Author's Notes
Here we are, four years later. This chapter will tell you of some of the things that have happened in those years and set up the next chapter which will be several of the new Sith taking their Crucibles. Some of what you might read... you may disagree with. That's fine... I but I'm still doing what I want. If you have reached this point than you are a fan and are in it for the long haul. I rely on you guys to keep me sane and believing in my hobby of writing. That being said, I have learned that while taking suggestions and listening to feed back is important, what is more important is believing in your story and how you think it should go down.
Second, I have being moving into a new place that allows for big doggos and it does not have the best internet access. So updates might be a little weird until I get that fixed.
(Lemon)
My hands on her throat, life was flickering in her eyes. I loomed over her body as I held all the power between us, with just a flick of my wrist I could end her life. But then I felt her legs reach up and wrap around my waist, lifting her lower half up and sinking herself deeper on my shaft. My grip loosened around Rhaella's delicate neck and she gave me a little smirk for that.
"Ghmm… you were the one that asked me to choke you in bed." I smirked before leaning down and kissed the Queen of Westeros, biting her lip as I pulled away. "Is this little whore of a queen getting scared of me? Or maybe you're just looking to be punished again." I whispered into her ear as I continued to slowly thrust into her, small moans of pleasure escaped her with each one.
"Yes, please punish this inbred Targaryen whore. I deserve it all!" She cried out, despite the fact her back was still red from whipping. She was a masochist all the way through, and while I wasn't too much of a sadist in bed I could be for her. My fingers reached down to her sides, spall sparks of Force lightning arced between them. They delivered small shocks to her body, the pain wasn't horrible but perfect for this setting. "Yes! Oh it feels so good…"
"I think I'm coming to my limit." After a good while of rutting, I couldn't hold it back anymore. But it looked like those sparks was what she needed as I felt her core tighten around my cock as she came. With great reluctance I pulled out just before I came myself, cumming over the Queen's stomach. Once I was spent I fell back on my ass, tired out from the all the fucking. "Damn it Rhaella… I have stamina but you really test me sometimes." I breathed heavily, out of all my lovers she was the hardest to finish off but that in of itself made the rewards all the sweeter.
"Thank you Naraiz… for everything." She said, for my words, the fact I respected her wish for me to finish outside, and indulged her more extreme kinks. I could do all of that easy enough, to a man like me it wasn't hard.
I slid off the bed and walked over to the headboard of the bed to untie the Queen's arms. In my opinion it was silly to demand a four post bed to be brought to a tourney but hey… it had its ups. Right now I was attending the tourney at Storm's End to honor its late lord's death. The royal family was all in attendance as well, the king was off somewhere… I don't know where but I didn't care. He had a mental command in him to not return to the royal tent until much later.
"By the way… we've talked about that word." I said looking at Rhaella as I finished untying her. She pulled her hand away and looked down ashamed and guilty. This tryst had started soon after Viserys had been born. She had been caught by Rhaegar with some of her usual bed warmers, that had not gone over well. The two of them started fighting and growing distant. Which ended with Rhaegar protecting her by running off all her secret suiters. She didn't trust anyone else to perform in bed as she needed. I offered, saying it would be purely sex with no emotions at all. And dumb of me… I actually thought I could be the exception to the rule that it never stays just sex.
"But it's true." She pulled up the blanket to her face and a few tears started to form in her eyes. I sat back down on the bed and pulled her into my arms. Using the Light Side, my hands began healing the bruises on her back as I embraced her. "I'm nothing but an inbred freak. I don't deserve the love of my husband, my children, or even you."
"You are a very unlucky woman and that's all. But I promise you the same thing I always will, you do deserve everything and more. You are one of the kindest and selfless people I know, and I'm a better man for knowing you." She certainly was one of the people I thought of when the nihilism was creeping into my mind. I had to remain positive, or how else I could come to this woman and make her feel better. "There. The king will be gone for another few hours. Enjoy yourself."
"Thank you." She said softly with a grateful smile. I stood back up and got dressed. Rhaella was sleeping when I left as I doubt that she got much sleep during the night with her husband's night terrors.
It has been four years since the destruction of the Faceless Men. And in that time much has happened and at the same time very little. On the king, the Defiance of Duskendale did exactly as it did in the book. It played out pretty much beat for beat. The only difference was that I had been present in the siege and would have been leading the charge had it not been for the successful rescue of the King. Ever since then Aerys has been burn happy and paranoid as fuck. Varys has shown up finally and as expected he doesn't seem to like me all that much. From what Rhaella has told me he subtly pushes for anti-Sith policy but nothing overt as the King still is very public with his favor of me and the Sith. But I'm sure that I can win him over eventually.
"Hot potatoes! Fresh and steaming! Get them before they are gone!" I hear that and a number of stalls yell out trying to sell their foods and other treats. The tourney was a good example of the changes that had been going on. I would say that Westeros has certainly hit the Renaissance age, maybe even cusping the Industrial Age as well.
Things like large scale textile industry, expanded use of iron and steel, carriages and omnibuses, concrete and the latest innovation in the printing press were all things becoming more common. Down in Dorne glass working, salt and lead mining, and new fishing techniques were being used to boom their economy. The Reach had newer and more effective farming methods, along secondary products becoming created in larger numbers. Then in the North, rare earth minerals that were ignored previously are now becoming increasingly valuable, though the massive coal deposits were the most profitable, as well the importing of crops that do much better in the colder climate like potatoes and beets. And these were some examples. All of it was secretly organized by me, all in an effort to bring Westeros into the future.
