Disclaimer: I do not own Elder Scrolls or A Song of Ice and Fire. All rights belong to their respective owners.

Chapter 4

Beyond the Wall 297 A.C

Jon's eyes slowly opened. When he finally regained his sight, the first thing he noticed was that he was on the slope of one of the mountains of the Frostfangs. He couldn't pinpoint the exact location, as night had fallen, and the darkness only allowed him to see a scant hundred and fifty meters around him.

'What happened?' Jon thought, rubbing his head as an intense pain shot through his skull. Touching the lump that had formed from the blow, the memories came rushing back. Without wasting time, he jumped to his feet and began scanning the area with his eyes. While searching for any sign of danger, his hand instinctively went to his hip, hoping to find his sword, but to his dismay, there was no weapon.

"Stop being so paranoid, Jon." said Edzard's voice from a nearby rocky structure.

"Edzard?" Jon asked, confused to hear his master's voice, as he hadn't expected him to be there. However, knowing he was present made him understand what had happened. He approached him, finding him sitting on some rocks. "It was you, wasn't it?"

Jon's question was first met with silence, followed by a soft laugh. "Heh, heh, heh. What took you so long to figure it out?"

"I don't know… Maybe because I never expected you to attack me!" Jon replied, clearly annoyed.

"Yes, it seems that way." Edzard responded calmly.

"Why did you do it?" Jon asked, sitting next to his master.

"I wanted you to understand that, no matter how powerful you've become under my tutelage, you must never let your guard down or become complacent." Edzard replied. "After all, you never know when an enemy willing to kill you might appear."

"I see." Jon said, reflecting on his master's words.

"Jon, you're probably wondering why I brought you here so abruptly, aren't you?"

Jon stopped thinking about Edzard's previous words and nodded awkwardly.

"I brought you here to give you the final lessons."

"Final lessons?" Jon repeated, feeling a slight fear.

"That's right, Jon. Although I wanted to test you in a specially constructed labyrinth, I no longer have that much time." Edzard replied, raising his left hand, which began to fade.

Jon watched as Edzard's hand faded, but it was different from the times it returned to the necklace. It took him a few minutes, but he managed to deduce what was happening. When he did, he felt his stomach sink.

"Stop making that face, Jon." Edzard said, seeing the sad expression on his pupil's face. Noticing that his words didn't cheer him up, Edzard moved his right hand and placed it on Jon's head. "Don't be sad, Jon. Although I never told you, you knew I wouldn't be with you forever."

"I-I-I know, b-b-but… t-t-that doesn't help…" Jon replied, his eyes filled with tears.

"Don't cry, Jon. You know as well as I do that death is a natural part of the cycle of life. Although I remained in this world as a ghost, that doesn't mean we can't see each other again in the afterlife. Especially now that your soul is no longer so normal."

Edzard's words made Jon lift his head and look at him intently.

"W-what do you mean?" Jon asked.

"There are many things I haven't told you about myself. Most of it was because you were too young to understand, but now you can." Edzard said, thinking about how to start his story. After a moment of reflection, he decided to start from the beginning. He began to tell him about his arrival in this world, his encounter with the first Valyrians, the training he provided them, and the betrayal he suffered at their hands. When Jon heard that his master had been the one who trained the first Valyrians, he was excited to learn something that even the maesters didn't know. However, upon hearing about the betrayal, Jon began cursing the Valyrians in several languages.

"Stop, Jon. Stop cursing." Edzard said harshly, with a stern expression.

"B-but…" Jon responded, but calmed down upon seeing his master's expression. "Alright…"

"Good. Although they betrayed me, it doesn't mean I didn't get my revenge."

"What?" Jon asked, surprised, as he never thought his master was vengeful. He had never given that impression.

"I got my revenge by destroying their city, Jon." Edzard replied. "I was the one who caused the 'Doom of Valyria.'"

