Chapter 22 1 страница

Walking into the godswood alongside his brother Robb and father, Jon Stark could do little more than wonder just why his Master had asked to speak privately with them. Ever since they'd returned to the North, he noticed that his Master had been…well, almost reclusive. It wasn't noticeable to most, or pretty much anyone for that matter as Lord Nox kept his normal routine. But Jon noticed that there was almost a sort of…detachment to him while he was going through his day. Jon could only hope that whatever it was that'd been bothering his Master would be brought into the open today. For if there was one thing he knew was not good, it was when there was a situation that sent even a man like his Master into a brooding mood.

Coming to the center of the godswood, Jon was mildly surprised to find not only Master Nox at the base of the weirwood tree, but his wife, Lady Nyra Nox, was also sitting next to him, the two holding hands with one another. However, even more surprising than her presence was the pensive look on her face as the two sat beneath the weirwood. Apparently, Lady Nox was just as in the dark about her husband's mood as the rest of them were.

" Ned, Robb, Jon, " his Master called out in greeting as the three of them approached, making Lady Nyra jump slightly as she apparently had been so engrossed in her Lord husband that she hadn't even noticed their approach.

" Nox, Nyra, " Jon's father greeted the two of them as they both rose to their feet. " You said that you had something urgent that needed to be said, Nox. What is it? Another vision of the future? "

" No, " Master Nox said, shaking his head. " The future is important, but it is not what I wish to speak of today. Rather, I would speak of the past. My past. "

Confusion and excitement warred within Jon. Jon knew of his Master's past… Well, as much as he'd shared of it anyway. He knew that his Master came from a land far away, further than Asshai and Yi Ti. And that the land he came from was much more advanced than Westeros. But outside of those facts, little else was known about Master Nox's homeland.

" Have you heard word from your homeland? " his father asked. " Or have you perchance seen something that would lead you to believe that those of your home are coming to Westeros? "

" No, " Nox said, shaking his head. " As I said before, there is little to no chance of my people ever finding me or this land. But I've never truly explained just why I know this for a fact. The reason why I've always neglected explaining though is not out of malice or a desire not to explain my homeland. But rather it is because I doubted that any of you would believe me when I spoke of my past and where I came from. I still believe that. But I believe that I found a way to…show you my past rather than just tell it to you. "

" Show us your past? How? " Jon heard himself asking before realizing it.

" By using the weirwoods, " Nox explained, waving a hand towards the ancient tree that'd stood since the founding of Winterfell. " These trees are…unique. In all my travels I have never seen anything like them that occurred naturally. They act as conduits to the Force. If they serve a specific purpose, I have not found them yet and doubt I ever will. But right now, I believe that I can use the weirwoods as a stage of sorts, much like a mummer's show. And my memories will be the play you will be watching. "

Jon was nearly shaking with excitement with the idea that he would not only be hearing but seeing Master Nox's past. And by the looks of it, Robb was just as excited. But their father did not appear to share in their excitement as he just continued staring at Nox. " Why do this now? Especially if, as you say, there is little to no chance of those of your past catching up to you? "

" Two reasons, " Nox stated, holding up two fingers to emphasize his point. " First. I wasn't sure if this would even work in the first place. I'm still not entirely convinced that it will work exactly as I hope, but I believe I can make this technique work. Second, is trust. Dark times are coming. Times that will put our faith and trust in one another to the test. And if my past remains clouded in shadows, there will be those that will try and use that to put a divide between us. "

Sharing a look with his brother, Jon took a step forward. He trusted his Master as if he were family. And while he doubted that anything his Master could show him would change that, he wouldn't say that he wasn't curious about how Nox was raised and trained. All he knew was that the training his Master went through was brutal and fatal to those who were deemed not strong enough to become Sith. " What do you need us to do, Master? "

" You all don't need to do anything besides placing your hands on the trunk of the weirwood, " Nox replied, gesturing for them all to take a step forward. " I'll be doing all the work from here on out. "

