Artica and Arctic are the same thing. It's just that I write my drafts in Portuguese, and some things remain when I translate. But it's the same name in different languages. Just understand that 'Arctic' is the official one in English.
[Chapter Size: 3400 Words.]
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Third Person POV
Arctic, 298 AC.
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Quickly, the discussion turned to how they should isolate Ártica at this moment and carry out all of Ártica's exercises related to the war against the dead in detail.
It didn't take long for Jon's earlier words to have men running all over the Senate with ministers' orders for the various areas of the kingdom.
But mainly, the communication area in the Senate was filled with several men working in administration, beginning to write scrolls about the kingdom's situation for those outside of it.
The letters were copies with the same message, stating that:
[From this moment on, Ártica will no longer trade any of its products with anyone outside the North of the Wall, as we are officially closing the kingdom due to a war we are fighting here in the North. Without giving many details about it, I assure you it is better this way.
We do not know how long it will last, but until then, we will no longer supply any of our clients, as no Artican ship will leave the kingdom.
We ask for everyone's understanding. While we are at war, we will also cut off all communication, as it will not be possible.
No one should come North—it is no longer safe here. Otherwise, we will not be responsible for what happens to anyone who tries to venture into these lands in such dark times.
Now, we will be focusing and putting all our efforts, strength, and resources into waging war with all our might against this enemy.
For Ártica, there are no enemies, which is why we will remain focused until we exterminate them, every last one.]
With that, the letter ended.
Hundreds of them, until they became thousands, began to be reproduced, while being perfectly wrapped and passed on to the communication system in another building of the city, where there were thousands of ravens, owls, and pigeons trained for communication, with Wargs taking care of the birds.
Through these birds, the letters would travel across the entire world, informing of the sudden cut-off of Artican ships.
While the last ones were still arriving in Ártica, none of them would leave again.
It was a very repeated message, although rumors had already started to circulate among Artican ships arriving at the ports in recent moons while they were carrying goods, saying their kingdom would soon be at war.
Some who heard this said the Articans spoke of being directly against the dead, which they found absurd.
They thought it was some kind of joke or a collective northern delusion.
In any case, the news of the kingdom's closure alongside all the Ministers—since all their authorization was needed for something so radical, as a means to avoid giving power to a single person—left the Senate and began to spread throughout the kingdom.
People were at least somewhat shocked to hear that the war would officially begin and that the kingdom was closed from that moment on, with everyone preparing.
The population was divided on what to think about it.
Some swallowed hard, aware of the horrors beyond Ártica's walls and knowing they would soon face them, while others were confident and ready to grab their bow, axe, sword, or hammer and march against the enemy.
Thus, the kingdom entered into unique formations, as entire groups of soldiers began marching through the city.
Giants, dwarves, and humans quickly took over the streets, moving through various positions of the kingdom, adding an even stronger atmosphere of tension everywhere, while the civilian population looked at their Artican warriors—with many thoughts—as they advanced, marching in a unified rhythm.
All wore Ártican armor, while more men moved toward the depots, beginning to collect their armor as well, while Ducken supervised the military warehouse's output in Ártica alongside his assistants and trusted men.
Mance, as the new civil minister, was directly among the people, making announcements in the city as soon as he left the Senate.
Despite his position being recent and this seeming strange, he was still performing his duties well, gathering information from key points and announcing that a meeting would be held in the city's main square.
He informed that the king, along with the ministers, would be delivering an official speech about the decrees Ártica was enacting at that moment and how they were preparing for war.
Kiera, as minister of justice, moved through all the courts, speeding up the handling of cases while still trying to maintain justice through legal processes.
Expulsions from the kingdom would be abolished, with imprisonment now enforced for those committing such crimes, even reaching execution if the crime was truly severe, as Jon no longer saw sense in sending people outside, giving them a horrible death at the hands of white walkers.
Thor quickly went to the forge sector, making all the dwarf blacksmiths work tirelessly, smelting eldenmetal along with Valyrian steel weapons using many of the leftover ingots Jon had given him, with all the forges burning hotter than ever.
Aemon went to the university, where he held a meeting with all the students.