Edzard's words echoed in Jon's mind for a moment. In the end, when he understood what he had heard, he did the only thing he could.

"Whaaaaat?!" Jon shouted, jumping up while pointing at Edzard with a trembling finger. "Y-you d-d-destroyed V-V-Valyria."

"Yes." Edzard responded casually, in an almost bored tone, as if destroying an empire was as common as eating bread.

Jon was stunned by the coldness and indifference in Edzard's response.

"It seems you don't like what I did, do you?" Edzard asked, observing Jon.

"No, I really don't like it at all. But… I understand why you did it." Jon replied as he sat back down and looked at his hands.

"Really?" Edzard asked skeptically, noticing that Jon hadn't fully understood. "I don't know if it's to justify myself, but besides slavery, the Valyrians were also creating monstrosities using slaves, blood magic, fire magic, and the knowledge they learned from me. By destroying their civilization in one blow, I prevented them from continuing to create more of those things. Although I couldn't destroy them completely, I had to lock them up there."

Jon's eyes widened upon hearing that. He had never imagined the Valyrians doing such things. However, as he processed the information, he vaguely remembered something Maester Luwin had taught him about Princess Aerea, who supposedly flew to Valyria on the back of Balerion 'the Black Dread.' The princess had returned almost dead, with parasitic creatures embedded in her flesh.

"I-I see…" Jon said, returning to reality and setting aside that grim memory.

"After the explosion I caused, my necklace ended up in the hands of a noble from the free city of Volantis. I was in his family's possession for several years, until someone they call Aegon 'the Conqueror' took it from their dead hands…"

"Wait! You met Aegon Targaryen?!" Jon exclaimed, interrupting Edzard.

"Yes… Didn't I just tell you?"

Jon put a hand to his head and scratched his scalp. "Y-yes…"

"Good. As I was saying, once I ended up in the hands of another dragon rider, I decided not to present myself physically to them again, so I occasionally spied on them. This went on for several years, until I ended up in the hands of a young man who traveled on his dragon to Winterfell."

"A dragon rider in Winterfell?" Jon asked, trying to remember any story about a dragon rider who had come to his old home.

"Yes… What was that kid's name? Jahahaya? No… Jahacar? Neither… Jacaer…"

"Jacaerys!" Jon shouted, remembering the story he had heard from the maester about the Dance of the Dragons.

"Yes! That was the kid's name." Edzard nodded while snapping his fingers.

"So your necklace was in the possession of Prince Jacaerys Velaryon." Jon said, amazed.

"Yes, then it passed into the hands of his lover, a young woman who lived in Winterfell. If I'm not mistaken, her name was…"

"Sara Snow! You met Sara Snow?!" Jon shouted, almost standing up from where he was sitting.

"Yes, that was the girl's name." Edzard replied while looking at the sky, then turned his gaze back to Jon, who was watching him in amazement. "You know, you remind me of her."

"Really?" Jon asked curiously.

"Yes. You both have the same look when you ponder, although I think it's hereditary, as Sara's brother had the same expression."

Jon smiled upon hearing about his ancestor.

Seeing his pupil smile, Edzard decided to tell him what he had learned about the relationship between Jacaerys and Sara. With each word, Jon became more surprised, asking questions as the story progressed. After narrating that story, Edzard continued talking about the fate of his necklace. He told how, after Jacaerys' death, a deeply hurt Sara threw the necklace near the place where Jon had found it. At first, it remained on the surface, but one day a rabbit found it and, by a twist of fate, took it to its burrow, where it became buried.

It was there that Edzard began to create the cave that Jon discovered. It took him years, but just as Sara was about to die, he managed to finish it. Sensing that his current owner was about to pass away, he decided to create one last object, and using a great amount of power, he materialized the bag that Jon had found. Upon completing the task, Sara's heart stopped, and Edzard was pulled back into the necklace.

"I slept for many years until you found me." Edzard concluded.