Swallowing past the lump forming in his throat, Jon stepped forward and placed his hand against the weirwood tree along with his father, brother, and Nyra. " Well, " Nox said, placing his hand against the tree last. " Close your eyes, reach out with the Force…and get ready for a ride. "

Jon didn't have to wait long to figure out just what his Master meant by the strange saying, as the moment his eyes closed, he felt something almost pull him forward even though he knew he was standing still. The next thing he knew he was no longer in the middle of the godswood with his hand on the weirwood. Instead of the trees and hot springs, the space around him was filled with nothing but darkness. But before he could question just what was going on, his father suddenly appeared next him, making Jon take a step back in fright as his brother quickly appeared next followed by Lady Nyra and then lastly Nox.

" By the gods, " his father breathed, looking around wildly at the darkness that surrounded them. " Nox…where are we? "

Stepping forward, Jon watched as Nox raised his hand. The darkness surrounding them almost seemed to…shift. Moving as if it were water as it flowed around his Master's outstretched hand. " Physically we are all still standing at the base of the weirwood in the Winterfell godswood. Spiritually or mentally however, that's complicated. But suffice to say we are standing within my mind…sort of. Or rather yet, my mind that is being displayed through the flow of the Force that is passing through the weirwood tree. Now…let us see if my theory proves true or not. "

Hearing a gasp, Jon could do little more than gape as the black mist around them seemed to almost…come together to form trees and dirt and walls. In the time it took Jon to blink, the darkness that'd been surrounding them was replaced by the godswood and Winterfell. " Well, that works, " Nox stated, his head tilted skywards, which was still the same fluid darkness. " I'm not entirely sure just where to begin with all of this… So, let's just dive right in the deep end, shall we? This, as you all know, is Winterfell and this, " the world around them seemed to rush past them, and suddenly the group no longer found themselves standing in the midst of the godswood, they were now standing amongst what should've been the clouds looking down on the land. " And this is the North. "

The land shifted against as they seemed to travel even higher…or perhaps it was more that the land beneath their feet got smaller as more and more of the Seven Kingdoms and then the land beyond became visible to them. " This is all of Westeros. And over there is Essos. Sothorys. The lands beyond the Jade Sea and the Sunset Sea. All the land masses that make up this world. Yet across them all, you will find no trace of my home or the Sith Empire. And that is because neither belong to this world. "

Jon was so busy marveling at the sphere below their feet containing all of the land he'd seen and most he'd only ever read of that the meaning behind his master's words took several long moments to actually register in his mind.

" Wait, " Robb called out, forcing Jon to look away from the land below them and to his brother. " How can the land you were birthed in, and the Empire you claimed to have served, not exist? Was it…Was it all a lie? "

" No, " Nox answered calmly. " I have never outright lied to any of you. I said, that neither the Sith Empire nor my place of birth are on this world. " The next Jon knew, the very stars were rushing past them like arrows as their home disappeared. When everything around them stopped moving, they found themselves staring at…a sphere that looked almost exactly like the one that Nox said contained the North and the rest of the lands they knew. " This world is not the one you know that contains the North. This world is one known as Dromund Kaas. The world upon which I was born into slavery within the Sith Empire. "

The full implication of what his Master was telling him started to dawn on Jon. But. No. That – It simply wasn't possible. Was – Was it?

