Encounters and revelations

The North, Sea Dragon Point Peninsula, Western Mountains, Blackstone Ruins.

"Alys Rivers? You said your name was Alys Rivers?"

Eddard asked in some disbelief. Although the bastard name Alys Rivers was very common, a certain famous witch in the history of Westeros had borne that very name.

In the memories of Aegon's former self, in 132 AC, someone calling herself the "Witch Queen" had invaded Harrenhal, the ghost city in the Riverlands, claimed it as her own domain, and gathered a large number of refugees and bandits under her command.

Many people at the time had thought this was some madwoman's fantasy, but when the army from King's Landing marched there, it suffered an unexpectedly crushing defeat. After that, however, the "Witch Queen" Alys Rivers, who should have made further major moves, mysteriously vanished from history.

Some records said Alys Rivers had died during the crown's second campaign to suppress the rebellion. Others said she had died in that year's Winter Fever epidemic, and there were even rumors that she had died in mob unrest. What Eddard had never expected was that this woman would appear here, having become such a twisted, terrifying evil spirit.

"Y-yes, h-honored lord. I am Alys Rivers, a pitiful soul who has lost her body. Please do not hurt me. I... I will not run away. Could you please?"

The terrifying evil spirit that Alys Rivers had become spoke pitifully to Eddard, although the thick black mist around her body kept churning, seemingly using some secret art to maintain her original appearance.

Unfortunately, Alys Rivers knew nothing of Eddard's capabilities, so no matter how she transformed, she would always look like that twisted, terrifying evil spirit in his eyes.

Although Eddard was not quite sure how she altered her voice, that pitiful tone of hers really could stir a man's protective instincts. Unfortunately, Eddard was no inexperienced novice. After being bombarded with Japanese adult films on Blue Star in his previous life, a somewhat affected voice like this could not influence him at all. It only made him feel that she was acting.

"So you are the legendary Witch Queen?"

"Yes, my lord!"

After her initial panic, Alys Rivers slowly recovered. She also realized that pretending to be pitiful could not influence Eddard at all, so he could only answer Eddard's questions earnestly.

Alys Rivers had lived during House Targaryen's civil war, the Dance of the Dragons, under the previous dynasty. Her lover, Prince Aemond Targaryen, could be considered one of the chief culprits who had sparked the royal civil war. Some rumors said Alys Rivers had borne her "kinslayer" lover a child; others said she had been carrying a dragon.

According to Alys Rivers, she had become like this because she had tried to meddle with the Dragonlord bloodline. Her mother had been a Forest Witch, and she herself was the bastard daughter of Lyonel Strong, Lord of Harrenhal.

Having grown up in the cursed castle of Harrenhal, Alys Rivers had inherited some of her mother's gifts. By chance, she had encountered blood magic and fire magic from across the Narrow Sea. From then on, she had become obsessed with magic, and it was through blood magic that she had been able to remain perpetually young.

But as time passed, Alys Rivers's flesh had begun to age. Although she had continually maintained her youth through blood magic, the price of using it was bearing the curses carried within the blood.

Just as Alys Rivers had lost all hope and was waiting for old age to claim her, heaven had sent Aemond Targaryen to her side. After obtaining House Targaryen's bloodline as she had wished, she had staked everything on this child.

To gain a new life, Alys Rivers had used blood magic on her own flesh and blood, intending to make the child a vessel for her soul. Unfortunately, she had still underestimated the power of the Dragonlord bloodline. After seizing Harrenhal, she had performed a magical ritual in a place surrounded by an evil power.

But the magic had failed. She had inadvertently awakened a terrifying presence hidden within the Dragonlord bloodline, abruptly interrupting the ritual. Afterward, Alys Rivers had become this ghastly thing. Unable to adapt to this bodily state, she had remained hidden in dark corners, researching magic she could use.

"Then why did you come here?"

After hearing Alys Rivers's story, Eddard asked in some puzzlement. No wonder the Citadel's records had been unclear about Harrenhal's "Witch Queen," but he still did not quite understand why she had come here.

Upon hearing Eddard's question, the grotesque Alys Rivers seemed to consider it for a moment before answering with some uncertainty:

"This was a revelation I received after making a sacrifice to a certain god. The revelation said I would gain a new life here. In the phantom images within the flames, there was a flawless body, countless times more beautiful than my old one!"

After hearing this answer, Eddard's perception began to distort in waves, as though something were spying on him. Immediately afterward, the dragonglass eye on his right hand began to shine. A terrifying power erupted in an instant, directly "swallowing" Alys Rivers, whose eyes had already begun to change color.

Boom...

Just as Eddard was wondering what was happening, a terrifying blaze of light suddenly burst from his right hand without warning. Its dreadful, scorching pressure sent waves of distortion through his perception.

It seemed that Eddard's perception was about to be expelled. Just as he was considering how to handle this, three immensely powerful pressures emerged directly from within his perception. Then three powerful consciousnesses descended beside the blazing light. Under the suppression of these three forces, the powerful force that had nearly driven Eddard's perception away was forced straight back.

Then, under the suppression of those three forces, the blazing light gradually became a piece of dragonglass glowing with a strange light. With a swish, the dragonglass embedded itself directly within Eddard's perception.

After a strange distortion, the dragonglass became an existence like Eddard, half tangible and half intangible. At the moment it merged with him, Eddard seemed to hear some terrifying roar.

Essos, Volantis, Temple of R'hllor.

This was the Temple of R'hllor in Volantis, and the largest temple in Essos. It was an enormous building, and from a distance, it looked like a gigantic block of colored stone.

