jack placed two hands against her cheeks keeping her eyes on him. Even as the man shriveled up and turned to mush, he kept her purple eyes on him. With the man nothing more than a pile of cloths his hunger was sated for this month.
"First a test is needed to ensure you are what I think you are." Jack held a hand in front of her before flames shot from his hand and surrounded the girl. Her clothes burned away, and she screamed. When he cut off the flames, she was there alive, and naked. Not a single hair burned. Jack smiled pleasantly to the girl. The girl looked at herself in shock.
"What did you do to me?" Anna whispered.
"You're immune to fire a trait you inherited from your family. Congratulations, it seems gaining my attention worked for you. Come you're to be my servant, my confident, and perhaps my lover." Jack said as he took the young woman out with him.
"Do I have a choice?" Anna asked.
"You're a Targaryen bastard who murdered a merchant in cold blood to get this." Jack said and picked up a dragon egg. Before putting it in his mouth and swallowing it. She stared in horror as it made an indention in his throat before settling in his crop. "When you prove your loyalty to me you can have it back."
"Yes, my lord." Anna said. Jack nodded and patted her head.
"We are returning to the red keep. I will have you put on the payroll as my personal servant. Relax you'll eat better than you ever had before.