[Chapter Size: 3000 Words.]
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Third Person POV
Arctic, 297 AC.
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"Come on, Vlad, what are you doing standing there? The lights just turned on now." A slightly demanding voice said.
Vlad blinked for the first time in his moment of awe at the sight before him. Even though it wasn't the first time he had this view—in fact, it was an everyday sight—he still found himself mesmerized.
"Vlad!" The voice called his name again as he finally shifted his gaze to his friend.
"I'm not looking at the crystals, but at the sacred tree, Dominique," Vlad said to his friend.
"The tree again? You have all the time in the world to admire it, but you choose to do it when we're late for Professor Fyleu's class?" His friend demanded.
In front of Vlad stood a teenager wearing a robe, with the kingdom's emblem emblazoned on it, placed within a new square that represented the university. A number 5 was also on it, signifying his fifth year.
Beside his friend, Dominique, was a dog that always accompanied him. He had the freedom to take the dog wherever he wanted, even into the classroom, as long as he took full responsibility for any trouble it might cause. After all, this demonstrated that Dominique was a warg in training, like many other students at the university, who, in addition to common classes, also had specialized lessons for their powers and magic, taught by a specialized tutor.
At that moment, the sound of wings flapping filled the air, and a small owl flew toward them. Vlad quickly raised his arm, which was protected by a forearm guard, ready for this very moment. This was Harpy, as Vlad had named her, and she had been with him since his 11th nameday. After all, he was also born with the ability to have familiars, just like Dominique.
"I think you're right!" Vlad admitted, knowing that his friend was about to scold him for still paying attention to Harpy instead of the urgency of getting to class.
"Quick, let's go before the professor arrives, or we'll be suspended—again—thanks to you." Dominique complained and started running.
"Fly above us," he instructed his owl as she flapped her wings and soared into the sky, leaving his arm. Vlad started running.
"That's a lie! You were the one who stopped at Mrs. Gytan's Honey Bread stall!" Vlad retorted indignantly as they sprinted with their books in their arms, their robes billowing in the wind, while Dominique's dog ran alongside his master.
"How dare you blame Mrs. Gytan's food for making us late?!" Dominique shouted a little ahead, while Vlad tried to catch up.
"I'm saying that you did it! Don't twist my words! Her sweets are really good, but it's your fault too!" Vlad accused, quickly reaching his side as they ran through the kingdom's streets.
"See? You don't even have the courage to say anything bad about her sweets." His friend teased.
"Who would speak badly of them..." Vlad still looked slightly indignant but agreed with his friend.
"Everyone loves them. I heard that it was the king himself who gave the original recipe at the founding of Arctic , and the honey is made near the volcanic area of the kingdom—since bees hate the cold..." His friend explained. After all, Gytan's sweets were very popular among the students. Besides being close to the university, there were always rumors that the king himself ate them when he passed by and approved, which was great publicity for the middle-aged woman.
Of course, for many years, there was confusion about the method of trade used, as the concept of money did not yet exist in Arctic . Instead, they used strange papers issued by the king and ministers to exchange for goods in the kingdom—whether properties, resources, or food, beyond what the people received for free.
But now, the concept of coins had begun to be distributed across the kingdom moons ago, and people like Dominique and Vlad, who remembered living their childhood in the harsh north just to survive, felt strange about it. Like most of Arctic , using metal to exchange for goods was something they knew the South did, but they themselves had always used other items for trade when living outside Arctic —sometimes even trading their own daughters.
The monetary concept had been the main topic at the university for years, with the professors the king had brought from the South—who had already lived with this system—starting to introduce it among the people of Arctic. Mathematics had never been so widely used, as they now constantly had to calculate their coins.
Furthermore, Arctic had adopted four different coins, similar to the system in Westeros. The lowest-value coin was the Copper Star, followed by the Silver Stag, with the Golden Dragon being the most valuable. However, the King of Arctic, together with his Minister of Economy, introduced a new currency—one more valuable than gold itself due to its rarity. It was made of platinum, a metal that had been mined for years from various natural deposits within and near Arctic. This coin, called the Artican Platinum, was a shiny silver-colored coin, though slightly more bluish than standard silver. It bore the symbol of Arctic with inscriptions of its own history and was produced in large quantities by the District of Creation, or the Forge Quarter, as the dwarves called it.
