[Chapter Size: 2400 Words.]
Third Person POV.
Westeros.
...
...
The silence filled the camp as everyone stared in disbelief at the scene they had just witnessed moments ago. Even those who had seen so many unimaginable things Jon could do found themselves shaken, their throats emitting small sounds as they observed the intensity and fear glowing in his eyes.
"You... you took his soul?" Karsi stammered, approaching the body and staring unblinkingly at the man Jon had killed, still incredulous as she realized he had removed the man's soul.
"Yes. I can take souls," Jon replied calmly, as if it were not a grandiose feat, while everyone around him stood visibly horrified.
"You took his soul? He won't have the right to an afterlife anymore?" Tormund, despite his usually carefree personality, looked on in fear at the idea of someone being denied the chance to meet the gods after death.
"Yes, you could say that," Jon answered. "And this will happen to anyone who tries to use dirty tricks against me. I don't care if they confront me head-on, but if they use schemes like this—like they did with Lucis's brother—they will face this kind of consequence. I won't grant mercy or an afterlife. It may seem cruel, but I don't care. This isn't the first time I've done something like this. After all, I am the Dragonborn."
Jon spoke with coldness. He was tampering with the natural laws of the world, stripping someone of their right to exist in the afterlife—a fundamental course of the soul. However, he was not the hero many might idealize him to be. Jon did what he deemed necessary, even if it was cruel. Despite this, he was not a tyrant—he did not wish for all the Free Folk to perish. He was willing to help them but also needed to arm himself against them to avoid more problems like these.
No one said another word. Even the members of the dead leader's tribe stared at Jon in horror, not daring to protest as they had before, when they were ready to attack him. Now, they stood there, fearful of meeting the same fate as their leader.
"I'm not forcing you to follow me," Jon raised his voice again, breaking the silence, as he looked at each person in the circle surrounding him. "What I want is for you to understand one thing. After all, your struggles won't end just by crossing the Wall. I'm giving you a chance, as I've said, to settle in the lands south of the Wall, provided you follow the laws there."
"We're not kneelers!" someone shouted from the crowd, summoning some courage.
"That's fine," Jon responded effortlessly. "The future king of Westeros won't care if a group of people refuses to kneel before him. The only thing I demand is that you follow the laws of the South."
"But we are the Free Folk! We do not submit to the South!" another shouted, full of conviction.
"I can understand that..." Jon replied calmly. "You live here, and it's natural to want to preserve your freedom as you live in these lands. But the situation is different if you truly want to live there. No barbarity will be tolerated. I don't want to turn the South into chaos as well. They already don't have a good opinion of you, with some tribes burning villages and stealing women. That will not be allowed under me. And if such things happen, I'd rather not help you at all. I'm being honest."
Jon spoke as silence settled over the crowd again. The people were thoughtful, and this lasted for a while until a group began to approach. Leading them was none other than Ilyana, accompanied by the Children of the Forest. When everyone noticed their presence, they parted to let them through.
Reaching the circle, though not coming too close because of the giant dragon nearby, Ilyana, wearing a serious expression, announced to everyone, "The gods have given me a vision."
Jon raised an eyebrow at this but remained silent as she continued.
"I had a vision of a white dragon leading the Free Folk to lands where there is no snow. Instead of white ground, there were green lands. It defeated our enemies, with the tribes following close behind. The Free Folk will yield to a man named Jon Snow, the one who commands the white dragon. He is... He is our best chance for survival and the one who will guide us!" she exclaimed firmly.
"But hasn't he committed a terrible crime?" someone shouted, echoing the fear and mistrust many felt. The idea of Jon depriving someone of their afterlife was terrifying.
Jon lifted his gaze, already anticipating where this would lead. "I don't follow the Old Gods like you do. My morals are different. After all, I am Dragonborn," he announced before anyone else could speak.
"So, are you a god, then?" another shouted, not for the first time someone had asked him this question.
"No. But I've fought many gods, if you must know... And I've killed some," Jon replied with a chilling calmness, leaving the man speechless, as many others swallowed hard.
The Children of the Forest remained silent, watching Jon with a mixture of caution and acceptance. Despite their contradictions with him, they had to admit he was the only hope for survival against the White Walkers. The memory of Jon killing the Three-Eyed Raven and stealing his soul was still vivid in their minds.
