Conquest Of Fire And Blood

Chapter 7: Pentos

-Aegon Targaryen/ Jon Snow- The Narrow Sea-

"30." Kris challenged.

"30 laps? After all I just did?" Jon says breathlessly.

Kris nods. "You can do it kid."

Jon nods and takes a deep breath. "Alright." 

As they got closer to Essos, the hotter it got. Jon was pretty sure this was the hottest weather he had ever been in, the sun was hotter every single passing moment, his skin going tan due to it.

He peeled off his sweaty tunic and decided to go shirtless. Kris nodded his encouragement and Jon nodded back, starting his sprint.

He ran up the stairs, all the way to the back of the massive boat, then all the way to the front, his muscles weighing him down.

But he didn't dare slow down.

"Fifteen! Keep going, half way!"

Jon's body wanted to collapse, but he forced himself to keep running, keep pushing himself.

Even though every step the floor tried to pull him down, he would not fall.

"Twenty-five! Almost there!" Kris calls as he runs past.

Jon can't take it anymore, his body just doesn't want to respond.

So as he comes past Kris again, his legs give out and he collapses with a thud. Breathing heavily.

Jon tries to get up but his arms wobble and he falls back down, groaning loudly.

"Come on Aegon...get up." Kris whispers.

Jon pictures that room, Dany, her smile as she reads that book. He sees his parents as they smile at each other and once again he reminds himself why he is doing this. He pushes himself onto his knees.

"Come on..." Kris again whispers.

Jon pushes himself up, using everything he has left and starts to move his body again, getting faster with every step.

"Yes...that's it." Kris smiles, proud of him.

Jon runs the last few laps with new found energy, but his body starts to give out nonetheless. 

"Thirty!" Kris calls as Jon finishes, collapsing immediately.

Jon heaves and desperately tries to breath, his body would no longer move. Kris crouches down in front of the sweat soaked boy.

However Jon no longer looked like a boy. He had grown in height, his muscles had changed his frame from lean to strong. He was also growing a strong dark beard. He was a young man now.

Kris noticed the look of determination in his eyes each and every day.

The last day day of the second week came quickly for the crew, they only had a few more days at sea and Jon was starting to become nervous.

His sword-fighting had improved but he still couldn't beat Kris, which worried him as Khal Drogo must be a better swordsmen then an ex warrior. 

Kris had taught him to use his left hand by itself first and now that he was almost as good with his right with a sword, Kris would teach him to duel wield.

As always they started their sword-fighting training with a barrel and a stick.

Jon would put his foot in the barrel and Kris would swing a thick piece of wood at him, Jon had to dodge any which way he could twenty times or start again. Kris was not very merciless with this exercise and would strike hard, Jon had many bruises and cuts from it but he never stopped.