But also… I had to admit. An unexpected hiccup in that whole thing was the Natural Order. The growing cult that Melisandre created. It was too late before I was made aware of the effect her runes were having on the population, and the fact she had taken to duplicating those runes on the priesthood of the Natural Order. So now I'm seeing cultural and social things from earth seep into the Westerosi population. It was mostly confined to foods, art, and some scientific innovation. But it concerned me. Was I happy that someone in King's Landing figured out how to make Pizza and now it was everywhere… yes. Was it a warning that this could possibly spiral out of control… also yes.
Westeros was in its Renaissance. Former Maesters were being accepted back into intellectual circles, new ways of thought were being tested out, medicine was becoming more and more a science instead of guess work. Art and music was on the rise, new brass instruments and primitive pianos were finding their places in the castles of nobility. It was a new age for Westeros and I had no intention of letting it slow down. As I walked down the rows of stalls, I saw people wear clothes that were a mix of the classic Westerosi style and Victorian Age garments. This very year I planned to unveil the Steam Engine and begin work on a railway between Harrenhal and King's Landing.
"Finished with the Queen?" I looked to my side to see Jaesa skipping over to and matching my pace. She… had changed in this time but not in ways I liked. In the last four years she had started reverting back to her free spirited way. At first when she noticed this she tried to stop it by getting pregnant again, this time telling me she wanted a child. I agreed because… I had no real reason to say no. And so nine months later we had twins. And then once they could walk Jaesa started to drift away. She freaked out again and this time I said no as it was clearly not healthy for her to get into a cycle like that.
In the end my dark apprentice figured out that she at her core was incapable of settling down. She was a free spirit that moved from place to place, did what she wanted, and everything in between. I would say it was about as close to finding Balance in herself as she would ever get. She certainly loved her kids, and whenever she saw them she made it clearly known. She loved me and I her, but she wasn't cut out to be a housewife mother at home. She was a Sith Assassin and as such now operated both on Terra and out in the galaxy, usually working with Cipher Nine on his operations or with Vette and her crew.
I think she made the responsible choice. Knowing that she would do more harm than good being always around her kids, Lyarra and Joanna did far better in that role meanwhile Jaesa would pop in and out of their lives showing them with love when she was there. I at the moment did much the same but with longer stay periods.
"Finished smothering the little ones?" I asked and she had a big smile on her face. Yes, this was how things should be. I knew that it wasn't the idyllic family situation that it worked for us.
"Pan is still the quiet little bunny she is. Lucifer is already reading, he's going to be a genius like his daddy." She gently bumped my side in pure motherly pride. "And Lilith still likes playing with her cat. Though I'm pretty sure she might be like me… she keeps pulling the poor thing's tail."
"And they were all happy to see you?" I asked and we both stopped as Jaesa pouted at me. While supporting this change in parenting, I still felt the need to remind her that it bordered on neglect. It wasn't only because I had two other women to mother in her place that it worked. "Fine-Fine. How are the others since you stopped by home before coming?"
"Ragnar is fine, Ulric is fine, Gatsby is fine, Kassandra is fine." Jaesa listed off like she was remembering if all of her goldfish were still alive. While she certainly loved her kids, that didn't fully extend to my others. Ragnar and Ulric were my sons with Lyarra and Gatsby was my child with Joanna. Lyarra said she would like a few more but Joanna said she was content but she always added for now to that statement. Kassandra… was what Melisandre requested for saving Pandora's life. Doesn't matter how I feel about the Red Woman, her daughter is my daughter. I love her regardless. "Now enough of that stuff. What are we doing here?"
"If we are talking about their tourney, then you are here because I wanted to see you." Too many people for public displays of affection but the smile I got out of her was as good as any kiss. "If you're asking why I called you back to Terra, it's because the first batch of Crucibles are going to be taken in a week's time."
"Ooh… that is special." It was finally time to induct new members into the Rule of Three. Roughly twenty eight out of the current four hundred and thirty eight Acolytes are ready to take the Crucibles. Though only sixteen of them will be taking the real ones. The rest didn't have any intention of staying with the Order after they graduated so they weren't going to be really tested. I was excited for this, as it meant that I would finally have some more help with the Order. I also had a neat little plan to really celebrate the new inductees.
Jaesa and I traveled the tourney grounds a bit more, I enjoyed the attention that being me drew from the common folk. Overall my reputation in Westeros had only grown in the ways it had been. The common folk spoke of my fair and great rulership, the many wonders that I brought to make their lives easier, and contended with the fact the Septons hated my guts. That problem had never gone away and if anything had gotten worse. With Melisandre setting up her little meeting houses in nearly every major city and spreading her new teachings as well as she did with her previous one, I certainly didn't get any favor from the Faith. But neither myself or the Natural Order had outright denied the Faith of the Seven so all the Septons barking fell on deaf ears. The nobility of Westeros had cooled, all but those smart enough or those that hated my guts had more or less accepted me and the Sith into the fold of Westeros.
"The jousting is about to start, I'm sure we can find some good seats." I said as I noticed several groups of people heading toward the same direction.
"You have something in mind don't you?" Jaesa asked as the nobility's stands came into view. And she was right, I did have something in mind. I wanted to check up on something. And pay my respects to the grieving family.
The two of us made our way up the stands, to the viewing box marked by the stag horns of the Baratheons. There I found Robert, new lord of Storm's End and Lord Paramount of the Stormlands, as well as his two brothers Stannis and Renly. But also I found Eddard and Lyanna Stark, both here to console the new lord. They also provided me with a bit of ease as familiar faces.
"Eddard and Lyanna, it seems you two have beaten me, I had wished to give my regards to the Baratheon brothers first." I said as I approached the viewing box. The two Baratheon guards stiffened and blocked me from entering.