The Artican Platinum was worth twice as much as a gold coin, though some university scholars debated that its value could even reach five gold coins, depending on its rarity. Arctic could easily adopt an exchange rate of three gold coins per one platinum, but nothing had been officially decided yet by the king and his economists.
Setting aside thoughts about the currency, Vlad continued running through the streets of Arctic, following his friend and companions while his owl flew just above them, accompanying them throughout their race to the university.
"HEY, watch out!" A man shouted as he crossed the street pushing a cart, startled by the two students who ran past him on either side, nearly causing him to tip over his load.
"Sorry about that!" Vlad called back, glancing over his shoulder before being suddenly yanked to a stop by his friend.
"What?!" Vlad exclaimed, but he couldn't even continue his frustration at being stopped by Dominique, as his eyes widened in surprise upon seeing four giants crossing the street, causing everyone to halt and let them pass.
Two of them wore simple leather clothing, carrying various items, while the other two were clad in full armor, wielding a spear and shield, with swords strapped to their backs—probably returning from their guard duty, whatever sector they had been protecting.
"Man, it must be amazing to be a giant. No one could ever stand against them..." Dominique commented as they waited for the giants to pass.
"Another giant could stand against them..." Vlad remarked, raising an eyebrow at his friend after calming down a bit.
"You know what I meant... They're the most powerful warriors in Arctic." Dominique's eyes gleamed with admiration as he gazed at the two fully armored giants. It was a majestic sight, and he loved hearing stories from the South about how other kingdoms would kneel at the sight of such strength alongside the king during his travels.
"You want to join the army, then?" Vlad asked, knowing that they were now at the age when they would have to choose their future careers in the kingdom.
Until the age of fifteen, everyone studied a general curriculum, learning all the knowledge Arctic required of its citizens. But in the following year, they would have to choose a specialization, deciding which sector they wanted to pursue as a career. There were many paths—civil construction, where nearly all dwarves of their age specialized, politics and administration, or even the military. Other options included alchemy, navigation, engineering, diplomacy, cooking, religion, and even a new and rising field—entrepreneurship—allowing people to create their own businesses for trade within and beyond Arctic, now that the monetary system was being introduced under the king's command.
Vlad was still uncertain about which career path to follow. Learning how to be a warg was an obligation for those born with the gift, so they would continue studying it until their 20th nameday. After all, no matter which sector he chose, Vlad had Harpy as his companion, and she would remain by his side for the rest of his life.
There were also strict rules in Arctic regarding wargs, as spying on others was strictly forbidden. Vlad constantly warned his friend that joking about using his abilities to spy on the queens could cost him his eyes. The king clearly had ways to detect such violations, as entire warg squads patrolled the kingdom in real time, even identifying animals possessed by their owners.
But Dominique finally seemed ready to talk about his own future in Arctic, catching Vlad by surprise.
"Why not? Being a warrior is very fulfilling. You could even become as famous as the greatest singers... or make them sing about you," Dominique said with a smile as the last giant finally cleared the path.
"Let's go!"
With that, they resumed running through the streets.
After crossing a few more roads in haste, they finally saw the university standing in the middle of the city, its colossal size dominating the surroundings. Thousands of people studied there simultaneously, with many classrooms still empty but constantly filling and emptying throughout the day due to a strict schedule system. Arctic had thousands of professors at that moment, teaching tens of thousands of Articans of all ages.
They kept running as they neared the main gate, where a few guards stood—not to enforce strict security, but simply to keep things under control. After all, Arctic had an extremely low crime rate, and most conflicts stemmed from disputes between individuals rather than serious offenses. The city guard, stationed across the kingdom's major buildings, was mainly responsible for settling these disputes.
"Late again?" One of the guards, already familiar with the duo, remarked in the Old Tongue as he watched them approach.
