Aermir turned her attention to the giant ice spider. Skadi bombarded it with ice magic, but its carapace was so tough that she could only inflict minor injuries. Seeing its master destroyed, the ice spider began to charge at Aermir, completely ignoring the rain of ice shards falling on it.
Just as the ice spider was about to reach it, Aermir swung his hand forcefully, summoning Artio between them and casting a shield spell on her. The ice spider hesitated for a moment, then saw a huge black beast appear before it. It raised its forepaws, retreated, and waved them defensively, trying to keep a distance from this new enemy until it understood whether it was prey or a threat.
Aermir ignored the beast and began walking towards Ghost. He could see it was poisoned. He cast a poison resistance buff on it and began healing, but he didn't have a direct way to cure the poison. He could enhance his own poison resistance, but Ghost had to get through this on its own.
Before the spider could attack, Artio charged at it. The spider tried to resist with its appendages, but Artio tore its forelegs apart like toffee. The beast screamed in pain and tried to thrust its fangs at Artio, but her natural defenses and Aermir's blessing prevented the fangs from piercing her flesh.
Aermir longed to possess such a familiar creature, but he realized it was impossible. He focused on his magical senses; this beast had no connection to nature. Like the Others, it was alive, but it lacked any life force linked to nature. Therefore, Aermir concluded that their origins were the same as or similar to those of the Others.
Seeing that it was impossible to tame it, he gestured for Artio to kill it. She raised her hind leg and swung it fiercely at the spider's head. Her long, dagger-like claws sliced through it like slicing a melon seed, killing it instantly.
Seeing they were safe, Sam collapsed to the ground, panicking. "They, they're real, ha... ha... ha...!" He struggled to breathe. "The Age of Heroes and the Long Night... Does this mean all of this happened?"
Aermir turned around and said in a calm voice, "Very likely. The Old Gods sent me to this world to maintain its balance, and I believe the walking dead are undoubtedly a form of imbalance."
He had stitched up Benjen's wound, but he looked more exhausted than Ghost, who was still battling the poison. Benjen struggled to his feet and saluted Aermir. "Thank you for saving our lives and not abandoning us. We must return to Castle Black to report to Commander Mormont and Ned."
Aermir nodded, but first, he wanted to conduct some experiments before they set off. From his battle with the Night's King, he knew fire was their weakness, and the Night's King's arrogance had caused him to overlook another weakness: Dragonglass. He picked up the severed lich's head. It was still brimming with Darkness Magic. He could feel the filthy power with his whole being. It felt dirty and disgusting to the touch.
He rested his head on its shoulder. He wanted to see if beheading was enough, or if the body needed to be burned. They stood there, watching what Aermir was doing. None of them had the courage to question him, so they simply watched in silence.
The moment Aermir's head touched the wizard's neck, he saw the corrupting energy within the wizard's body begin to writhe like worms. Then, the wizard's eyes regained their evil, cold blue light, and it abruptly stood up, charging at Aermir. He stretched out his arm, and the lich bit his arm, attempting to injure him, but his magic was more powerful than the ominous creature.
Aermir shook his head and said, "So, beheading is only a temporary solution. We need to end the evil magic within them." He raised his hand, and flames erupted from it, engulfing the wizard.
After Ghost recovered his strength, Aermir let them ride on Artio. Artio was large enough to carry three people, so Eddard, Sam, and Jon rode on her. He also wanted to summon the Sith, but summoning Lord Drasil's barrier would raise many questions for Jon. So, Aermir summoned Berus. It was large enough to easily carry one person. Thus, Benjen could ride on it.
They swiftly traversed the mountains. Although Artio was carrying three people, she did not feel tired. She was certainly slower than a horse, but she had great stamina and could cover long distances at a constant pace, even at a slow speed. Berus carried Benjen without any problem, and Aermir followed behind them, speeding through the sky.
As the first rays of dawn broke, they arrived at the Fist of the First Men's forward base. There, Aermir realized that conflict was imminent between the outpost's inhabitants and the surrounding Free Folk.
The reason for this was the spectacle that Aermir had created a few days earlier. After seeing the pillar of light, all the Free Folk around believed it to be an invitation from the Old Gods.
After the light disappeared, they attempted to reach the Fist of the First Men, but were stopped by the Night's Watch. Then, some healers and wizards among the Free Folk urged them to reclaim this historic site.
Bo told Aermir that the Free Folk were gathering soldiers in a concealed basin outside the outpost's reconnaissance range.
The outpost is led by Commander Harald Stone, an experienced and weathered man who has fought against the Wildlings. He has a tragic past; as his surname suggests, he is the bastard son of the Vale family.
His mother was a noblewoman who was raped by bandits. She died in childbirth, and his grandfather hated him for it; if not for the fear of being called a patricide, he would have killed Harald long ago. When he accidentally killed someone, he intended to execute him, but Harald chose the man in black instead.
As Aermir approached, the Night's Watch exchanged wary glances; they had heard tales of the Druid from the bards and Crow.
Commander Stone stepped forward, his gaze fixed on Aermir's imposing figure. "You're the Druid they're talking about, aren't you? The one with the power of the Old Gods?" He didn't believe in any gods. He thought that if gods truly existed, they wouldn't allow a child to live a miserable life under his cursed grandfather.
Aermir nodded solemnly. "Yes, that's me. I'm here to ensure there's no unnecessary conflict between your people and the Free Folk. There are greater threats that require our attention."
The Night's Watch remained wary, but listened as Aermir explained that he had received a sacred mission from the Old Gods —a mission that required the people beyond the Wall to unite. The green light that filled the night sky testified to the power of the Druid and the Old Gods.
Harald hoped to maintain friendly relations with this powerful being. " Druid, for your sake, we will try not to fight the Free Folk unless they launch an attack, but in other circumstances... "Commander Stone studied the Druid. "... You say it's the will of the Old Gods? That's not something I can decide, and how can we truly know the truth?" He had barely finished speaking when he realized that the man before them had transformed from a bird into a human.
He realized his words might be considered insulting, so he made it clear. "Don't misunderstand, Druid. We don't doubt your abilities, but you can't expect our superiors to believe you without any evidence."
Some of the Night's Watch began to nod in agreement with their commander. Harald continued, "After seeing that beam of light, I can believe anything you say, but how can I convince others that the Long Night is coming and the dead are on the move?"
"Right now, besides what I and your men have to say, I can't provide you with any concrete evidence." Harald looked puzzled after Aermir finished speaking. Aermir continued, "I've rescued one of your squads of Night's Watch. They'll arrive here this evening; my familiar will bring them, but I must hurry, as I have some matters to attend to. They will tell you what they've been through."