Chapter 9: Chapter 8

[Hey!... Hey! Wake up!]

Wha-Hm?

I awoke with a start and the first thing I noticed was the cold.

"Brrr!" I shivered as a cold wind cut across my body, and I wrapped the coat a little tighter around me on instinct. 

[Finally. You're awake.] A voice echoed in my mind came from ... The ring? 

I looked down at the ring I had clutched in a vice grip.

"Let me guess, you're the mystic code?"

[Took you long enough to recognize that.] 

"Uhun?" I acknowledged it absentmindedly while I looked around me. 

Where am I? 

I was standing on a stone roof, atop what looked like... A castle tower? 

No. This is too small to be a castle tower. 

I walked up to the crenellations at the edge of the roof, and grabbed one, leaning against it as I looked down.

Yeah that's a good eight meters down. 

I was atop the stone roof of a lone tower in the middle of bumfuck nowhere. All around the tower was a rolling grassland of dull, straw-like grass as far as the eye could see. 

Pasture? 

Up above, I was greeted by the sight of a beautiful, clear blue sky, little clouds dotting the distance. The sun shone dimly upon the land, but that did nothing to assuage the biting, cold winds that swept across the grassland every few minutes. 

I am guessing this is somewhere in the North? There was no ice here so it's probably not winter. 

Summer?

I noticed the fallen leaves in the courtyard below.

Autumn maybe?

Gauging the direction of the winds, I could tell they were coming from the southeast. So the ocean's that way, I just don't know how far.

Observing the surroundings further, I noticed a broken down cart by a tree some ways from the tower, covered in hay, dirt and fallen leaves. The place seems abandoned but if the people who lived here had a cart, it means there must be a settlement somewhere down south close enough for a cart ride. Given the small size of the cart, I'm guessing, one or two days ride at most. Maybe even a day round trip. 

To the back of the tower, I could see a collapsed stable and animal pen. So they were herders, maybe shepherds. This is a pasture after all. It'd make sense. 

As for why it's abandoned.....Maybe they abandoned it in haste after a wildling raid?

No. If it was wildling there'd be bloodstains and bones littered about.

So, bandits? Or iron islanders?

[Close enough.] The ring said, [I can see why he chose you.] 

"So you do know where this is. Care to enlighten me?" 

[Nope. Figure it out yourself. Consider it a little test of worthiness if you're to wield me.]

"Very King Arthur-y." I scoffed, "Do I also need to be a maiden, pure of heart? Ride a unicorn into battle?"

[Only if you want to stop denying the truth in your heart and come out of the closet.]

I rolled my eyes. 

Hmmm.... Well first let's get down from here before I decide what to do. 

"Great position to throw me down in, Hedge." I huffed, "Why not just send me to the other side of the wall?"

[At least you'd be safe from thieves and wild animals up here. I'd say it's a decent spot.] The ring spoke in my mind.

"Yes. I know. I'm just miffed he didn't send me somewhere more advantageous." Then an idea struck me.

"Unless this is an advantageous position?" 

[Now you're asking the right questions.] 

So it is, huh?

"Say Mr. Ring, what are you?" I turned my attention to the ring. Best get this sorted before I get down. Can't be distracted by it once I'm on my way.

[I am a mystic code. Did you not figure that out by now?]

"No, I mean what kind of mystic code? What can you do, other than, I'm guessing, use the Kaleidoscope? And do I need to transform into a magical girl to use you?"

[Don't tempt me.] It replied, [Also didn't you say you don't know much about Fate?]

"From the memes." I raised an eyebrow, "You were listening?" 

[He kept me around so I could get an idea of what type of guy my new 'master' was.] He said with disgust.

"You seem awfully unwilling about the whole deal." 

[What gave it away?] It asked sarcastically.

"Well, how about this then? Once you finish teaching me about the Kaleidoscope, you can leave. I'll even help set you up with a parallel world and starting resources. A body if you want." 

[You would? Why? What do you want in return?] 

"Nothing really. I just told you. Teach me to use the Kaleidoscope and that'll be enough."

[And why would you ever do that? It seems so... Antithetical to your personality.]

"I'd like to say I'm just paying it forward but it's more practical than that. Letting you go free is better than having you by my side, seething and fuming about being forced to serve against your will. What's to say you won't just snap some day and turn on me? Besides, I'm not a fan of slavery, even if it's to... Uh... are you like a soul?"

[Artificial personality. I'm supposed to do the calculations necessary for the concept of the Kaleidoscope embedded into the ring.]

"I see." I nodded in understanding, " Then do we have a deal?"

[You're weird. Don't you know how valuable I am?]