"I see… So you've been through many places." Jon said, assimilating everything his master had told him.

"Yes, but this is just the beginning." Edzard added, earning a confused look from his pupil. "Now I'll tell you about my life when I was still breathing."

With those words, Edzard began to narrate his life in Nirm, his days as an adventurer and hero. When he finished the story, Jon looked at him as if he were in the presence of the Old Gods.

"Incredible!" Jon exclaimed excitedly. "You were a God!"

"Demigod, to be precise." Edzard corrected.

"What's the difference?" Jon asked, his face full of confusion. "To me, they seem the same."

"A demigod is not like a God, Jon. Demigods are usually born from the union of a mortal and a God. Despite the great power they are born with, a demigod is weaker than a God, but stronger than an ordinary mortal, not only physically but also mentally. Although, in theory, this always holds true, there have been cases of demigods who have managed to surpass their divine parents."

Edzard's response made Jon put a hand to his chin, thinking for a while before turning his gaze back to his master. "Did you manage to surpass your divine father?"

"Maybe yes, maybe no. Honestly, I don't remember well." Edzard replied honestly, smiling as he saw the confused expression on his pupil's face. "I have lived for a long time, Jon. Sometimes I find it confusing to remember some parts of my life. When I try, I can't visualize all my memories well. However, of all of them, the most confusing are those in which I see the smile of a blonde girl, then a little girl with the same hair color as her, but I also see other silhouettes."

"I see." Jon said, feeling a bit sorry for his master, imagining how horrible it must be not to remember parts of your own past.

"Now, the part where I told you we could see each other after your death, Jon." Edzard continued, capturing his pupil's attention. "You see, Jon, you are no longer an ordinary mortal. When I modified your body, I put a bit of my blood in you, thus binding your soul to Aetherius."

"Aetherius?" Jon asked.

"Yes, Aetherius, the immortal plane. A place where there are many planes where the souls of the dead go to rest after leaving the mortal world." Edzard replied, beginning to explain to Jon all that it entailed.

"I understand… If I die in battle with a weapon in hand, will I be able to enter Sovngarde, right?" Jon asked after hearing the entire explanation.

"Maybe yes, maybe no. We won't know until you die." Edzard said with a smile. "I hope you don't try to kill yourself prematurely just to confirm it."

"I don't think so." Jon replied, also smiling.

"Good." Edzard said as he stood up and, with a movement of his right hand, used 'Telekinesis.' Before Jon's eyes, a sword was drawn to Edzard's hand.

"Do you remember what I promised you a few years ago, Jon?" Edzard said, approaching his pupil.

Jon nodded, keeping his eyes fixed on the sword.

"Well, if I remember correctly, you called it… Star Gift, didn't you?" There was a hint of mockery in Edzard's voice.

Hearing the name he had thought of when he was just a six-year-old, Jon blushed and hid his face in his hands.

Jon's reaction only made Edzard smile even more, letting out a small laugh. When he finished laughing, he presented the sword to his pupil, allowing him to admire it in all its splendor. The blade was as black as night, double-edged and over a meter long, with a groove running from the guard to the middle. The cruciform guard, also black, had wolf heads carved at the ends. The hilt, wrapped in black leather, was long enough to be used with one or two hands. Finally, the black pommel was adorned with a white diamond in the shape of a nine-pointed star.

"I hope you don't mind that I named your sword." Edzard said, observing Jon, who simply nodded, indicating he had no problem with it. Seeing that Jon had no objections, Edzard continued speaking. "The name I chose for this sword is «Gandravar»."

Upon hearing the name, Jon quickly translated it, as Edzard had taught him some native languages of Nirm. Gandravar meant «Star Gift» in Ayleidoon.

After saying those words, Edzard handed the sword to Jon, who took it with both hands but soon dropped it upon seeing his master collapse in front of him.

"Edzard!" Jon shouted, panicking, as he saw his master sweating while his body became transparent, though instead of disappearing immediately, it began to condense again.

