A Clash of Devils (Game of Thrones x One Piece)

Chapter 7: The Neck

Jon, Belos, and Ghost traversed through the swamp of the Neck. The further they went in, the hotter it got. For Northerners Jon and Ghost, the thick humid air was taking a great toll on them. Jon had it easier, switching to wear a just a wool vest and leather pants. Belos had put on a silk tunic with short sleeves and trousers. Ghost was stuck with his thick fur coat, not leaving him with many options to cool off.

The further into the Neck they went, the more the plant life took over. From the giant roots of the trees, plants such as bushes and flowers and grass grew everywhere. At parts it would get so thick Belos had to cut through the vegetation with his sword. With every step they took they needed to be careful, for numerous times they almost fell into the muddy waters. Above the sunlight peered through the trees, the cawing of birds and buzzing of insects could be heard.

Jon stood behind Belos, letting him hack apart the vines and brush. Ghost had gone ahead to scout.

"I'll give these Crannogmen credit for one thing, you do need to be strong to live in a place like this." Belos said, swinging his longsword around.

"The Crannogmen are often looked down upon by the rest of the Seven Kingdoms. For one thing they are often the poorest and seen as nothing more than frog eaters and cowards. However one of the noble houses that reside here, House Reed, has been called one of the most loyal to my father." Jon said. Unlike most people, Jon had respect for the people of the Neck.

"Any idea on where the nearest castle or village is in this place?" Belos asked.

"The problem with the Neck is that often castles and villages are built on mires and have been known to move around. There is no telling when we could run into people." Jon said.

"So we are just roaming around this place until we find someone? You really don't think things out, do you?" Belos said.

"Or they could find us. The Crannogmen know the terrain of the Neck better than anybody. For all we know there could be someone up in those trees, watching us, seeing what two strangers are doing here." Jon said.

The Crannogmen weren't called "bog devils" for nothing. All those who have fought them in their swampy home have all met swift defeats. For all the trio knew, they could have been tracked from the moment they stepped foot into the bog.

They continued to walk further through the swamp. Then in the distance they heard a howl, a wolf howl. Without even thinking, Jon shot his hand upward. The arm stretched out and wrapped around a branch from above. Jon jumped up and swung forward, using his arm like a rope. His arm then unraveled from the tree and Jon was sent flying. Meanwhile Belos was left behind.

"Hey wait for me you jerk!" Belos yelled at Jon. He took out his other two swords and began swinging like crazy, chopping the vegetation into pieces.

Jon grabbed onto a passing branch, stopping him from going any further. He looked down and saw Ghost standing before someone. It was a rather fat man and looked as if he had fallen down of fright from the sight of the direwolf. Jon jumped from the tree and landed right beside Ghost, which only further startled the man more.

"Sorry about that, didn't mean to scare you." Jon said as he chuckled. "And you don't have to worry about Ghost here, he sees you as no threat." He then pet the back Ghost's head. Said direwolf just there while panting, not even seeing the other man as a danger.

"That wolf, it's bigger than any dog or wolf I've read about." the man said, still nervous.

"Ghost here isn't a wolf, he's a direwolf." Jon said.

The fear disappeared from the man and was replaced by curiosity. He got right into Ghost face and began to examine the creature. "A direwolf you say, that is truly incredible. But I have read that direwolves haven't been spotted south of the Wall for many years. Although I must say Ghost does look to be about the right size."