"More than my life?" I asked with a smirk. 

[Absolutely.] The ring said playfully. 

And there we go. Broke that icy exterior. Now then...

[You know I can read your mind right?] The ring suddenly said.

"Yeah. I figured. Doesn't change a thing." 

There was silence between us for a moment before it spoke again.

[You know he didn't just help you out of the goodwill of his heart.]

"Yeah. No such thing as a free lunch. He said it himself. It's an investment. He'll be expecting a return once I solve my problems. Help with exploration and logistics. Probably also share my research, given how hard he was pushing that scientist angle." 

[If you knew then why didn't you say anything?]

"To the mostly cordial, super mage who helped me get a second lease at life? That'd be wrong on so many levels. Not to mention, it's a fair deal, after all he's done. Could have been worse." I shrugged. 

If it had been me in his place, I'd have just killed myself and reused the body for biomass, so he was a better man than me.

And you don't get good if you reward evil. People work on incentives after all.

I'll keep my end of the deal. It's only right. 

[I just can't understand you.] It huffed.

"You don't need to." I replied as I searched the roof for a way down. 

At a corner of the roof, there was a wooden hatch, reinforced with iron at the sides.

I walked over to it and leaned down, pulling on it.

The hatch rattled, but didn't budge. 

It was locked from the other side.

[Why don't you just shoot it? They do it in the movies all the time.]

"It only works in the movies. In real life, bullets ricochet. And I'd rather not have a bullet stuck in my ass in a medieval world without surgery."

I stood back up and dusted my clothes off before moving back to the crenellations. 

It's only eight meters down. I reckon I can just use Reinforcement and jump down.

[Can you though?] It asked with amusement. 

"What do you mean? Of course I can." I recalled the spell structure for reinforcement and called upon the mystery when....

"Hm?" I looked down at my hands and noticed the distinct lack of glowing lines. 

When did my magic circuits shut off? I could swear Hedge activated them when he threw me into the portal...

"Well, I'll just activate them again." I said to the cackling ring.

Looking into my memories I searched for the method to switch them back on. 

Aha! There we go.

Magic Circuits are a pseudo-nervous system that spreads itself through the human body and what qualifies a person to be a Magus. They have two basic functions; one is to convert Life Force into Magical Energy and another is to allow their owner to access Greater Magic Formulae, that is, Thaumaturgical Foundations. They also are paths that connect the material world to the astral plane. To perform mysteries, a Magus sends a command and Magical Energy to a Thaumaturgical Foundation through his Magic Circuits and activates one of the Magic Formulae included in the Foundation as if someone switched a computer on and sends it commands to run a computer program.

Magic Circuits reside within the Magus's Soul, and what is found on the body is just a.. yada yada yada. Skip.

Looking a bit further I found the relevant information. 

Magic Circuits are "opened" when magical energy is run through them for the first time. Based on their experience at that time, a Magus makes their own mental trigger to activate their Circuits at will from then on. For this reason, the triggers are different from each other and in an extreme case, self-injury can be regarded as a switch. An unexpectedly large number of magi have sexual excitement as their triggers and moreover many of them rely on drugs. The homunculi in Hedge's service however have a common trigger, their feelings of loyalty towards him.

Nice. Great way to prevent rebellion. If they need to reaffirm their loyalty to you everytime they use magic, they literally can't rebel. 

Well, I can always just try this.

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Swearing loyalty to Hedge in my heart, I tried to switch on my magic circuits but to no one's surprise, nothing happened.

I sighed. 

[Well, you're not exactly loyal to him. Besides, you aren't a complete homunculus. Maybe your trigger is somewhat different from the regular homunculi?]

"Could be." I contemplated about what it could be.

If the trigger is based on the first time the magic circuits were opened, then maybe my trigger is floating in water? Or shooting the black barrel? Let's hope it's not the latter or else I'll be dead within a couple uses.

One by one I tried them both, to the same results. 

I even tried some sexual triggers. Nothing, nada. It was useless. 

What now? 

[Sometimes the trigger has some connection to the person's nature or origin.]

"Could be, but do I have time to waste trying out all the possibilities? Daylight is running out already. What time is it? Like 10-ish?" I wondered out loud.

[You could always just jump down anyways and hope to land safely. Or with as little injury as possible in your case.]

"Or I could use my paracord." I removed the length of mountaineering rope from my bag and began tying it to one crenellation. 

"It's just a shame I don't know any self-untying knots. We'll have to leave it here at this rate." 

[You can always buy another rope from this word.]

"One of this quality? Unlikely." I sighed when something crunched below. I looked down to see a figure stumble out from the house.