They would no longer only have theoretical and practical knowledge classes, but would also begin receiving military training with blades, for by order of the king, the entire kingdom would be arming itself and undergoing brief training.
Children and teenagers at the university spoke and gossiped of nothing else, with concern, fear, and even excitement from some.
If the walls cannot stop the enemy from passing, Jon had said, everyone must have a chance to defend themselves.
Soldiers, under Ducken's orders, would begin taking up half of the students' time to train with weapons of all sizes at the university in the coming days.
Haran, the giant, went to speak with all the kingdom's farmers, so they would fill their farms even more and keep the kingdom supplied with food for years.
Magical boxes would be created to preserve the food, powered by the great tree so that they wouldn't spoil for a long time.
The king knew very well how to use his powers for that, but was now a bit busy and needed to use his strength elsewhere for the time being.
The ministers of coin, foreign relations, and trade continued helping with bureaucratic documentation.
Ártica was, at that moment, beyond its normal functions, as it was no time for diplomacy, currency, or trade with the kingdom closed and in a war for humanity's survival.
Seraphine met with Leaf, while the Children of the Forest began to pray, asking the old gods for strength in the sacred grove.
At the same time, the people of the kingdom also quickly gathered around the sacred grove, in silence, looking at the enormous tree in the center of the kingdom and asking the old gods for strength.
Jon was on the roof of the Senate.
Brynden was also there, standing, waiting for the conversation with the king to finish while both of them observed the kingdom.
The structure on top of the Senate served as a landing platform where Eragon, even at his 100 meters, could land.
Jon and the dwarven engineers had developed it so that he could use the royal dragon to leave or fly from the location, just like the platforms located at key points in the city whenever needed.
It was a quick means of transportation.
Scanning the city with their eyes, Jon and Brynden stood side by side, looking down at the endless stretch of houses.
They could hear the streets, full of movement.
"As you can see, the kingdom is more agitated than it has ever been... don't you think?" Jon commented in a neutral tone.
Brynden nodded. "You know I never imagined that, after losing the vision of the future here over 20 years ago, I would ever see or even imagine that a kingdom like this would develop, and that it would be the key to fighting the dead," he said.
"The time has come for Ártica to show its purpose... This land will be a paradise within hell while evil tries to breach our walls. We will protect the people loyal to our gods, just as they themselves have asked."
"That's why the old gods interfered in our world. And that is also why so many others are doing the same," Jon said.
The Red God had also taken an interest in him, wanting as well the extinction of the creature that sought to destroy the world.
At the same time, for Jon, the Seven had become false gods. None of them manifested after everything he had done in the South. In the end, they were nothing but a farce of the Andals.
"We're going to win this," Brynden said confidently.
Jon only nodded, moving his head. "I'll leave the care of the outer region of Ártica to you. I'm going to check things in the south of the kingdom," Jon said, as he began to walk away.
Brynden nodded. "Very well, my king. Go ahead," he said, as Jon began walking toward Eragon. He mounted the dragon and, in an instant, shot into the sky, heading toward the south of the kingdom, within the walls.
Meanwhile, Brynden descended the Senate steps, took a cart, and went to the sacred grove, where he found many people praying. He entered the place, also finding the Children of the Forest, all deeply focused.
Leaf approached him. "So you're going back to those roots where you lived for so long?" she murmured, as Brynden gave a slight nod.
"Seems I stayed away from them for too long. But yes, Leaf, I will serve humanity once more through that place," he affirmed.
With that, he passed the Child of the Forest, advancing toward the center of the great Weirwood. He entered through a large opening in the center of the tree, finding the place where he used to remain, among the roots of the region.
He now had the power to leave that place, but at the same time, he weakened the farther he was from the sacred tree that empowered him.
Now, the sacred tree was more powerful than ever, able to give him even greater strength than he had ever felt.
Brynden moved to the familiar place, entering the roots. His body began to shift, slowly becoming bound there once again, as he felt the sacred energy of the tree begin to flow through his body.
"Let's begin," he murmured, as his eyes quickly turned white.
Leaf, watching from a distance, knew: he would be the eyes of Ártica in this war. That was his role.