"Quit with that, not like it's going bloody stop him." Robert grunted at the two guards he stepped back to the side, allowing me entry. I nodded my thanks and then glanced at Jaesa, signaling her to get lost. She took the hint and with a playful wink to me left to find her own entertainment. What that entailed I didn't want to know. Her only rules on that sort of thing was to leave no trace. I walked into the viewing box like a casual friend might, Stannis didn't look like he appreciated such informality but I knew that Robert would.
"My deepest condolences to you all, Steffon and Cassana were both from what I am told, good people. I had only a few meetings with the two and I can say that they were ideal rulers. But I'll not speak more personally than that as it would be overstepping my relationship with them." I walked over to a table that held several bottles of booze. All unopened… it seemed that Robert did not have the taste for drink in grief yet. But that might have something to do with the young lady at his side. "But in the end, all children must grieve for their parents someday. What matters in the end, is what sort of person does this make you."
"Wise words Darth Nagash, thank you." Stannis said with a short nod, I could sense that he took those words seriously but still was overly cautious around me. Meanwhile Robert just huffed and grumbled a few words to himself. Only to get pinched by Lyanna for that.
"If I may ask, how did you handle your parents' deaths" Eddard asked and I could tell that the quote unquote death of his mother weighed on him in his question. That is still a sore point on my conscience, but also muted by both my heart and my loins.
"With joy and jubilation." I answered dryly, letting the statement hang for a bit before explaining further. "My father was a high standing man of nobility. My homeland's noble system was much more loose than Westeros's, built not on landed titles but of respect, lineage, wealth, and merit. My father was the patriarch of a long line of Sith and had a great deal of wealth from a generational long web of blackmailing and extortion. He also saw me little more than the next holder of the family name and nothing more. My mother on the other hand saw me more in the light of a well dressed doll that she could show off to the rest of the nobility. Any achievement I had she would pass off as the product of good breeding. So… in the end when I had learned that they had been killed by my Master in his rise of power as a part of tying up loose ends after betraying me… I shed no tears." I told Naraiz's story all while taking a few sips here and there. I personally can remember the loneliness that he felt as a child. But Naraiz grinned and bore it all, not even knowing that that gnawing feeling inside of him was caused by the lack of family he had. Me… I had human parents, both good and bad at times but mostly good. But they hadn't died before god killed me so not relevant to this topic.
"That… is quite the tale." Lyanna was the first to speak and I could sense all of these young adults feel quite grateful all of a sudden. Yes you little shits, be happy you all had actual fucking parents instead of what Naraiz got, Sith Parents.
"Enough of such morbid talks. It is nice to see that the Stormlands look to be in good hands. A man is only as good as the company he keeps. And you are in fine company Lord Baratheon." I flattered as I poured myself a drink, some Dornish wine as I planned on visiting Dorne soon. The first time now that I think about it, I've been so busy that I haven't had the time to travel so far south. But I wanted to see Sunspear and the progress my influence has been on the Dornish people. I've been told that the Natural order has become more popular there than the Faith of the Seven. "And for you Eddard, do you have any plans for the future? Perhaps thinking of moving south to advise an old friend?"
"Yes! Ned, that's what you should do. Leave all that gloom snow behind and c-" I chuckled as Robert got another pinch to his arm from Lyanna for insulting her homeland.
"Gloomy is it, I guess that means you think I'm like Ned and mope all day because we came from the same gloomy snowy North?" They certainly are different from how they were depicted in the books and show. I hung back in the shadows and the young men and lady interacted with each other. Robert tried to defend himself and the Starks weren't having it, meanwhile Stannis just stayed out of it but I think I saw a ghost of a smile on his lips, and the baby Renly just cooed in his crib nearby. Robert and Lyanna were a surprising perfect match, her wild spirit wasn't tamed by his boisterousness but soothed by it and she did a great job at reigning in his bad tendencies. There is no doubt in my mind that this was real love, and nothing like what they had in canon. How this was going to affect the timeline I didn't know, but as I watched the happiness between these young lords and ladies… I felt it didn't matter.
It was honorable to lose to such a worthy opponent. That is what Rhaegar was telling himself as he walked away from the jousting grounds. Losing to Ser Barristan was a defeat that he could live down, he was a legend and he was still young and only recently knighted. But even still, a bitter taste was left in his mouth. Was he not the Prince that was Promised?
Ever since he was young, he knew that he was meant for greater things. He had read many stories of princes overcoming the sorrow that surrounded them, either by birth or circumstance. And he had both. The tragedy of Summerhall always lingered at the edges of his dreams, reminding him of the grief that came with his birth. It was his drive to bring joy and peace to the world to make up for that pain and suffering. Then his father proved himself to bring equal amounts of sorrow to the people of the realm. His growing madness had always lurked beneath the surface but now was thrashing about madly since his kidnaping. When he was but five name days old, he promised himself that he would become like those fabled heroes as he read about.
He trained in the marshal talents, and took pride in his skill as any up and coming hero would. Learning from the best and impressing all with his growth. It had been a chore at first, as in the beginning he only did so because it was what was needed. In those times he much rather preferred to play music, and see joy that the harp could bring to people's faces. Then he came. The man from beyond the western seas. With one meeting everything changed for Rhaegar. He praised Jamie Lannister over him, and then displayed a skill with combat that could never be hoped to match by a normal man. What made it even worse was that his student was a short and slim woman. Women were to be protected, they had to be kept safe and away from danger.
Since that meeting, Rhaegar has dedicated his life to proving himself the true hero of Westeros. Not some foreign mystic that sought to change the very fabric of his people and land. And in time he changed, the harp and sword became tools equal in their uses to further his goals. No longer did he concern himself with the petty little joys in life or those felt by others. He knew the truth, that real joy and happiness came with the majority, the greater good of all. And anything could be done for that greater good.