" Alim…" Nyra breathed softely, staring down at the…world before them with wide eyes. " Are – Are you saying that…? "

" Aye, " Nox nodded. " I am not of this world. And the Sith Empire is in fact an Empire that spans hundreds of worlds like your own. "

Turning towards his father and brother, Jon saw that both were staring in disbelief at first Nox, and then the world that was slowly turning before them. " How is such a thing possible? " Their father asked. " Are…Are the gods truly so powerful to create life amongst the stars? "

" I'm the wrong person to ask about religious ideology outside of the Force, my friend. I've seen hundreds of different religions worshipping hundreds of different gods in almost as many ways, " Nox shrugged. " But there is more life out amongst the stars than you can possibly imagine. What you know as your 'sun', is a star. Just like all the other stars you see in the night sky. And just like your own, most of those stars have planets surrounding them. And on some of those planets, there are lifeforms that call them home. Even the Empire and the Republic, the two major powers in the known galaxy – combined – have only explored perhaps little over half to maybe two-thirds of this galaxy. And given the sheer size of the galaxy, it takes a century to explore any unknown region of space. Which is why I am so positive that neither the Empire nor the Republic will ever find this world as it lies within what we consider the unknown region of space. The likelihood of either major power within the galaxy finding this world anytime soon is akin to stumbling across an island the size of a needle point without a map in the middle of the Sunset Sea. But this also means that I cannot leave this world either. Which means that this place is now my home until the day I die. "

There was a note of…almost sorrow in the way his Master said that. And Jon believed that he had an idea about just why that was. There was…so much out there. And his Master was once a part of it. And now, he can no longer be a part of it. Seeing movement to the side, Jon remained silent as he watched Nyra approach Nox and slowly slip her hand into his. " But stargazing isn't all that I brought you here for, " Nox said, though Jon noted that his hand did not leave the hold of his wife. " This is a lot to take in, I know, and all of you are more than likely wondering if I'm just trying to pull one over on you. So, it's time to take you through some of my memories of the galaxy. "

Again, the darkness around them swirled and Jon felt as if the very ground, or whatever it was, that they were standing on lurch as they suddenly found themselves inside of some steel contraption of sorts. " By the gods old and new…"

Hearing Nyra, Jon turned and followed the path of her eyes…and found himself staring at what could only be a small version of Master Nox. He was…young. Very young. Perhaps Jon's own age or maybe just slightly older. But what was truly strange was the fact that his hands and ankles were bound with chains and there was a strange type of collar around his neck. 'A slave collar, ' Jon realized, a pit of dread forming in his stomach as he noticed that his Master wasn't alone. There were five others similarly bound and sitting next to his Master.

Before anyone could say anything, there was a hiss as part of the wall lowered like a jaw bridge allowing a bright, almost blinding light into the small metal carriage where his Master and the others were sitting. But despite the sudden brightness, Jon didn't feel any discomfort on his eyes. In fact, everything seemed just as clear now as it did a moment ago, there was just a…warmth to everything now. " You are seeing the world as I see it, " Nox explained as several large, armored men marched into the carriage and started undoing the chains that were binding those within. " That is the only reason why you can see everything around me. A normal memory would be limited to your visual range. But for me, my visual range is limited only to how far I reach out with my senses through the Force. Though the farther I reach out the fewer details I'm able to obtain. "

Gaining a new appreciation for the way in which his Master used his sight, Jon watched with his father, brother, and Nyra as the younger Nox and the others were led out of the strange carriage and onto some sort of metal dock like structure. As they were being led forward, Jon noticed another man standing in the shade of a building with a strange marking over one of his eyes and talking to a man in black robes. As they approached, the man in the robe bowed and then left without a single backwards glance towards them.

" Welcome to Korriban, birthplace of the Sith and home to the Sith Temple, " Nox explained as the man with the strange mark over his eye started degrading Nox and those who'd come forward with him. " While I appreciate the fact that Korriban weeds out the weak…it is wasteful in how it goes about the process. What you are watching here is the introduction of six Force sensitive acolytes to their 'Overseer'. The one responsible for their training while in the Temple. In truth, this part is little more than survival of the fittest. And in the end, only one of the chosen acolytes will remain alive. "

Jon watched with no small amount of dread as the world around them almost seemed to race them by. He watched as his Master fought his way through a dark cave filled with people and…strange creatures trying to kill him before coming out the other side and entering what Jon could only assume was the Sith Temple his Master spoke of. The place was massive and unlike anything Jon had seen before. He doubted that even the Valyrian Freehold during the peak of its reign could match what he was looking at now. Unfortunately, he had little time to marvel at the structure as his Master's past self strode quickly through the halls only stopping once he reached a room that had the strange man with the marking on his face that he saw back on the dock.