The camp fell into a tense silence for about thirty seconds, the only sound being Winter's breath as the dragon stared at everyone. Then, Tormund Giantsbane suddenly raised his hand. He lifted his axe high and declared in his strong, clear voice:
"I, Tormund Giantsbane, believe in this vision and will follow him to the South. No matter how many Southerners we have to face! I will fight by your side, not just because I believe you can defeat the White Walkers, but because I consider you a friend. You will have my axe to fight by your side. Just don't expect me to kneel. Are we clear, Jon Snow?" he announced.
"We're clear, Tormund," Jon replied with a faint smile on his face.
Immediately after, another person stood up. It was none other than Val. She stepped into the circle, holding her sword. "I intend to follow you too. I will fight by your side, Jon Snow," she said, pointing the sword at him in a gesture of loyalty.
"Well, I don't have much choice..." Karsi commented, removing her axe and pointing it toward Jon. "I will follow you too. If going south beyond the Wall is what it takes for us to live there and survive the Cold Shadows with my daughters, then I believe in you. It's decided," she said.
Mag made his move as well, raising his fist and pounding his chest forcefully. "Snow!" his voice echoed throughout the camp, signifying his acceptance of Jon.
Harma sighed and looked at Jon. "I will follow you to the South as well! As long as we can eventually return to the North once the Cold Shadows are no longer a threat. After all, my tribe doesn't want to be bound to the Southerners forever. This is our land, Jon Snow!" she declared.
"That's fair. You have my word that you can return north of the Wall if you wish," Jon said.
Harma Dogshead hesitated but finally spoke. "With a dragon and your abilities, which are practically divine, I'll follow you. But I don't expect this to be easy. And, Jon, let it be clear: if things don't go as you promise, I won't hesitate to challenge you."
Jon nodded, satisfied that the masked woman had also agreed. The circle fell silent again, but this time it was a silence of decision.
Sixskins and Styr said nothing, while four leaders—Tormund, Karsi, Mag, and Harma—were fully in favor of Jon, placing him as their leader above Mance. The two men eventually looked to Mance, waiting to see what he would do. Mance then turned to Jon, locking eyes with him. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke.
"You want to be the leader? Then face me and take it from me! After all, everyone here had to fight someone to lead. I don't think you can just assume you rule over everyone because of what you just did," Mance challenged him.
Jon gave a tight-lipped smile. "Alright, then."
As he said this, Jon summoned Dark Sister from nowhere, the sword reappearing in his hand, causing everyone to gasp at his strange abilities. He lowered the blade, looking directly at Mance. "We'll begin whenever you're ready," he said firmly.
All around, people swallowed hard as the leaders stepped back to make room for the two. It was a tradition among the Free Folk that the strongest had the right to lead, and they always followed whoever prevailed in a direct challenge.
As the circle of leaders formed, Jon continued to stare at Mance until the man finally made his move. Mance raised his sword to clash it against Jon's, the sound of Valyrian steel meeting the iron of Mance's sword echoing through the circle, with thousands of eyes fixed on them. The blades crossed again, emitting more metallic sounds.
"A new sword? Did you steal it from Winterfell?" Jon asked calmly while blocking a strike.
Mance didn't answer, focused solely on attacking him. He struck again, but Jon moved the sword with precision, defending himself effortlessly.
The duel continued, and the more Mance tried to strike, the more Jon demonstrated his superiority. Despite Mance's strength and the ferocity he had clearly learned from the tribes, he couldn't match Jon's refined technique. For Jon, who had faced and defeated skilled knights, this was little more than a training exercise.
Even so, Jon chose not to humiliate Mance. He knew the man's pregnant wife was watching from a distance and saw no reason to create unnecessary tension.
The fight went on for some time, but the difference in skill was obvious to everyone. Finally, Jon stepped back and raised his voice:
"Well, I think we can make this more interesting. Let's have the other two leaders fight me as well. I'll take on all three at once."
A brief silence followed as the leaders exchanged glances. Sixskins was the first to nod. Styr hesitated for a moment but eventually agreed. He looked at Jon with suspicion, while Jon smiled faintly.
"Don't worry," Jon said. "I won't use magic. This will be a fair fight with swords." He guessed the fear in Styr's eyes, remembering the last time Jon had grabbed the man by the neck and what he had done to Rattleshirt.
With this reassurance, the two leaders positioned themselves alongside Mance, ready for combat. All three advanced on Jon simultaneously.
Jon remained calm, dodging the first blade with a precise spin. He then sidestepped Styr's axe and took advantage of the opening to kick Sixskins' leg, knocking him off balance. Before Mance could react, Jon landed a direct punch to his stomach, causing him to lose his breath and drop his sword.