"Vlad keeps staring at the Sacred Tree as if he's seeing the Old Gods themselves," Dominique teased as he passed through the gate, with Vlad following right behind.
The university grounds stretched out before them, with a vast open field leading to the main entrance. The grass was neatly trimmed, and a few trees provided shade, while various student groups could be seen across the area. Some professors preferred teaching outdoors rather than inside classrooms, holding their lectures beneath the sky.
"That's not true!" Vlad protested, but Dominique didn't get the chance to reply—because suddenly, a white figure appeared in the sky, letting out a thunderous roar.
Both students and guards instinctively turned their eyes toward the heavens as the massive creature soared above Arctic.
The King's Dragon was flying toward the Sacred Tree before heading to the royal castle.
The white dragon of the King of Arctic was a common sight for everyone in the kingdom, but it never failed to be distracting. Even at that moment, university classes were thrown into disarray, as heads popped out from windows, students gazing in awe, while professors desperately tried to regain control of their lessons.
Vlad immediately felt Harpy's fear. His owl fluttered restlessly in the air, clearly agitated.
Raising his arm, he offered her a safe perch. The animal quickly landed on his forearm, seeking comfort.
"Easy, girl..." Vlad murmured, gently stroking Harpy.
Harpy was an Athene cunicularia, an owl not originally from this region. The only diurnal owl of the north was the Bubo scandiacus, the common white snowy owl of Arctic. But his companion had bonded with him three years ago, during the release of animals brought from the South.
When Vlad first arrived in Arctic and his warg abilities were discovered through an examination, he was taken to choose a familiar—an animal that shared a natural affinity with him. He had immediately connected with a small burrowing owl chick, and from that moment on, she became his lifelong companion.
"Hey, we're still late!" Dominique reminded him.
Vlad clutched his owl close and sprinted after his friend.
"You were the one who stopped to look at the dragon!" Vlad shot back.
"Doesn't matter now, let's go!"
With no more time to waste, they dashed through the university corridors, dodging students while every classroom was already filled with other classes. They had to rush up the main staircase to reach the sixth floor, trying not to crash into people hurrying through the hallways.
"Hey, watch out! Walk in a civilized manner!" A middle-aged woman in a university uniform exclaimed in a stern tone at them.
"Sorry, Miss Dainy!!" Dominique shouted, fearing he might get suspended.
"Let them go, Lady Dainy. They're just young... I remember my own races to catch a class in the South," an elderly voice spoke beside the headmistress, while she nodded, deciding not to press the matter with the two students.
"Alright, Minister Aemon. But we can't let students run around like this—they could hurt someone," she said, still a bit strict, but her tone softened out of respect for Arctic's Minister of Education, who was visiting the university alongside her for an inspection. Aemon merely smiled, reminiscing about his time at the Citadel.
Meanwhile, the two continued running, their faces filled with worry.
"Dude, we're screwed. We almost knocked over the headmistress!" Dominique muttered anxiously.
"You're worried about her? Did you see who was next to her?! That was Aemon Targaryen!" Vlad exclaimed, his tone even more distressed as he held onto Harpy, while Dominique's dog kept running at his side.
"Seriously?! Then we are completely screwed!" Dominique groaned immediately.
Without another word, they hurried to their classroom, noticing that several students were peeking through the door's opening.
"Who's going in first?" Dominique asked hesitantly, stopping right at the entrance.
"Just go in—the professor will be mad at us either way," Vlad shrugged.
Dominique sighed and quickly pushed the door open.
The door creaked slowly, and as expected, nineteen heads immediately turned toward them, watching their entrance.
"Mr. Dominique... Mr. Vlad..." The professor, clad in a robe bearing the symbol of Arctic, but with golden trims distinct from those of the students, regarded them with interest. He was a man in his forties, with a beard, and his tone dripped with sarcasm.
"...What do I owe the pleasure of your presence for, after being twelve minutes late?" He added, glancing at a strange wrist device—something that counted seconds and minutes, though it wasn't a complete clock, as such a device did not yet exist in Arctic. It was still in the early stages of development.