Which was why he told himself that it was not a lesson of humility to lose to the commander of the Kingsguard. It was a sign that his old mentor was still destined to play a greater part in the story. Destiny still had plans for him, and so this loss was but a page in another's tale. Nothing more. That's what Rhaegar was telling himself as he entered his family's royal tent.
"Mother, I have…" The prince stopped as he saw that his mother was soundly sleeping. He smiled at the sight, true they had been having a bit of a spat over her sinful actions but he still loved her as any son should. He quietly moved through the tent to check up on her, to make sure that father had not laid a hand on her again. It had been years since such a thing happened, but he still vividly recalled the bruises that she tried to hide when he was a child. He sighed with relief as her face was blissfully asleep and unmarred. Then, just as he was about to walk away she shifted in bed and her arm moved out from under the sheets. There he saw a reddened wrist and he panicked. "Mother!"
"Wha! Rhaegar!" His mother shouted after he had grabbed her wrist and woken her up. But regardless of her pleas he yanked up her wrist and examined the rope burns around them.
"Who is it? I thought I got rid of all that scum!" Rhaegar shouted as he roughly threw Rhaella's hand back to her. He did not understand why his mother continued to shame their family like this. Nor why it had to be in this… degenerate manner.
"This does not concern you Rhaegar. Go and scream at your father for his many dalliances before you come to me! That is if you think yourself brave enough to face your father." Rhaegar scowled at his mother's words. This was not like the last time where she begged and pleaded for him to overlook what she did. Now she was angry, did that mean this man was different from the others? Did she have feelings for this one? Either way it was disgraceful.
"Who is he?! It can't be some random guard or paid for whore. They wouldn't dare with either mine or father's wrath hanging over them." It had to be some lord, and one that would feel protected enough to not fear getting caught. His thoughts turned to Tywin, but then immediately dismissed them. While it was true that the Lannister Lord hated his father, he was a widow that had made no moves to remarry. Plus his mother hated Tywin for his treatment of Joanna. Could it be one of the Kingsguard? They had the means but he trusted all of them to be of the highest honor. There were only so few men in Westeros that fit and all he had left was unthinkable.
"Leave Rhaegar. Whatever it is that you believe about this is wrong." She said as she left the bed with the sheets wrapped around her body.
"It's that sorcerer isn't it." He growled as he knew that it had to be right. He watched as his mother froze for a moment, confirming his suspensions. Then she turned back to him with a glare he did not know she was capable of delivering. All his life his mother was such a kind figure, he could not think of a time when he saw her truly angry. He didn't think she was capable of having the dragon's rage.
"You are my son Rhaegar, I am your mother. I brought you into this world and that despite everything that happened that day… I still consider my happiest day. What I do does not concern you. Now leave." Her voice was so unlike hers. It wasn't the soft melancholy or motherly music that it normally was. It was threatening, it was cold. And hearing that tone from his mother, Rhaegar was unable to do little else than grit his teeth and walk out of the tent.
He was convinced that Naraiz Rhyhall was doing unspeakable things to his mother. And he would never forgive that, it was another item on a list of things that he hated about the man. But it felt like the most personal. Now he realized that Darth Nagash simply didn't belong in his fable. And the second that his father was deposed, Rhaegar would banish him and his mystic troublemakers. They would one day be nothing but a memory and another fallacy of the Mad King.
"And with that I call this Assembly to a close." Howland Reed called out once he had announced the results of the latest vote concerning how long it was acceptable to wait before courting a girl after your friend ended his courting with her. This was a regular thing that kept being shoved into the New Business Box.
In the Four years since the deaths of Rette and Girel, the Academy had changed a great deal. Things had become more organized, acolytes were separated based on age, an Acolyte Guidebook with a whole list of rules had been put into effect, classes were longer and more given more importance, and lastly was the Acolyte Council. People were getting older too, to the point where the Assembly had been divided into two Conclaves, those for under the age of thirteen and those over. Howland wasn't sure if he missed those early days of more freedom, in his mind it was all a big mess.
"You've been Speaker for a long time Howland, ever since we made it against the rules for a Bloc leader to hold that title." Jarman chuckled as he approached Reed. It was funny given how he had been the first Speaker and had the position many times before that ruling. But he led the Honor Bloc and it was seen as unfair for someone with that kind of power to be given the Speaker position. "Think this place will survive once we're gone?"
The two of them looked around, the old crypt that they had used for so long had changed as well. It had been painted, real seats and boxes had been set up for the various factions. The lowest section of the crypt that circled around the floor was for general seating then the upper levels had sectioned off boxes for the largest voting blocs. Banners for those very blocs as well as smaller ones hung on the walls. This was their place. The Lower Conclave for the kids had found their own place, an unused storehouse that had been closed off by the reconstruction and forgotten about.
But now, both the young men were looking at it like it was the last time. Because it was. In two days they were going to be taking a trip to the Crucibles. They had no idea where they were or what they would entail but they were ready. One thing that Darth Nagash had made very clear a long time ago was that once you become a Sith, these small political games that the Acolytes played would not be tolerated in the Order. They were expected to work together as one, with the only rivalry being between the sects but even that was supposed to be limited. Afterall, the overall goal of the Sith was to find Balance in the Force.