In the next moment, several birds and bodies scattered around the kingdom began to shift their gaze, feeding Brynden all the information.
Connected to many of Ártica's birds, he began to control them, with more than a thousand and one pairs of eyes under his command.
"I think we'll find them first," he murmured, as the birds took flight, transforming into a gray cloud above the city, with everyone watching in surprise at the swarm of birds flying above their heads.
Then they departed, heading toward the North.
At the same time, Jon was flying to the South of Ártica, while he saw several dragons lining up atop the mountain that was under construction.
His eyes moved downward, toward the base of the mountains.
There were about ten enormous constructions, most of them still in progress. They were all forges, like the King's Forge, and Jon intended to use the dragons along with the Valyrian steel forges to produce more Valyrian steel. These were being built specifically to be used by the dragons of Dragon Mountain.
Two were already complete, with Valyrian steel forges crafted by the dwarves, and the blacksmiths were already working on the other three in that dragon-infested place, where the creatures were disliked by nature.
Jon stopped at one of the forges still under construction, while the dwarves stepped out a bit surprised, grumbling among themselves upon seeing a dragon landing there—something that happened from time to time since they were within the dragons' territory, which caused frequent confusion between dragons and dwarves.
But upon seeing the king's dragon, they quickly silenced their complaints, careful not to offend.
Jon dismounted from Eragon, his dragon, and spoke with them, explaining the situation and also requesting a deadline, since everyone needed to work even harder in this early stage. There weren't enough blacksmiths for all the forges there, but many of them would be ready soon, despite the dragons still being very young.
Drawn by Jon's presence, the dragons began descending quickly, now able to fly, landing close to him, while the dwarves grew quite uncomfortable with the situation.
In the end, Jon had to step away, returning to Eragon and moving toward the dragons, who followed him the entire time.
The dragons were now the size of small houses. Certainly, his children could soon ride them, as they had grown much faster than those of Daenerys and Rhaenys.
Some landing platforms were already finished, and Jon landed on the highest one.
Jon usually had to take the dragons out of the mountain so the dwarves could work. He hoped that, by the end of the war against the dead, this place would finally be complete.
The dragons began circling in the air around him and landing, approaching Jon—more than twenty of them.
Luckily, the place was large enough to fit them all.
The fact that Jon was bonded with all of them gave him a certain level of control over them.
He could command everything in the skies, until one day his children—like Loki (Seryna's son), Liana (Ygritte's daughter), and Jaehaerys (Rhaenys's son)—could learn to master their own dragons, more than one.
Brandon (Ygritte's son) and his brothers and sisters would also have that chance later on.
"Well, let's test a few things with you, alright?" Jon said to a row of dragons, looking at them.
He asked them to release flames upward for a set amount of time.
He stayed there for a while, until he decided to leave.
He was already preparing everything so the dragons could begin producing Valyrian steel. They weren't large enough yet, but due to their numbers, they could help with production after testing the reach of their flames.
Jon mounted Eragon and shot off toward the official center of Ártica, flying once more toward the city, soaring above as he headed to the castle.
Upon arriving, he was quickly received by some of his wives and children, who commented on how stirred the city was and how the announcement that Ártica would be closed was affecting everyone.
Jon spoke briefly with them, exchanging a few words, and sent a raven directly to the military sector.
Ducken arrived twenty minutes later, at full speed, to address the matter of finding the king.
"My king," he murmured, bowing his head, as Jon nodded.
"Great that you came. I need you here, follow me," Jon said, as they walked forward, descending into his underground passages.
They reached the entrance to a subterranean vault.
Jon opened it with a key, triggering multiple locks to disengage. It was heavily protected, almost like a bank.
Ducken found himself before mountains of gold.
There had to be more than ten million coins there, along with all kinds of precious and rare items collected during Jon's travels across the world. Everything was carefully stored.
On one side, he saw a partially well-made painting which, according to Jon, was the key to something very valuable that lay in Valyria.
At the same time, there were various armors—all made of Valyrian steel—those Jon had used and kept for himself.