He was dressed in ragged furs and tattered clothes, shrivelled thin with a mousy look about him. 

[That's a development.]

"Shh. Wait and watch." I told it.

I stayed silent and ducked behind a crenellation, observing the man stumbling about the yard. He looked around, fear in his eyes before he made for the tree and cart, and fell to his knees. Looking down at the rotting berries on the ground, he considered something for a moment before grabbing his stomach. Then his indecision disappeared as he began to pick the rotten berries off the ground and began to eat them, with a face that looked like he was swallowing bugs.

[That's a hungry boy.] 

"No shit sherlock." I stood up from behind the crenellation and called out to him.

"Hey! You." 

He jumped up as soon as he heard my voice and looked around like an alarmed rat till he spotted me up there.

Almost immediately, he got ready to run.

Dammit, why does everyone run when they see me?

[They can't stand your ugly mug.] The ring laughed.

I rolled my eyes and took out a piece of jerky from my bag.

"You look hungry. Want some proper food?" Instantly, he stopped, and turned back. His eyes narrowed as he stared at the meat with drool dripping from his mouth.

He gulped thickly as he took a hesitant step towards me.

"Yeah. Come here. Come on over." I beckoned him closer like a stray cat.

"Throw it down." He said, still suspicious.

"No." I refused, "You come up."

"Why? You a knight?" He asked, adding a hesitant, "Sire?" 

"Why, yes I am. And I can give you enough to fill your belly, but only if you do something for me."

"What?" He asked.

"Come up here and unlock the roof hatch for me. Then I'll give you the meat." 

"You're stuck?" He asked, eyes glinting with greed.

This bastard... 

I sighed and rolled my eyes.

Taking out my revolver, I aimed it at his side and took a shot.

Bang!

He jumped up and fell back, curling up into a ball as the bullet ricocheted off the ground, shattering stone, sending bits of tiny shrapnel flying everywhere.

"You can come up and get some meat to eat or I can kill you from right here. Your choice, boy." I aimed the gun at him again.

He looked at me, then at the shattered stone tile beside him and gulped, shivering in fear.

"You coming?" I asked, cocking the hammer. 

"Yes m'lord. Right away, m'lord." He scampered to his feet and rushed in. Less than a minute later, I was out of the tower and the mousy little shit had some meat to fill his stomach. 

I stood and watched as he finished eating and looked at me for more.

He looked starved, a boy no older than seventeen. 

"You want some more?" I asked.

He nodded.

I took out two more jerky pieces and waved them in his face. 

"Then you better start talking. I'll give you half a piece for each question you answer. Where are we? What year is this? What is this place called? And where is the closest town?"

"This here is the edge of the gift, m'lord. The 298th year of King Aegon's landing. The closest town...." He looked nervously into the distance behind me.

"Spit it out." I ordered.

"It's Winterfell, m'lord. Just that way. Across the hill and the woods. But I cannae guide you to it, m'lord." He said with fear. 

I raised an eyebrow.

"And why is that... Uh..."

"Wyllard, m'lord." 

"Yes. Why is that Wyllard? Why can't you guide me to town?"

"I... I... Uh... m'lord please, understand I.. " he stuttered to give an answer, shaking in fear as he took a few steps back. 

"Go on. I don't have all day." 

But before he could say anything else the ground began to shake ever so slightly as the whinny of horses could be heard across the grassland. In the distance a company of riders approached us, each wielding a spear, dressed in leather armor.

Ah, so that's why.

"He could have just told me when he was sending me out to." I shook my head.

[But where would be the fun in that?] The ring chuckled in my mind. 

I sighed and caught Wyllard just as he was about to make a run for it.

"Where do you think you're going? You seriously think you can outrun a company on horseback?" 

Hearing that, Wyllard just gave up and went limp, falling to the floor in despair.

I smiled looking down at him. 

I didn't quite like him but I can at least make some use of him for my purposes. Letting him fall to the ground, I stepped forward, towards the riders just as they circled us, spears pointed at our throats.

"In the name of Lord Eddard Stark, you deserters are under our custody. Stand down or we will spear you where you stand." 

And there we go.

Season one, episode one. 

Just in time.

At the back of the party I could see a series of familiar faces. 

I grinned evilly.

It's time to put that meta knowledge to use and milk Sean for all the Beans he's got.

[That was a terrible joke. You need better lines.] 

Oh shut up. As if you could come up with something better.

[With ease.] It snorted.

Yeah? We'll see about that. 

__________________

And we begin the game of thrones arc. This will be abput 30 to 40 chapters at most and then we get to the juicier parts, high magic and shit. 

Thanks for reading.

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