"Oh I'm sure, it might be a little shaky with all the old leaders graduating but I don't doubt it will survive." Howland assured that the largest blocs were already lining up their next leaders. The North/Dorne Bloc would be led by Benjen Stark, no Dornish acolyte had really stepped up to co-lead it like Mysa and Miana had. The Grayjoys were of course going to be led by Nira… which worried many as the bloodthirsty girl while a favorite of Victarion wasn't nearly his mental equal. Puff and his Mysteries Bloc had several of the smartest Acolytes in the Assembly and were perfectly prepared for his departure. And lastly the Honor Bloc, Jarman's own faction, it would be led by Edmund Waxley who was like a copy of Jarman in many ways.
"And what do think about the Council President? He's going to be taking the Crucibles too." The Acolyte Council, it was created four years ago and since then had been combating the Assembly for control over the acolytes. They enforced the rules of the Academy and oversaw the official clubs, events, and acted as the spokespeople to the Instructors and rulership of Harrenhal. It was a night and day thing, the Council controlled things in the light meanwhile the Assembly operated in the shadows. Most of the Acolytes sided with the Assembly but the Council was officially recognized by the Academy. Technically the Assembly was illegal, and at times. They even had been raided by the Disciplinary Committee.
"The great president Thoren Smallwood, I'm sure he has his successor picked out." Howland said with a roll to his eyes. Thoren had been the only prominent acolyte that hadn't been in charge of a voting bloc, more like he spoke for the unaligned acolytes from time to time. But it was that very thing that allowed him to take the president's spot for himself. As when it came down to it, none of the Assembly Leaders ran for official office in the Council in protest. That left Thoren and his friends in the perfect position to take every seat in the Acolyte Council. "But at the end of the day, I don't think either of us really can say much. We are leaving after all."
"I'm still not so sure about that." Jarman sighed with obvious reluctance in his voice. His words surprised Howland as he expected Jarman to be one of the several that were going to leave the Order upon completing their Crucibles. Leave and somehow convince a Septon or another Knight to knight them. That was kinda what his bloc was about.
"I don't have a choice, I'm the heir to Graywater Watch. I have to return to my House." It wasn't a burden to him, he missed the swamps and bogs of the neck. It was his home and while he had enjoyed his time in the south it was time to return to his roots. "But you are the second son, becoming a knight was expected of you. And I'm sure you can do it, find a knight to squire for and convince them to knight you."
"I could, I'm sure that I could. But aren't you the least bit curious Howland? Darth Nagash must be hiding something. Something that is only meant for those that truly commit." It did cross his mind, as he was sure it did for everyone. What it was going to be like once they fully joined the Order. What sorts of magics and secrets that would be taught to them. Powers and abilities that could be learned. Mystic arts that were never known to Westeros. "Plus, if everyone with a shred of honor left… what would happen to the Sith."
"Not everyone that's staying is that bad Jarman." Howland felt he had to defend those that were staying but another young man gave his friend a disbelieving look. "I'm sure Darth Nagash can handle them."
Thoren breathed in deeply. He stood out in the plains that surrounded the growing city of Harrenhal. Although there had been rumors that Darth Nagash was planning on renaming it all once it finished. In his mind it was fitting, it was far from the dark days of that name which only held memories and a legacy of cursed nightmares.
"Out with old…" He breathed out slowly before suddenly pushing out an open palm and sent a shock wave of the Force out. The grass in front of him was sent off into the wind, forming a wedge shape patch of dirt in front of him. "… in with the new." He smirked as he admired his progress in powers.
No longer was he the small child born of the second son of Acorn Hill. Much like the rest of his peers he had grown. Now a handsome young man of eighteen years, he had a tall and athletic frame, noble features that would make women swoon over and men ready to follow behind. He was one of the icons of the coming Sith Order, something he had worked hard. That was what he desired above all else, to stand above everyone and inspire them with his greatness. Just as those thoughts crossed his mind he frowned.
He tempered those prideful leanings, knowing that the Dark Side was never far when it came to the vain and self-absorbed. That was one of the things that both Instructor Rathari and Fay warned. That pride was the downfall of Light and Dark Users alike. While it could be used as a great source of motivation it must always be restrained with purpose and humility. Thoren chafed at the latter but understood the former well. His purpose was the Sith Order, his greatness was its and likewise its greatness was his. He would ascend to the Sect of Revan, be the first and prove Darth Nagash vision more than a dream.
"President!" The smirk came back as he heard his soon to be former title. He looked back and saw Cayle riding toward him with a free horse in tow. His friend too had grown as well… they all had. And soon they would be leaving behind the Academy days for glory of being true Sith. "You can't keep doing this, you have to set an example."
"I have, for the past three and half years. Now that I'm on the cusp of my destiny don't you think it's more prudent for me to train instead of messing around with such silly hobbies they make us do." Thoren remarked with disdain before he took another breath and let the Force flood into his body. In his opinion his training to master an element like Darth Nagash had done was infinitely more useful to him than some frivolous hobby that was forced down the Acolytes' throats.
Four years ago when Darth Nagash made sweeping changes to how life in the academy went on. One of the changes was mandatory learning of the arts. Every Acolyte had to enroll in some sort of after classes club that encouraged some sort of creative outlet. Thoren could still remember the look on Darth Nagash faces as he explained this to the acolytes… he looked… pleased with himself. It was a sort of pleased with himself that an outsider might be embarrassed to be associated with. All of the initial ones were very basic, music, painting, poetry. While others were a bit more complex, woodcarving, blacksmithing, gardening. But then others started to spring up as acolytes were allowed to request the creation of a new club. And as Acolyte Council President, it was his job to oversee these groups along with all the academic clubs that were made to encourage further study into those subjects. Honestly Thoren had no idea where Darth Nagash got the idea for all of this, it was unheard of. He even asked Maester Qyburn if this was how the Maester's organized their school. The odd man just chuckled and said that it was impossible for the Grand Maesters to even think about giving the Novices so much agency.
