EPTChapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V
Chapter VI
Chapter VII
Chapter VIII
Moon (MMA)
Whispers in the dark. Moon did not know how long his soul had resided in the realm of shadows, a day, a week, a month, a year? The bright morning light burned heavily even though his eyes were closed, with all of the strength he had left in his once impressive arms, he pushed. And fell. The spear had pierced his chest deeply, and the wound sent a painful jab through his body to force him down. He turned his head and felt the soft green grass, and the pleasant morning breeze. This wasn't king's landing, he could smell the kingswood. He had lived here before the emperor adopted him, but no golden chairs, valyrian steel swords or marble tables could replace this place. This is home.
"Good, you are awake. I was beginning to fear you had said yes to the god of death." MC stood over him, and poured some fresh water into his mouth.
"What are we doing here?" Moon tried to get up again, MC grabbed him tightly and kept him up his feet.
"Running from the god of death. The new king is hunting us down, trying but failing. His best dogs are on the loose now though, we need to press on. There's fifty leagues between us and the Eyrie, a few more weeks should do it."
MC wore ragged farmer's clothes and a brown hat. Take away his valyrian steel sword "Boss", and he could pass as your everyday farmer.
"Can you ride?"
"I think so." It took all of the effort in the world, but with MC's help he got into the saddle.
"What now?" Moon asked.
"We ride."
They followed the kingsroad north, a very open and unsafe route, but Moon could barely ride on the this fine paved stone, let alone go through the forest. They rode until the sun set behind the distant snowy mountains, the Eyrie was right behind them. Once MC got there, he could call his banners and take this very road back to king's landing. It wouldn't be just the two of them then.
"We will stop at that inn, we need food and the horses water."
"The lion's den" didn't differ in any way from the hundreds of other inns along the road, but it did what it was supposed to do. The wooden interior was actually quite cozy, and the hearthfire sent a comfortable heath through the room. The innkeeper was rather fat, but a very sympathic man. He joyfully showed them to their rooms, and more importantly asked no questions. He even offered them a meal on the house, roasted lamb with mushrooms and sweet potatoes. When he was sitting at that table, in the warmth of the hearth and with a good meal in front of him, Moon's pain dissapeard for just a little while.
"Why did you save me?' Moon had been wondering about this all day, it made no sense. He and MC never got along that well, and grievly wounded he was nothing but a burden.
"I made a promise to someone, and I am a man of honour."
Heavy knocking on the door. "Open, in the name of the king!"
"Which one?" The inkeeper asked.
"Dongraegu, the only true one."
The innkeeper hesitated, but moved towards the door, he got halfway before a voice from the dark corner of the room put him to a halt.
"You passed the test, no running or hiding of people, you were even kind enough to open the door. Not opening it wouldn't have stopped us for shit, but it's a kind gesture, which we truly appreciate. I see no need for sending my men in here and turning the place upside down. But were are my manners, I am Dmitry, you can call me Dimaga, and as you can see I'm wearing the pretty white cloak of the kingsguard."
"I'm Brian."
"Nice to meet you Brian, we will not be here very long. Maybe just a drink with these two lads here? I would very much enjoy that." He took the liberty of joining them, and poured them all a cup of Dornish wine.
"So tell me lads, what brings you here?"
"We're going home, with the war and all the south is becoming too dangerous for farmers like us."
"A very wise decision indeed, I couldn't begin to count how many farms were set ablaze during the last rebellion. Entire villages were burnt even, oh I can still hear them people scream like it was yesterday. O wait, no, that was actually yesterday. But the war was even uglier."
Moon gasped, he had a throbbing pain in his chest, every heartbeat felt like a giant's slam.
"I remeber this one village, we massacred it. Fire and blood everywhere, it looked like ten dragons had unleashed their fury upon it. The emperor himself came down to stop us, too late though, we were long gone."