One of them was the armor he wore across the world, a samurai armor forged in Valyrian steel. There were also katana swords made of the same material; the entire set had been made for battle in Yi-Ti.
Even the armor he used in those fights was present—far more intricate than any other, as it was the king's armor.
There were others too, ones Ducken had never seen before, and he knew Jon had crafted them himself.
Now they were kept in vaults, unused, leaving the question of when he would bring them into battle.
They soon moved on to an area full of swords resting in stands, while others were grouped together in a chest or barrel.
There were hundreds of them.
"Eldenmetal is a good metal, but it's not as effective against the White Walkers. That's why I want you to distribute at least 450 Valyrian steel swords.
I want them placed in the hands of the most capable soldiers in the kingdom," Jon said.
"But, my king, if you want efficiency, don't you think we should set aside at least ten and make some for the giants?
They'll be more effective than us humans," Ducken murmured.
"Don't worry about that. Swords for the giants are already being forged.
Take these to the army. All the guards already have blades, and they each have full Valyrian steel armor in Ártica," Jon replied.
Ducken nodded.
Soon, the royal guards began entering the vault, carrying out the swords and removing them from the castle.
Ducken would be responsible for placing them in the hands of Ártica's key warriors.
At the same time, Jon had to say farewell to his family, as he needed to be somewhere else that same day.
Ártica's streets were already filled with armed men—at least four to eight times more than normally patrolled.
Now, everyone was preparing for war, and those numbers would only grow.
Ravens also began to depart directly from the aviary and training area for ravens and pigeons, as the letters were finally placed on their routes, flying south.
Unlike the birds Brynden had sent to the North, these carried letters to Ártica's clients, trade partners, and citizens who were outside the kingdom.
There was a request for them to return immediately. Once the channel closed, no ship would enter Ártica again.
Jon also sent a message to Braavos, a direct threat due to the attack by a Faceless Man—which would clearly affect their reputation.
That assassin had been hired specifically to kill him, and though he failed, the goal of intimidation had already been met.
Jon then made his way to the sacred grove, where he was welcomed by the Children of the Forest, after passing by the people praying in the square.
He simply greeted them as he continued forward, entering the land of the sacred tree. Leaf followed him as he found Brynden standing, one eye already open, waiting for Jon.
"Brynden," Jon said.
"Your Majesty," he replied.
"Were you able to accomplish everything you needed in the South?" he asked.
"The businesses aren't ready for war, but they will certainly provide the necessary equipment during it," Jon answered, firmly.
Brynden nodded.
"I see. Well, in any case, my ravens have been flying for hours, but they're still nowhere near the enemy."
"I know," Jon said, his eyes also turned toward the sky and even toward the storm, far to the North, while he spoke with Brynden.
"You seem to have a question. I know that look since you were nine namedays old..." Brynden noted.
"I do," Jon nodded. "While I was watching the dragons, I thought about another one—outside of Ártica," he said.
"You're talking about Cannibal? You want to use him?" Brynden asked immediately.
"Yes," Jon nodded. "The dragon has enough power to make a difference due to its size—and also because of its special fire.
Maybe I'm being selfish to bother a creature that's been in the Skagos Mountains for over a hundred years and has apparently harmed no one.
But if he can help in the war, I intend to tame him," Jon said.
"I see. Do you think Eragon can handle him? That dragon is at least a hundred meters long, and Eragon is a third his size," Brynden said.
"Yes, but size doesn't always determine the outcome. Eragon has far more power than his appearance suggests," Jon said, and everyone listening grew slightly shocked.
"If we have to fight, I'll fight him—and I intend to win," Jon stated.
"I understand. But still, you want something from me. You want to see through the green sight?" he asked.
"Exactly. I want to know even more about the dragon before facing him."
"Very well. It'll take days for my eyes to reach the enemy—or even weeks—so we have plenty of time," he said, as Jon nodded, stepping forward and beginning to enter the green vision.
-------------Nexts Chapters ----------------
Chapter 278 - The King Arrives in Winterfell.
Chapter 283 - The Winterfell Banquet 04.
Chapter 293 - The Queen's Resentment.
Chapter 302 - The Eagle's Attack.
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