"You have made some really great pieces Thoren, and you can't even be bothered to see that." He heard his friend sigh and it was true. He had been told that his skill with a brush was inspiring, as it should be as someone of his blood, but he just couldn't bring himself to care. The arts simply weren't for him, he could admire them in passing or recognize their importance to culture but his destiny lied in governance, leadership, and renown of skills more practical.
"You can go Cayle, I will take whatever punishment they give me. Because in two days it won't matter." Thoren settled the Force in his Body, he whisped his arm to the side and then with a strong push forward created a slice of wind that cut down the grassy hill that he had been standing on. He looked down at the growing progress and smiled proud.
I looked out from the balcony connected to my living quarters… which had been expanded in the last four years. The city around us was seventy eight percent complete. In my opinion it was like a mix of Victorian era London and Imperial architecture. It's planning and design seamlessly blend aesthetic grandness with a fluid utility for maximum efficiency. It had grown out since our original plans and now included a small lakeside port on the God's Eye. Down below I could see buggies and omnibuses traveling down wide streets and avenues. In the last census we had roughly four hundred thousand people, from what I had been told much of it was a mix of the Essosi freed slaves and a large percentage of immigrants from across the Seven Kingdoms. The original population of Harrenhal was a small minority.
"It's progressing very nicely." I said as I sipped on a glass of Dornish wine. My eyes continued to enjoy the development of my city but stopped as I felt something tug at my sleeve. I look down and it's Pandora. Her curious yet focused eyes looked up at me while she held in her other arm her favorite bunny toy.
"Up." She said simply and I sighed, unable to deny her persuasive argument. I set my glass down on the railing and hoisted her up and onto my shoulders. "It goes so far."
"Yeah, and it's only going to get bigger." I smirked as I knew that this was going to become the center of Westeros in more than just a geographical sense. Already people flocked to live in this new and exciting venture. The mixing of cultures bore new ways of thinking, innovation, and arts. But as the sun began to set on my city, I felt it was time for the little one to get to bed. "Come on Pan, it's time for you to sleep."
"No." She softly whined as I turned back toward the living room, the foldable doors closing behind me with a small use of the Force. Inside was a typical scene of my simple life in Harrenhal. Lyarra was sleeping on the couch with Lilith and Kassandra sleeping at her sides. My daughters were all very different but rarely did they fight. Pandora was quiet and stubborn, Lilith was loud and aggressive… the little brat has bitten me more times than I can count, and Kassandra was already great at wrapping people around her finger. My boys were also pretty different to each other, Lucifer never left the library and was already reading past his age group, Ragnar was growing faster than most kids age and was a polite and friendly child, Gatsby… likes to be the center of attention. And little baby Ulric was a pretty normal two-year old.
"Midwan, where are Ragnar and Joanna? I assume she has Gatsby and Lucy is still with Maester Qyburn." I asked as Midwan materialized at her name being called. Her attire had changed a bit, changing from a sensual and tight ball gown to sweatpants and a baggy hoodie. Neither Joanna nor Lyarra liked her base form around the kids.
"Ragnar is already in bed, the little trooper he is. As for the kitty cat and her cub, I think they left to get Lucy." Midwan answered as I scooped up Kassandra and Lilith into my arms. Ulric was thankfully sleeping soundly in a crib nearby and I didn't think it would be best to disturb Lyarra for the moment. I gave a look to my sword to go and find the other members of my family and with a roll to her eyes she scampered off to do just that.
"I'm not tired." Pandora complained as they carried them into their room. I put the two sleeping girls in their beds and pulled off the pouting one from my shoulders. "I'm not tired."
"I will bring you a turkey sandwich… and a sweet bun." I offered knowing that Pandora would fall asleep before I got back. I left the three girls in their room, closing the door behind me as quietly as possible. It was strange having these moments of genuine family but I treasured them nevertheless.
I walked back into my living room where Lyarra had slightly woken up and had shifted to laying back on the couch's side. She still drooped a bit but it was clear she was waiting for me to join her. She made a tired come hither motion that was more comedic than sexy. Spending the entire day wrangling the kids was more the reason than just her slothful nature. Lyarra certainly took the wolf's share of the child raising with help from Joanna. I did what I could when I had the chance and Jaesa popped in and out to help with her own children. But I had to give Lyarra a great deal of credit in this space.
"They spent the whole day chasing Lilith's new cat. I had to chase them." Lyarra yawned as I slipped onto the couch with her, resting myself into her body. I could only sense love and pure joy from her at our closeness… that quickly was dulled by her weary state.
"Tomorrow I'll take over for you. I want you to get some good sleep for a change." She sighed blissfully in anticipation for that. While I knew she loved the kids, they were still kids and could be a handful. But for this moment we just relaxed until I heard the door open and the rest of my family entered. Joanna looked just as tired as Lyarra but unlike her she was not in the comfy position that I and Lyarra were in at the moment. Something she was keen to point out.
"Well don't you two look all nice and snug." Joanna grumbled as she pulled my sons Lucifer and Gatsby behind her. I have a horrible sense of naming but they didn't know that because I didn't tell them.
"You're free to join us once you get these two to bed." But even as I said this Gatsby was climbing up onto the couch and jumped onto me with all the excitement a three year old could muster.
"Come on father, I'm not tired at all." My sons whined and I just responded by poking his nose and causing him to float into the air. He struggled a bit as I levitated him with the force but soon enough he plopped back down into his mother's arms defeated.
"Lucy I assume you'll be the good boy here and step off to bed no problem?" I asked as I glanced down to a small child that currently had his nose in a book that from the looks of it detailed the fall of Old Ghis. He's going to be a bookworm, but I'll make sure he's at least a nerd that can fight back.