"Damn… it seems I have little time left." Edzard said through gritted teeth. With effort, he took Jon's face in his hands. "Jon, listen to me… There are so many things I wanted to tell you, so many things I wanted to teach you… But it seems our paths part here."

Jon listened to his master's words with sadness as tears began to run down his cheeks.

"Jon, before I go, I want to ask you two things." Edzard said, earning a nod from Jon. "When I sealed the creatures created by the Valyrians, I used five sealing stones, which were scattered around the world after the explosion."

"Do you know where they are?" Jon asked, beginning to understand what his master would ask of him.

"I don't know exactly where they went, but I can give you a clue. Those stones are always attracted to black rocks that are oily to the touch."

"I understand. What exactly do you want me to do?"

"I want you to find those stones and take them to Valyria. Once there, place them again in the locations where I sealed the creatures. You will easily recognize the sites; they are very distinctive at first glance. If you're wondering why, it's to reinforce the seals."

Jon nodded.

"When you search for the stones, be careful, Jon. Those stones have security mechanisms to protect themselves. You will need to use all your power and knowledge to obtain them." Edzard warned before looking back at his pupil. "And as a final request… I want you to live, Jon. Don't let the words of fools affect you. You may have been born a bastard, but never think that your parents didn't love you. If they hadn't, Lord Stark would never have taken you to Winterfell and raised you there. If your mother hadn't loved you, she would never have brought you into this world. So live, fight, laugh, cry, love, travel. I ask this because I want you to have no regrets when you die. Can you promise me that?"

Jon looked his master in the eyes and nodded. "I promise."

A big smile appeared on Edzard's face. "Good, Jon. Listen, when I'm gone, walk along the mountainside and you will find a cave. Enter and follow the path; you will reach a place where my final gifts for you are."

Jon nodded, and his eyes filled with tears as he saw his master's body begin to fade into motes of white light.

"It seems this is goodbye, Jon." Edzard said, ceasing to resist and allowing his existence to fade. As he did, the memories he always saw as blurry became clear, and with a smile, he finally understood who he was. Then, comprehending everything about himself, he spoke again. "We will meet again, my dear apprentice. We may meet again in the future."

Jon fell to his knees and began to cry hard. He could hear almost all of his master's final words, but he couldn't hear the last ones, as Edzard's voice turned into a whisper drowned by the wind.

"Thank you for everything, Edzard." Jon said through tears, then let out a powerful scream, mixing all the emotions consuming him at that moment.

The sun was setting, painting the sky with a beautiful shade of orange. Jon, watching the sunset, finished stacking some stones in the shape of a grave marker. Placing the last stone, he contemplated the symbolic grave he had built for his master.

"It didn't turn out as nice as I hoped, but you never taught me to be a stonemason." Jon said with a smile on his face. Gradually, the smile faded, giving way to a solemn expression. With his gloved hand, he touched the stone and uttered a brief prayer for his master's soul to rest in peace.

After finishing his prayer, Jon began to walk towards the cave where his master had told him his final gifts were located. Although he should have gone there immediately after his master's departure, the pain of the loss had left him paralyzed for several hours. Once he emerged from that state, he decided to build the rudimentary grave to honor him. Thus, as the Hour of the Bat came to an end, he found himself walking along a narrow path on the edge of a ravine. After more than two hours of walking, he reached the entrance of the cave his master had pointed out.

"Damn it, Edzard. If I hadn't used the night vision spell, I would have fallen into the ravine." Jon muttered irritably as he entered the cave.

Once inside, he raised his right hand and cast the Candlelight spell, conjuring a sphere of light above his head that illuminated the cave's interior. The tunnel was wide enough for two people to walk side by side. Seeing that the path was large, Jon began to advance, and after several minutes, he reached a chamber. It was a large underground room from which two paths emerged.