Styr, still trying to recover his balance after Jon's dodge, let out a groan of pain as Jon struck him on the head with the hilt of his sword, sending him crashing to the ground.
Sixskins was the only one still fighting, struggling to get up after Jon's kick. He stepped back cautiously, seeing only Jon before him, while the crowd watched in silence, stunned at how easily Jon had defeated them. Without saying a word, Jon advanced on his final opponent, clashing swords with him. He quickly disarmed Sixskins, struck him with a punch, and knocked him unconscious. Now, only Mance remained conscious among the three.
"Sixskins and Styr, I want your answer by tomorrow morning. If they decide to follow me, they'll have to obey my rules. If not, they can leave the camp at dawn," Jon said, staring firmly at Mance before continuing. "Now, Mance, I need your answer."
Mance, still trying to recover, took a deep breath and stood up, grabbing his sword. He looked at Jon and, with a determined gaze, declared:
"I will follow you as well. You have my command over all those who wish to fight by your side."
Mance raised his sword toward Jon. "I recognize you as the King Beyond the Wall!"
With those words, Jon secured the support of five of the most influential leaders in the camp.
The next voice came from Ygritte, who was standing at a distance. She raised her bow, pointing it at Jon with an amused smile.
"I'll follow you too, Snow," she said without hesitation.
"I also intend to follow him!" Near her, Guren spoke up, a man from Karsi's tribe.
Soon, the crowd around them began to stir. One by one, people started raising their weapons — swords, axes, daggers, and bows — toward Jon.
"I intend to follow you too, King Beyond the Wall!" one man exclaimed.
"You have my command, King Beyond the Wall!" shouted another.
The crowd erupted into cheers, echoing in unison:
"We will follow you, King Beyond the Wall! You have our command! King Beyond the Wall! Please save us, King Beyond the Wall!"
Jon looked at everyone before him, satisfied with the scene. People from all tribes and regions of the Free Folk pointed their weapons or raised their fists toward him, acknowledging him as their leader. He turned for a moment, looking at Winter, his dragon, which observed him closely.
With a light sigh and a look of satisfaction, 'I like this,' he thought. It wasn't a gesture he had expected, but he didn't find it unwelcome. Now, his plan was just beginning. He would train this crowd to become a powerful force on the battlefield. They would start with the Wall and then move south. He would have his revenge, even if it meant crossing the entire continent to Dorne.
End of the First Volume.
Raccoon Here:
With this turning point, we conclude the first volume. In the next chapters, we will move toward King's Landing, with some events outside Jon's point of view.
-------------Nexts Chapters ----------------
Chapter 75 - One year later.
Chapter 80 - It's Time to Act.
Chapter 90 - He is not my problem.
Chapter 99 - Final preparations.
-----------------------------
◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
🦝 Raccoon here: 🦝
I deeply appreciate your support since the beginning of this exciting journey!
I hope each chapter has provided incredible moments. If you like my work and would like to support the continuation of this fanfic, consider becoming a patron with plans starting at $2!. As a token of gratitude, I offer access to more than 210 extra chapters with 7 active fanfics at the same time, along with other exclusive benefits on my profile, such as images and significant decisions for the stories.
Even if you are not a patron, I am making chapters available a few hours earlier here, so become a free member on the platform!
🌟 RaccoonLeague | Patreon🌟
Visit our Patreon for more: https://www.patreon.com/RaccoonLeague
Extra Content Already Available:
🏴☠️ One Piece - I Am a Different Luffy!: 30 extra chapters!
🔮 Danmachi - Infinite Mana System!: 30 extra chapters!
👑 Game of Thrones: The Legend of Jon Arctic!: 30 extra chapters!
🌀 Naruto - Minato Namikaze SI!: 30 extra chapters!
🗡️ The Witcher - As Uchiha Madara! 30 extra chapters!
⚡ Harry Potter - Shadow Monarch! 30 extra chapters!
👑 Game of Thrones: DragonBorn! 30 extra chapters!
Except for One Piece with daily chapters and DragonBorn once a week, all fanfics are updated 3 times a week, there's just a pause in updating in the week, only to create drafts for the week's chapters.
In addition to the extra chapters, daily chapters are posted and 25 chapters per week!
Your support is very important and makes all the difference in keeping these stories alive.
Thank you very much for being part of this journey! I hope you continue to enjoy the story and that it brings even more joy to your life!
Visit our Patreon for more!!
◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