Moon's hand gripped his sword tightly, but MC kicked his leg to prevent him from leaping forward and ripping this guy's throat open.
"Let's play some poker lads, I love a good game." He shuffled the deck and dealt the cards.
"Now the thing about poker is, it's all about the bluffing. I love it."
They played a couple of hands, MC and him full of tension, Dmitry relaxed and laughing. He already had a lot of that wine in him, but he kept pouring it down nontheless.
"I am looking for someone, king's orders. He shelters, and the shadow of the shelter gives him a good hiding spot. I don't know when I'll find him, a month, a week, a day, a minute? The time is uncertain, only the act of catching him is."
"I am sure you'll find what you're looking for, in the end we all do," MC replied.
"Oh yes, I always do." he drank another cup. "I never understood people who can't aprreciate a good Dornish, I'm sure there's a separate hell just for them. What did you lads say your names were again?"
"We didn't. I'm Lee, and this is Seoki." MC said.
"Well, it is very pleasant to meet you both. You remind me of someone boy, I think I've fought you once, never forget the faces of the people I fight with."
"I wield the pitch fork better than the sword, I doubt I would still be alive if we met in combat, ser."
"Hahaha, maybe. Maybe I just let you live for the fun of it, I do that too sometimes." He dropped the cup to the ground and sighed deeply. "Gentlemen, I 'm afraid we got a ourselves into quite a messy situation here."
Moon looked at MC, then at Dmitry.
"The wine is gone. What do we do now? Do we have any other red fluids in the house?" He laughed hard.
"I can think of one", Moon replied. "I hope your hand got a chance to say annyeong to your white balls for a final time last night."
Steel flashed. Moon drew his sword and swung it swifly and steadily. The steel met Dmitry's dagger, and the blocking of the counter blow sent a painful jab through his arm. Moon was weak, all of his muscles were already sore and he dropped to the ground, taking heavy breaths. MC stepped in and engaged in the dance of swords. The men outside knocked down the door and stormed in steel in hand. They would not hold it very long. MC leaped forward and planted his sword into the soldier's neck, then drew it back out and unleashed a fountain of deepred blood. He went low, high, low, and back up to slice another's head off. The steel was singing a beautiful song, the clashing of metal and the slicing of flesh combined into an orchestrae of heavenly sounds. His valyrian steel sword took another head, sliced a knee in half and decapitated an arm. More men were bashing at the back door, trying to join their commander, but for a brief time Dmitry would be alone against the boss.
"Oh, know I remember who you are. You're that dead man."
The swords met halfway, seperated again and met once more. Up, down, up, up, up, ... and down. With a ferocious blow MC cut right through Dimaga's parry, and slashed his leg. Dmitry shrieked and dropped down, but then the door opened. Crossbowmen sent a flurry of arrows through the room, hitting MC in the arm.
"Let's go, Moon!"
They ran through the front door and jumped on their horses, leaped into the woods and rode hard.
"FIND THE BOY, GIVE ME HIS FUCKING HEAD AND LEAVE THE OTHER ONE FOR THE WOLVES!" Dmitry wasn't exactly pleasant company in everyday life, but it was nothing compared to the state of rage he got into when someone managed to hurt him in a fair fight.
"Ser, our horses were stolen."
"WHAT?! BY WHO?!"
"That innkeeper is part of a thieves guild, they took all twenty and rode off. We found the corpse of the real innkeeper in the stables, udnerneath the hay"
MC and Moon rode till the sun came up, all bloody red. They halted the horses and gave them some well deserved rest.
"MC, why was he looking for me?"
"He was looking for us."
"Well, yes, but especially for me. I heard him, he ordered his men to bring my head back. Why is that?"
MC remained silent, but then spoke. "They were looking for you. There's a reason why Boxer adopted you, you're not just a random child he saved during the rebellion. He didn't care much for the strategic value of that village. He came because you are his bastard son"
"So...he's my real father?"
"Yes, you are the last emperor."