The strange man wasn't the only one there. The rest of those that'd arrived with his Master were there as well, as was the man that was wearing the black cloak. When the man in the cloak turned to face them, Jon took an involuntary step back with his brother and father doing the same as he. The man in the cloak was…gods could he even be considered a man? He looked more like a demon from one of the hells. His skin was red and he had what look like red horns that were part of his flesh and protruding from where his eyebrows and chin should have been.

" This…despicable piece of filth was named Ffon, " Master Nox stated as Jon watched the man with the strange tattoo berate the others before singing the praises of the strange devil-like creature. " He is from a race of beings known as Pureblooded Sith. One of the two dominant races of the Sith Empire. Now, you don't really need to see what happens next…Suffice to say, my training was not pleasant and I will not be using the exact same methods with all of you. So let us skip forward a bit to show you another species, as well as the one who would be perhaps my first and one of my most loyal of friends. "

The world shifted once more, and when it stopped, they found themselves standing in a large cavern on yet another metal bridge. Standing just before them was the young Master Nox. And…floating in the air covered in a strange light was a creature that Jon had no words to describe. It was…positively massive. He'd never seen the Mountain-Who-Rides, but he was sure that even the monster of House Lannister would be considered small when compared to this beast. " This is Khem Val. " Nox explained, waving towards the beast hanging in the air. " He's part of a species known as a deshade. And before you ask, yes. He is just as deadly as he looks. It wasn't easy winning over his allegiance. But once I had, he quickly became my first true friend and most loyal protector. Now, I've shown you a few different species outside of humans, so let us progress to something quite a bit different, shall we? "

The darkness swirled, swallowing the cave and everything around them before dissipating once more. When Jon could see once more, his eyes nearly bugged out of his head. All around him were lights and, buildings and…and gods. Structures that he couldn't even put a name too that reached higher into the sky than even the Hightower in Oldtown. It was a city…a city that stretched further than his eye could see. It was…incredible! And all around them there were metal carriages flying through the sky!

" Welcome to Nar Shadda. " Nox explained, waving his hand around the landscape. " Technically a moon, but that doesn't really matter much. But this is an example of the technological prowess of some planets. There is only one large city in the entire universe, and that is Coruscant. The central hub of the Republic. The city spans across an entire world and has built on top of itself repeatedly over thousands of years to the point where it is now impossible to actually reach the ground of the planet. "

'And here I thought that King's Landing was a large city! ' Jon marveled, looking around at the sprawling metal monstrosity of a city laid out around them. It was…incredible! Looking at his brother, he could tell that Robb was thinking along the same lines as he as they watched all sorts of different people, most of whom didn't look anything remotely like them, walking around and living their lives just as they did here in the North. But when Jon turned to his father, the elation within him died slightly as he noticed the pensive look on his father's face as he went back and forth between everything around them and Nox.

" You must think so little of us, coming from a place where…this is possible. " Jon had never heard his father sound so…defeated before.

" There are some, well, many who would think less of you and your people due to your current level of advancement, but I am not one of them. " Nox answered, sweeping his arm through the air in a wide gesture. " You see the lights, the technology, the advancement of society. But what you do not see is the fact that sentient beings have not progressed much since we reached this planet's level of advancement. War. Politics. Baser sentient instincts. All that which you can consider to be the 'game of life' that is played. Our technological advancements haven't changed any of that. The only thing that has changed is the board upon which we play the game of life. "