"Yes father." And with that curt acknowledgement he turned and headed off toward the boys' room. I chuckled as Gatsby pouted as his mother carried him after his half-brother. This was my family, it would likely grow bigger but that's fine. I had the means to support them and, eventually, I would be able to devote far more of my time to them. Afterall, it was all part of the deal. This was what I wanted, and I was free to pursue all that I desired.
I looked over the various groups of Acolytes that shuffled about on the ship's deck. Some time ago we had departed King's Landing with two vessels. Both contained the Acolytes that had volunteered to be part of the christening Crucibles. This ship contained those that would be staying with the Order and the other contained those that would leave. Not that they were aware of this separation.
"Look at them, so innocent to the danger that's coming." Jaesa smirked as she rested on the ship's railing. We and Fay all stood atop the upper deck and gazed over the acolytes below.
"What's the expected death rate?" Fay asked as the topic of danger was brought up.
"Low. The First Crucible they will just have to deal with the Stone Men. If they are killed by such feral beasts then they aren't worthy of being called Sith." The Crucible of Staining. The Sith Acolyte is dropped off in ruined Valyria and with only the clothes on their back and an empty Force Weapon, they are to survive the land and the Stone Men that inhabit it. To pass this test an Acolyte must reach the old capital of Valyria while maintaining a ball of blood collected from a slain Stone Man, using the Force to extract and hold the fluid. Once at the capital, they will find one of several temples, at the center in the main chamber is a bowl where the blood must be placed. The Bowl will turn the blood into an elixir that the Acolyte will drink, granting a vision of the Stone Man's life, imparting the most pivotal moments in their lives. It is a test to prove both survival and combat skills but also stain the soul of the weight of taking a life.
All of this would not have been possible if not for Talzin and her Nightsisters. It was them that created most of the mechanics of the Crucibles and it's them that will be overseeing it all. This entire thing is only possible because of their presence.
"The second trial is a bit dangerous." Jaesa tacked on and she was right. The Crucible of Doubt. A stairway down into the tunnels beneath Valyria opens once the first Crucible is finished. There, the echoes of the dead Valyrians wander the halls. An Acolyte must fend them off all while they hear whispers in their mind and see visions of themselves. Their greatest fears about themselves come to light and mock them as they progress through the tunnels. The Force shrouds the true way to the center until the Acolyte is able to see past the Fears inside of them and is able to use the Force to properly guide them through. Though this can be done in several ways, denial of the fears is not one of them as the whispers grow louder the more one denies they are there. It is a test to show the possible horror of the Force should it be misused and to test the willpower of the Sith in training. Talzin has assured me that it will not be too grueling and that the Force Spectres will not be too numerous. "But the last one's a cake walk."
"I don't recall it being easy back on Tatooine." I grumbled as I remembered the inspiration of this trial. It was part of the first act of the Sith Warrior's storyline. Where they ventured to Tatooine in search of Jaesa and they had to face a version of themselves in a Force Vision.
The Crucible of Failure, Once the Acolyte has found their way into the central chamber of the maze of tunnels, they will come to the Force Wound of Valyria. A manifestation of what the Acolyte feels is their greatest failure forms and the Acolyte must subjugate it. Once that is done they go through the Crucible of The Force. After the Acolyte has beaten their Failure, the chamber unravels and there the Mask of Revan can be seen holding the Wound in the Force in check. The Acolyte's last test is to meditate in front of this artifact of the Balance. If the Acolyte feels nothing or anything they pass regardless. It harkens back to my days in the Revanites, where I had to do a similar thing. Once it is done, the newly made Sith returns to the surface, through a tunnel that leads to the grave of King Tomman where a trail will lead them to a hidden dock.
As for those that will not be joining the Order. Their task is to survive for about five days all while collecting little painted stones that hold various runes of the Dathomirian witches. These runes will cause the Acolytes to feel various emotions for as long as they hold them. It may or may not bleed into their overall personality. I don't really care. But now as I could see in the distance the misty seas of Valyria, it was time to start things. I glanced back and saw the other ship turn slightly, each group would be starting at different isles of the broken Valyrian Freehold. Rathari would be inducting the cast offs, it was all under the guise of splitting up the amount of Acolytes into manageable sizes.
"Attention aspiring Acolytes!" I shouted and immediately the sixteen young men and women all gathered in below me. It would be these sixteen that would form the new foundation of my Order. But even among these there were standouts. Victarion Grayjoy, Miana Snow, Thoren Smallwood, Jarman Buckwell, Cayle Caswell, Karne Westerling, Nathar Sand, Mysa Sand, Puff, and Jadith. God that kid needs to find a new name, who's going to be scared of a Sith named Lord Puff. I get that low born parents often don't give much thought to their kids names but seriously. "We are approaching the Smoking Sea, and more importantly the lands of Valyria. It will be here that you will taking your Crucibles."
I watched as they all looked at each other worriedly. Even the stoic and grumpy Grayjoy boy looked concerned over this choice for their test. At the end of the day their concerns wouldn't matter. Talzin had put a great deal of time and effort to make these tests perfect for my Order.
"There is no shame in retreat. It is the wise warrior that is capable of understanding when an obstacle is too daunting and pulling back to face it when they are stronger. If you feel that you are still not prepared to take your Crucibles then head below deck." Fay explained and we watched as the assembled Sith hopefuls all shuffled among themselves. Until finally three of them hung their heads and retreated back below the ship's deck. Smart of them, they weren't ready even if they met the age requirement I had put in place.
