Game of Thrones: King of Magic

Chapter 5

Solomon. Winterfell.

One year later.

- Ouch! - I heard Jon's voice and looked in his direction.

My eyes saw him rubbing his right hand, on which the remnants of Inguz, the rune of fortification, had fluttered, and looking at the stone that was acting as a target.

- Did you get the rune wrong again, Jon? - I asked and rubbed my temple. - Didn't I tell you that any mistake could cost you your life?

- You did, Lord Solomon," Jon said, his head lowered in shame. - I apologize.

- It's okay, you're just learning," I shook my head and ruffled his hair in a soothing gesture. - But be more careful next time and take your time. You've managed to master Projection, Structural Grip, and Strengthening to an acceptable level this year, which is very impressive.

- I understand, Lord Solomon," he cheered up and began practicing again.

While in Winterfell's Keep, I observed Jon practicing magic. Lord Stark did not allow me to take him on as an apprentice until a month after our conversation.

After another month, after lecturing him on the dangers that would accompany him on his journey as a mage, I activated his magical circuits. As I expected, he only understood my words at the moment of the ritual, which his entire family came to watch.

Jon screamed. Loudly and painfully. So much so that Lord Stark and Robb tried to help him. But I didn't allow it, to which I received enraged looks. The rest of the Stark family froze in a sense of fear. Even Lady Stark, who hated Jon to the bone.

After a moment, the ritual was complete, and I let them in to see him. Jon was in a very weakened state, but my senses caught what he was feeling at that moment - happiness. He was happy that he had endured this and was able to prove his worth. And my findings only reinforced that feeling.

Jon had forty magical chains of high quality. And each of them could pass not the usual ten mana, but thirty. Which could be considered a feat in this era. And when I asked him to activate them, he did so with extraordinary ease. As Jon told me, his trigger was the image of taking his sword out of its sheath, which is to be expected.

The next day we learned his Origin and Element.

His Element was ice, a sub-element of water. Which I wasn't surprised by, having studied the history of the Stark family.

And his Origin was Understanding. That explained his high rate of learning. During Romani Archaman's lifetime, such learning ability was rare and valued in the Clock Tower.

But what puzzled me more than a little was that he had an Aspect that was usually present in mage families. Jon's Aspect was Life.

Using my Clairvoyance on his essence, I was able to discern something interesting. He was the bastard son of someone with dragon blood.

After researching the Winterfell library, I learned that dragons are extinct. And only Targaryens with their blood in their veins were still alive until recently. But as I see it, that information is out of date. How else could a fifteen-year-old boy have dragon blood in him?

It all makes sense, though. Jon got an aspect from the Targaryens and an element from the Starks. That's an impressive backstory.

And when he had mastered the basic three spells, I decided to teach him the art of runes. They are easy to master, and their power depends on the understanding of the practicing mage. And with Jon's Origin, there should be no problem at all.

And then there are these Chard Trees... Magic lived in them. As I've learned, these trees were beacons of magic here in the North. And so was the Wall built by Brandon the Builder, as the legend says. It says the Wall protects the Seven Kingdoms from the dangers beyond. White Walkers. Undead creatures filled with the energy of ice and snow. And unfortunately, that's all I could find out.