The darkness swept through them, taking away the city of metal towers and buildings. The next few images passed by so rapidly that Jon barely had time to truly comprehend what each one was before they were forced to move on. He saw a field of battle with men carrying large crossbow like weapons that shot bolts of fire instead of arrows. There was a meeting of what looked like a Small Council with his Master being one of those in attendance. There was a quick scene back to the city of lights and metal where scantily clad women and men were vying for the attention and coin of those who passed them by on the streets. There was a brief glimpse of what looked like a family making their way through a desert while staying close together to protect themselves from the harsh sand. And while the background might be far different than anything he had ever seen, or perhaps ever will, what was going on was not new or surprising to Jon. What they were seeing was just simply…people living out their lives. Just as Master Nox had said. The people he came from, the Empire as he called it, were far more advanced than anything Jon could ever imagine. But in the end, they were still just like the people of Westeros.

Without warning, the visions ended as the darkness swirled in once more and Jon felt another strange pulling sensation on his mind. And the next he knew he was opening his eyes and standing once more in the godswood of Winterfell with his hand pressed firmly against the weirwood.

" Alim! "

Hearing Nyra's cry, Jon turned quickly and found his Master down on one knee before the weirwood. " I'm alright, " his Master said, waving off Jon and the other's while Nyra knelt next to him. " That…that took quite a bit more out of me than I was expecting. But it is nothing that I haven't endured before. I just need to sit for a few minutes to recover. And seeing as how I know all of you have a lot of questions about what you just saw, so you best get them out of your systems now while I'm incapable of avoiding them. "

Saying that Jon had a lot of questions was an understatement. The problem was that he didn't know which question to ask first! His father took the initiative and spoke up first while Jon was still trying to figure out just what he wanted to ask. " You've avoided truly answering just how you arrived in the North ever since we brought you into our halls. And now I understand just why you did so. But now with the facts you have given us; I would ask you how and why you came to the North. "

" The how should be obvious, I came here on a ship, " his Master answered calmly.

It took Jon a moment to fully realize just what he said, but when he did, he felt a jolt of excitement race through him. 'Lord Nox has – He has one of those carriages that can fly through the air and sail across the stars! But, if he has one, then why hasn't he used it or at least shown it to us yet? That…ship…alone would've been more than enough to convince us of his past. '

" I take it that this…ship…of yours is destroyed? " his father asked, making Jon realize that he was more than likely correct.

" It isn't necessarily destroyed, " Nox replied, bringing the jolt of excitement back to Jon. " However, I did crash land. And in doing so pretty much destroyed the ship. What's left of it is sunk at the bottom of a lake not too far from where I first came across Jon and yourself all those years ago. The ship is still there as far as I know. It's nothing more than scrap metal. But perhaps if it will help to confirm my words, then we can go and retrieve it. Though, what we would do with it beyond scrapping it is up to you. "

" Can you create more of those…flying carriages made of steel? " Robb asked eagerly. " Or those crossbows that fire bolts of fire and can pierce through armor? "

To this, Nox shook his head. " Unfortunately, no. If I had the parts and the means to do so, I would've created blasters or airships years ago. But the unfortunate truth is that this world is nowhere near ready to create any of those things. And it will be centuries, perhaps a millennium or more before this world reaches that level. Unless of course there is a significant amount of outside interference. But that's unlikely. But don't think that I've been holding back. I've been doing everything I can to help advance this world. The only problem is…everything is too simple. "

That…confused Jon. And judging by the looks on everyone else's face, they were just as confused as he by that statement. If something was 'simple', shouldn't it be easy to accomplish? " I can sense your confusion, " Nox stated. " So, let me clarify. The common person in the Empire can do complicated logarithmic mathematical equations in their head that would dumbfound even the most learned of Maesters on this world. The steam engine, the printing press, your methods for making glass. All these great advancements that I am showing you have not been commonplace in the greater galaxy for perhaps over twenty-five thousand years. So, while the idea behind the process is simple, making the jump from idea and design to creating the devices has been proving to be…difficult. That is why I have been relying so heavily on Luwin, Sam, and now Talisa to act as a 'bridge' between design and creation. I can provide the theories and designs. But I need others to help take those ideas and rework them into something that is feasible for this world. And while we are making great strides towards advancement, it will still take a long, long time for this world to catch up to the rest of the galaxy. Having said that though, there are a few things which I was planning on introducing to help speed up the process of advancement. "

