"What's this place?" I asked, confusion lingering on my face. After securing the two Stark girls' safety, I came back to the Red Keep to find a forgetful old spider who still owes me a debt—a debt of life.
"Targaryens were laced with many secrets, my lord. Even after their demise, we have yet to find them all. Some were buried with them, while some they left behind," Varys said in his usual sly tone.
"Speak clearly, Varys. I'm not in the mood to entertain your antics now," I shot him a look. Who would have thought that I'd be dealing with this man again so soon?
"But of course. You see, the Keep is built above many secret passages such as this. It seems that even at the height of their power, the Targaryens always thought ahead—a secret passage to evade if ever the castle fell.
For someone who called themselves dragons and rode real ones, for goodness' sake, that's an awful lot of caution, don't you say?" Varys smiled back.
I just ignored him and looked at the dark entrance of the secret passage he brought me to.
"And you're certain that this passage leads us to the dungeons?" I asked with a skeptical look. If these passages were really that big of a secret, then no one was supposed to know about them.
"Dealing with knowledge is my trade, my lord."
"I'm no lord."
"But you are, Ser Thor."
I grumbled. I accepted many things about Thor, but this Lord business—I couldn't, for some reason. Though maybe I was just being difficult for the sake of staying in the illusion that I'm still me and not a completely different person.
I, for Odin's sake, couldn't say. But for the time being, I intend to oppose this notion to the very end. Why? I have no idea. This reminds me of how stubborn I was at certain times.
"Are you certain this would lead us to Ned Stark?" I asked again. I found out that he was taken to the dungeons. Only then did I come to find Varys to take me to him. I could have just let Varys do it on his end, but I don't believe him.
"I am." He nodded. He looked serious enough.
"Very well then. Lead the way."
He took out a fire torch, lit it up, and motioned for me to follow. This was one of those long wooden sticks with a flammable head attached to its top. I've seen many of these in games and movies. Another dose of motivation to work hard and get out of this world—at least until the time lightbulbs are invented. I won't settle for anything less.
I quietly kept on following him. The place was like a maze, and the darkness didn't help either. We walked in silence. Didn't have much to talk about, but the darkness and silence were unnerving me.
I wasn't the best person to estimate how much time had passed without having something to measure it—in this case, a watch, which this world lacked. Yet another reason to work hard for my goals. But I'm certain we walked for over 10 minutes, and I was getting irritated now.
"How far? Are we not there yet?"
"Almost there, my lord. The place is a maze. Even someone with my experience would get lost here. Taking your time to reassess every turn would be wise."
"How come you know about these passages?"
"I deal with knowledge, my lord. My little birds are everywhere."
"Even in Essos?"
"Perhaps. What do you wish to know, Ser Thor? The answer depends on that."
"Nothing much. Just wondering—why marry Daenerys Targaryen to the Dothraki? There definitely should be better options for your plans to stay on track, right?"
"You amaze me every time I meet you, Ser Thor. Never thought someone else would have such awareness about the world as me."
"Don't flatter. I've got no need to gather news of these distant lands. I only do it so that I can find a way back to my own."
"Khal Drogo has an army of 40,000 Dothraki. A force needed to retake the throne for the young dragons."
"And what if she really did it? I know you never intended for those siblings to actually make it to the western shore. They are nothing but distractions. But what if she really does it?"
"Then she'll be my queen."
"Just like that?"
"Just like anyone in the Seven Kingdoms."
"What if she's like her father?"
"Then the realm will burn."
"And you'll let that happen—watch it burn?"
"I'm but a humble man, Ser Thor. Neither a warrior like you nor a noble of any great significance."
"And yet you, a man from Essos, became one of the biggest players in this Westerosi game of thrones."
"We all play our part, my lord. Mine is that of a humble servant."
"For a man with so many eyes and ears, you sure sell yourself short..."
"So do you, Ser Thor." He smiled and kept on walking again. I didn't bother asking anything more. There was no point. I knew he's better than me in this game. I wasn't getting anything worthwhile until I started threatening him, which I neither had time nor energy to do at this moment.
Another few minutes passed, and finally he stopped. "Here."
"I don't see a brooding Northman with a big long honorable stick up his arse."
"Ah, Ser Thor the Mountain Slayer actually knows how to jest. The wonders of this world never cease to amaze me."
"Where is he?" I asked with annoyance. I could only see a wall in front of us.
"Behind the wall, of course. The dungeons are directly connected to this place."
"Now how do you intend to get past that wall, Varys?" I asked with a dark face.
"Indeed, quite the predicament we find ourselves in. If only one of us was strong enough to break the wall down. Sigh, such a shame, when we were so close to Lord Eddard Stark..." he said with a mock sigh.
Irritation flared within me, but I reined in my anger. My mind repeatedly suggested Stark wasn't worth this much—which he wasn't. But video games, internet, and fucking standard clean toilets... yeah, they kept me going.
"Back off." I walked forth and clenched Mjolnir tighter in my hands. Varys did just as I said—he backed off and refrained from talking.
"Haaa."
With a mighty swing, I slammed the hammer at the wall, earning a crack and a reverberating sound.
"Hmm... sturdier than I thought it would be..."
Another strike and the wall almost felt like it was on the verge of collapsing. "One more hit would suffice."
So with that in mind, I gripped Mjolnir in both hands and twisted my body to get the best leverage before hitting the wall hard enough to finally destroy it.
But just as the wall collapsed, the entire area felt like it was shaking. I didn't like this one bit.
"Don't tell me..." I snapped back at where Varys was to ask about the structural stability of these passages—but upon turning, I saw no one.
"What the..."
The fire torch was there, but no sign of the Spider.
However, I didn't have time to contemplate his absence, as I felt the entire place shake. Just before I knew it, things went blank.
xxx
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