"Hmmm… Two paths…" Jon said, putting his hand to his chin. "Which one should I take?"

After a few minutes of reflection, he decided to take the right path when a breeze of fresh air entered from the left corridor, indicating that path led to the surface. Remembering how his master had told him the gifts were in a cave, Jon opted for the passage where the air was more stale. Thus, walking through that corridor, he finally reached his destination.

Entering the cave, his jaw dropped, and his eyes widened in surprise. Before him was a small underground lake, but what really left him astonished was the boat floating in the middle of the lake. The vessel was about twenty meters long and seven meters wide.

"Incredible." Jon whispered as he approached the boat.

Reaching the shore of the lake, Jon saw a dock built there. Walking along it, he boarded the boat and ran a hand over the wood. Under the spell's light, he could see that the boat was made of oak. As he walked across the deck, he noticed that the boat was single-masted, although it had no sail.

'I suppose that was to be expected, as the materials for making sails don't grow in these places.' Jon thought as he climbed one of the stairs leading to the helm. The helm was located at the upper rear of the boat, over what appeared to be three levels of platform. As he climbed, he saw some doors on the side he was ascending.

Opening one of the doors, he discovered a passageway with several small rooms, each equipped with a table, a bed, a wardrobe, and a drawer. Jon continued opening doors, confirming that most were rooms.

'The size of the rooms doesn't match the size of the boat, which means they are expanded with magic.' Jon thought and headed towards the stairs on the other side.

There he also found more doors. Upon entering, he discovered a small kitchen, a toilet, a map and navigation room with a device similar to the one Edzard had used to show him a map of Westeros years ago.

Leaving those rooms, Jon continued exploring the ship until he reached what he assumed would be the captain's quarters. It was a spacious area, with a bed large enough for three people, several wardrobes, a desk, a bookshelf, and a chest. The first thing he did was approach the desk, where he found a letter.

Reading the letter, Jon discovered that the ship was Edzard's final gift to him. Additionally, the letter explained that the ship was enchanted to be stored in a special scroll, which would transport it to a pocket realm from which Jon could summon it whenever he wanted. It also mentioned that the lower hold was filled with over two hundred chests, each capable of storing more than two hundred tons of goods. Furthermore, the chest next to the bed contained other gifts.

Jon folded the letter and placed it back on the desk before heading to the chest. Opening it, he took out a few items: a bag he had found next to Edzard's necklace, filled with tools and food according to the letter, and a leather pouch containing some money. Jon attached both items to his belt and left the ship. Once outside, he took the scroll Edzard had left him and imbued it with magic, causing the ship to be absorbed by a purple vortex, disappearing from that realm.

With his master's final gift in his possession, Jon decided it was time to begin his journey south.

Dawn was breaking, slowly illuminating the vast lands that made up the territory granted to the Night's Watch. A small breeze blew, rustling the thick wool and bear fur cloak Jon wore. The Dovahkiin's apprentice stood atop the great ice wall that divided the continent in two. He had climbed that wall all night since he arrived at its base.

"Three days since I left the place where I trained. And now, I must climb down this thing." Jon said irritably, for while climbing it had been somewhat easy, descending would be the hard part. Letting out a breath, he decided not to waste time and begin the descent, as the sooner he managed to get back to solid ground, the sooner he could start his adventure.

Author's Note:

To those who have made it this far, thank you for reading. To be honest, my English writing skills are not strong, and I'm relying on Google Translate and the dictionaries that come with Office 2019.

Well, and this chapter is like a bonus XD

Here, Jon's training by the Dovahkiin finally ends. However, this doesn't mean that Jon will stop growing in the future; he still must learn about the world and other things, as well as put into practice everything he has learned.

I apologize for any spelling errors. Please don't forget to leave a review if you enjoyed the chapter, or if there's something that needs improvement, or if you have any questions about the story. Any constructive advice is welcome. With nothing more to say, see you in the next chapter.