That made some amount of sense. From what he'd seen in the few brief glimpses Jon had seen of the realm from which his Master came from, they were so far advanced that what they considered normal occurrences where something that could only occur in one's wildest imagination here in the North. He now had a far greater appreciation for his Master's teachings outside of the sparring ring and outside of the Force. He couldn't imagine just how difficult it was for his Master to try and teach them what he knew. It would be akin to Ser Barristan the Bold trying to teach an infant who hadn't even taken it's first step how to be an expert swordsman.

" What are these 'few things' that you planned on introducing to help further our advancement? "

Jon was somewhat surprised by the almost eager tone his father had in his voice. It was no great secret that the North did not change fast. In fact, the past decade had seen more changes to the North than all the time since before the Targaryens came to Westeros. He knew that more than one of the Lords were not necessarily thrilled with how fast things were changing. But as it was Lord Stark leading the charge for change and the fact that said changes were a huge boon to the North, those complaints stayed mostly to the shadows and had all but disappeared after the failed assassination attempt at Master Nox's wedding feast.

With the aid of his wife, Nox regained his footing. " We need to move forward with new manufacturing techniques. I've already started drawing up the designs to create a rudimentary lathe, though I'm not entirely sure just how well it will work. We also need to work on a process for rolling thin sheets of steel. And we need to get that geological analysis from the location Talisa deciphered in the Valyrian journals. And, perhaps easiest of all, we need to develop a standardized unit of measurement that will be universal across the land. In short, we've got a lot of work ahead of us if we're going to truly jumpstart the advancement of this world. "

Stepping off the gangplank and onto the shores of White Harbor, Princess Arianne Martell, daughter of Prince Doran Martell and his heir clutched tightly at the heavy furs that were draped around her shoulders. Even in a city as large as White Harbor, which looked to be larger than even Sunspear, the cold of the North was unavoidable and unrelenting. Thankfully, the voyage had given her time to start acclimating to the cold of the North. But still, she honestly did not know if she would ever truly get used to just how cold it was. And it wasn't even winter yet! Just this morning she could see her breath on the air, something she had only ever heard about.

" Better get used to the cold, my dear niece. We'll be guests of the North for perhaps a moon turn or even more pending how certain…things progress. "

Glancing behind her, Arianne resisted the need to curse as her uncle descended from the ship behind her. Despite the cold air, her uncle seemed completely at ease in only a pair of long pants and a snake-skin leather overcoat. " And those things are none of your concern, Uncle Oberyn, " Arianne replied with a turn of her head and flicking of her hair.

To her overwhelming surprise, her Uncle had barricaded her into a cabin with himself and his paramour less than a week's turn after they left Sunspear. Once alone, Oberyn told her that he knew exactly why she was so adamant about coming North. Or more precisely, about who she was coming to see. The fact that her Uncle knew of her plans sent her stomach plummeting to the floor. Because if Oberyn knew, that meant that her father knew as well. But instead of trying to dissuade her from pursuing Jon, he encouraged the action. Which was certainly not what she'd been expecting. Of course, he didn't just leave it at that. No, that would've been too simple an act for the Red Viper of Dorne. Instead of saying his piece and leaving, her Uncle and his paramour then spent the next near half day going into very explicit detail about how she might be able to catch and keep Jon's attention. By the time she finally managed to escape their grasp, she was positive that her face would be permanently red from embarrassment. While she did intend to use some of their suggestions, most of the rest ranged from the downright obscene to what she was sure to be anatomically impossible. Though she had assurances from her Uncle and Ellaria that everything they suggested she do, they had already done. Which of course only made it all the worse as she immediately started picturing her uncle and his lover in each suggested action they'd given to her.

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