Yet its ornate spires, beautiful stone columns, long stairways, and the chain bridges connecting its towers told people that this was a miracle built by human hands.

Volantis was the earliest colony established by the Valyrian Freehold. With its long history and great strength, it was known as "Valyria's eldest daughter" and had once been the dominant power in Essos. But as time passed, the city too had gradually declined, losing its former glory.

"Ah..."

That sound, which pierced time and space, continued to echo through some unknown region. This wondrous and eerie phenomenon also stirred a response in some of R'hllor's Red Priests and priestesses praying within the temple.

In a plain room, a beautiful woman stood before the flames, staring blankly. Before her was a mass of fire nearly as tall as a person, rising from a brazier set into the floor and moving without wind.

The twisting flames resembled a wailing humanoid creature. From up close, it was possible to see that this creature made of fire seemed to be missing part of its head and eyes. It twisted and leaped, as though venting its displeasure or cursing something.

The woman behind these flames was a very beautiful woman of Essos (of Central Asian descent). She had dark brown curls, and her pale green eyes were filled with disbelief. Her high nose and small crimson lips, paired with her delicate face, held a distinctive allure.

Although this beauty was not very tall, her figure was exceptionally voluptuous. A necklace made of a special metal hung around her fair neck, with a blood-colored gemstone set at its center. At that moment, the gem was emitting an eerie red glow.

Under the influence of this eerie atmosphere, the patterns on the beautiful woman's dark red robes seemed to come alive in the firelight. After burning steadily for a while, the flames gradually returned to normal.

"The course of the river of fate has changed. Faith in my lord must not be affected. O great Lord of Light! Your devout servant Kinvara shall continue to burn herself for the path of your faith. The night is dark, and only the Lord of Light is our sole salvation!"

After finishing this strange, rambling utterance, the beautiful woman strode toward the door with firm steps.

The woman's presence was immensely powerful. Even the air around her seemed stirred by her devout faith. That powerful aura spread outward as though it had substance, making the costly gauze curtains in the room sway.

Three days later, astonishing news emerged from the Temple of R'hllor in Volantis. Kinvara, a priestess of the Lord of Light, suddenly announced that she would resign from all her current positions and travel to the western continent to seek the Lord of Light's revelation.

Afterward, the position of High Priest of Volantis would be held by an elderly Red Priest named Benerro. Although many believers expressed confusion, the clergy of the Lord of Light showed no reaction, for to them, this was merely a revelation from their god.

Westeros, the Reach, Oldtown, Starry Sept.

The Starry Sept of Oldtown had once been the largest sept of the Seven in Westeros. Before Aegon "the Conqueror" Targaryen conquered the Seven Kingdoms, it had always been the center of the Faith of the Seven.

The Starry Sept was an immense seven-sided building. Since the god had seven aspects, many buildings associated with the Faith of the Seven corresponded to the number seven, and this sept was no exception.

It had white stone walls and a huge dome made of glass in seven different colors. Seven towers, each with distinctive features, adjoined the main building's exterior. Seen from above, the Starry Sept resembled a somewhat bloated seven-pointed star.

At that moment, in the Starry Sept's central hall, seven septons and septas in different attire were quietly praying before seven marble statues.

The Seven worshipped by the Faith were actually seven different aspects of a single deity, representing seven different virtues. They were the Father, the Warrior, the Maiden, the Stranger, the Crone, the Smith, and the Mother.

Among them, male and female divine forms each accounted for half, while the Stranger was neither male nor female-or rather, it had never had a fixed form. Thus, women's status in Westeros was considerably higher than in Essos to the east.

Commoners with little education, however, believed they were seven completely different gods. Often, believers would pray to a particular aspect of the Seven according to what they sought.

The seven septons and septas praying now each represented one of the Seven's aspects, as well as their corresponding responsibilities within the Faith.

"My dear brothers and sisters, a terrible threat comes from the north, just as in the legends. I suddenly received a divine revelation. In my dream, monsters from the north turned us all into demons."

After finishing those strange, profoundly mysterious prayers, the lantern-bearing Crone addressed everyone. These septons and septas were a hidden force within the Faith, with status and influence slightly greater than those of the faction in King's Landing. But after the suppression inflicted by House Targaryen under the previous dynasty, the Faith of the Seven's power was far from what it had once been.

Moreover, as time passed, a certain rift had developed between the Great Sept of Baelor in King's Landing and the Starry Sept in Oldtown. The Starry Sept believed they could be more aggressive and go a step further.

But the septons and septas in the Great Sept of Baelor in King's Landing, having tasted luxurious living, had lost their original ambitions. They wanted only lives of luxury and stability.

It was precisely because of this that the Starry Sept had specially selected the seven most outstanding followers of the Seven to form the "Council of Seven Stars," tasked with overseeing the Faith's affairs outside King's Landing. In these septons' eyes, restoring the Faith's armed forces and giving the Faith a voice once more was the only way to guide the people toward a better future.

"What we can do now is awaken some of our brothers and sisters in the north and have them investigate the situation for us. But the north is the domain of the Old Gods, and our strength is limited. The only thing we can do now is complete the reforms in King's Landing as soon as possible.

"According to the intelligence we have obtained, the royal house in King's Landing already owes us a great many gold dragons. This is both an opportunity and a bargaining chip for us.

"Robert Baratheon is a man who cares only for pleasure. He and those nobles are beyond saving. It is time for change. We must unite all our strength to confront the crisis that may come!"

The Stranger, wearing a seven-star mask, spoke. His voice was very hoarse, his tone filled with disappointment and distress.