"Good. Now for those that remain. Your first task is to venture into the ruins of Valyria with nothing but the clothes on your back and the weapons that we have crafted for you." At that, a team of the ship's sailor's pulled out from the storage deck a rack of various Force Weapons. Prior to setting sail, I had asked each of the aspiring Sith their preferred weapon. They had all been trained in a variety of weapons. Partly because it gave them an advantage in combat as they better knew how an enemy would use a weapon if they too were familiar with it. But also for this purpose, to give them their Force Weapon that suited them best. Example being myself, my Force Blades in their sealed form were in the shape of a Turkish Kilij swords with a triangular weighted tip. This extended my reach and helped me with my Form Four style of combat as the extra weight at the end of the swords provided more force with each swing, thanks physics. So it was important that each of these Sith had a weapon that they were attuned with. Meanwhile the rejects were getting basic Valyrian Steel swords of… limited quality. "Watch for runic markers on the road, they will guide you to one of seven temples in the center of the ruins. Here is where the Crucible of Staining shall be completed. However, it is not as simple as reaching the temples. Stone Men will attack you on your way. And once you kill one you must drain a small orb of his blood using the Force, no larger than your palm. Carry it with you. But should you drop it, or it bursts you are to gather another but this time a quarter larger. And so on for each time you lose a orb."
"Better keep the first one you get kiddies, it will rank up pretty quickly." Jaesa taunted and she was right. It will grow harder and harder the more they lose.
"Remember that this is not a competition. Attacking your fellow Acolytes is forbidden. You will not be alone in Valyria, overseers of the Crucibles will be watching you at all times. They will warn you should you stray too far from the testing grounds and stop any rule breaking. But… they will not save you should you be on the verge of death." I warned and this was sorta true. The Nightsisters would watch from the shadows and while they would make sure that not too many Stone Men would appear on the Acolyte's path they would not stop those that did come close to killing… for the most part. "These same overseers will be waiting at the Temples and leading you in. They will have further instructions for you there." With that the ship pulled into a makeshift dock with a Nightsister and several Nightbrothers all waiting to bring it in. The Dathomirians males wore head covers to hide their alien nature but the females were in their normal attire.
"Emperor of Quills, we humbly accept your followers upon our shores." As I walked down the gangplank, the lead Nightsister bowed with her sisters doing so as well. The Nightbrothers were working to bring the ship into the dock but I'm sure they would have bowed as well. I still disliked that name but by this point I was numb to it. I looked back to the departing Acolytes who were trying not to openly stare at the gray skinned women.
"Once you set foot on these lands, you will only ever leave them as Sith. This is your last chance Acolytes." I warned and felt proud when they straightened up and walked down to the stone beaches of Valyria without a look back. I chuckled to myself as they ran off into the ruins intent on being the first to pass their Crucibles. "Go, make sure the important ones don't die."
"Yes my lord." The Nightsister bowed and then Force jumped up and toward the canopy of the nearby ruins. While most I was perfectly fine with dying there were some that were just needed. In the future I wouldn't coddle them at all but for now I simply needed bodies in my Order. The need for numbers currently outweighed the need for quality. Which was ironic given my military strategy overall.
"How long do you think they will need?" Fay asked as she came next to me watching as the last of the Acolyte vanished into the misty ruins of Valyria.
"A week at most given where we are and how far the temples are. There's plenty of food if they know where to look. All of them were given at least basic survival training. And those more attuned to the Light could use it's power to sustain themselves for a little while." The test of survival was part of the Crucible as well. It was an invaluable skill to have and had a great impact on critical and tactical thinking. Made a person think much more about their surroundings. "The first part will be the longest, the second and third are pretty quick in comparison."
"And this is the beginning. I still can't help but feel chills even after all this time." Fay said with a mix of regret and worry. There was still some lingering apprehension when it came to working and training Sith. Logically she knew that the only thing that my new Order had in common with the monsters of old were the name and aesthetic but emotionally she still had a bias.
"I know… so do I." I said, feeling a very different kind of chill. One of excitement. After these tests, I would have my Sith. And the start of my Order would truly kick off.
Author's Notes
So we got the kiddos taking their test to become real Sith. Next chapter we will see them do so and maybe get a non Naraiz lemon for once.
Reviews
SOUL SURVIVOR - they are coming, don't worry, the toasters are on their way
frankieu - He's gonna use it for his assassins' and spies.
Black Magic99 - Maybe... yeah... with this chapter that's pretty much confirmed. And with this chapter we get to see R and how he's changed from canon. Naraiz has certainly had his effect on R and turned him into a Fate determines all Greater Good type of guy. I'm probably going to do more wolf Arya than assassin Arya, she's still going to be a very skilled killer but maybe now not so much in the shadows. I'm trying to tow that line carefully, and hopefully will be able to bring in other characters to do some of the smaller jobs for Naraiz. Naraiz is currently interested in what the Warlocks are doing.
ZhaWarudo - I'm having fun with her, I think she was just in one comic or something so we don't really know much about her. It's like with Lyarra, we know of her and can make guess based on what we do know but I have a lot of freedom here due to the lack of hard info we have.
Bakuto Masaki - Sir Friendzone and the Red Viper
AO Black - He dislikes due to two reasons, one he knows what she actually looks like so he's physically repulsed by her. And second, he dislikes her very Faith based personality.
Rapidnoob - Qui-Gon might show up, I don't have any plans for it but if I feel it makes sense than sure. He's not going to be seeing Naraiz again until after my story's version of Episode 1 due to plot reasons though.
Kulha - what are you talking about, Naraiz has been making sure that pretty much all of his actions won't have that effect. Robert's Rebellion will still happen and that's the only event that disrupt people from being born as they do in canon.