"We humbly apologize, Professor Fyleu! May we still attend class?" Dominique asked with a nervous smile.
Professor Fyleu simply sighed, swearing that next time, he wouldn't let them in.
"Go in—but there won't be a next time this semester," he said in a stern tone.
"Thank you!" Dominique grinned, while the other eighteen students barely reacted, already accustomed to their tardiness.
"Now, place your animals with the others and take your seats," Fyleu instructed.
Vlad followed Dominique toward a designated area for familiars—a closed balcony designed for all kinds of creatures. There were already twelve animals there, even though only eight students in the class were wargs. Some wargs at this age had two or even three familiars.
Vlad watched as Dominique placed his dog among the other animals, where it sat obediently. None of the creatures fought or attacked each other, as they were all trained to wait for their masters until the end of class.
"Stay here..." Vlad murmured, gently setting Harpy down in a spot where he could still see her from his desk. Then, he walked back and took his usual seat beside Dominique, as the professor opened a book and began writing on the chalkboard.
"Why'd you put her there?" Dominique asked Vlad.
"Because she's still scared from the dragon's roar," Vlad murmured.
"Really? But it was so quiet..." Dominique remarked, as his dog hadn't even flinched at Eragon, the king's dragon.
"But she can recognize a monster nearly 30 meters long!" Vlad said.
"30? I heard it was 50 meters!" Dominique argued.
"30!" Vlad insisted.
"Hey, what are you two whispering about?" A voice came from behind Vlad. It was one of his classmates, a girl who, coincidentally, also had a diurnal owl as her familiar. However, hers was a Bubo scandiacus, a snowy white owl that could perfectly camouflage in the snow.
"Hey, Lilka," Dominique greeted her. "We're talking about how amazing Vlad's owl is..." he said with a grin, looking at her.
"Really? Like what?" Lilka asked, raising an eyebrow at Vlad. They were friends and always had something to talk about when it came to their experiences with their owls.
"He's lying," Vlad shrugged, looking over his shoulder.
"I am not! Show her what you did this morning!" Dominique urged.
"Here?" Vlad whispered in disbelief.
"Of course! Come on, it'll be funny!" Dominique insisted.
Vlad just sighed.
"Pay attention..." Vlad said to Lilka.
She immediately focused on the owl, who was still visibly unsettled, her eyes shimmering with nervousness, her body trembling slightly as she tried to calm herself.
"Hey, everyone! Look at Vlad's owl!" Dominique suddenly called out, grabbing the attention of the surrounding students, who all turned their curious eyes toward the bird.
Vlad raised a finger, and his owl locked onto it, watching intently as he slowly tilted his hand to the side, moving his head along with it.
In the next moment, Harpy mimicked his movement, turning her head upside down while keeping her body completely still on the perch—exactly as he had trained her over the past few days.
"Pffft—Hahaha!"
Immediately, the entire classroom erupted into laughter, watching the owl's hilarious posture.
"What the hell is that?! It's so funny to watch!" Lilka laughed, unable to hold back.
But no one could say anything else—because, in the very next second, the professor shut his book with such force that it silenced the entire room instantly, the echo of the impact lingering in the air.
"Can you all pay attention to the lesson?" His voice was sharper than ever as he approached the balcony, swiftly drawing the curtains that had been installed precisely for this purpose, blocking the students' view of their animals.
"Now, let's focus on the lesson, and since we've already lost time due to the late arrival of our two distinguished gentlemen, we'll have to go over the material again," he said as he turned back to the chalkboard.
This time, everyone remained silent, their attention fully on him—without any more laughter.
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Raccoon Here:
Almost two hours to create these images... that's crazy... Anyway, I'm introducing Arctic with a fresh perspective in two chapters.
-------------Nexts Chapters ----------------
Chapter 232 - The She-Wolf of the North 02.
Chapter 237 - Entering the Dothraki Sea.
Chapter 247 - Queen Daenerys of Arctic.
Chapter 256 - The Eyes of Death.
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