ASOIAF: Lord of Nature

(Visenya 'Blackfyre', Battlegrounds)

She hesitated in calling this a battle, in truth it was a one-sided slaughter.

One only surpassed by the field of fire that made her and her kin so infamous during the Conquest.

The Braavosi had surrendered quickly enough once the Dothraki had been dealt with and the rest of the alliance turned their attention towards the traitors. Erlend's dragons make light work of the once-feared horse lords.

Jinhua hovered over her protectively whilst her siblings flew circles around the Braavosi. She knew that the three dragons regarded her as Erlend's mate, just another reason why she believed that she was the only one truly worthy of him.

As expected, even his draconian children realized the reality of things. His lovers would come and go, but only she was eternal.

Erlend had mentally passed on to her the true intent of the disturbing Khal, and well… It was a wonder these savages even chose to follow him in the first place. They were merely tools to advance his power, and not even death could spare them of that fate.

She supposed, that having the literal backing of your god can make even the most stubborn and reasonable of warlords turn fanatical.

As for the schemer, he was now in custody and was gibbering mad, unable to accept the situation he found himself in. Messengers had already been sent by Erlend towards loyalists within the city to begin purging it of undesirables and arresting anyone who harbored even a shred of ill-intent towards House Mudd.

The Mudds were finally claiming the city it helped found, and it wasn't going to be a peaceful sight. At the least, there was more than enough justification for this 'unexpected' decision, treachery on the battlefield, especially when one was dealing with an enemy that intended to sack and pillage Braavos would go a long way in quieting down opposition.

Visenya found it amusing that the city that took pride in being a beacon against all that was Valyrian, was now ruled by a descendant of theirs, even if Erlend did hold a healthy distaste for the Dragonlords of old.

The other free cities would riot at this conquest, protesting the 'aggressive' actions of her beloved, but their opinions mattered not. The three most powerful states on this side of the continent had been neutered or completely wiped out in the case of Volantis, there was nothing they could do.

Pentos might put up a fight, but that eunuch and the cheesemonger had greatly damaged its vitality with their schemes. That city couldn't protect itself, let alone attack another.

There would still be opposition no doubt, but they would be dealt with sooner rather than later. Erlend had admitted to wanting to leave some of the free cities behind, just so that Edmund could finish them off, cementing the boy's legacy and leaving a mark in this world.

'I may have conquered, but he will guarantee it.' He once said proudly.

As much as she hated to admit it, the trout's son did indeed have a talent for ruling that went beyond what could be considered normal, and he was far more attentive to his people's happiness than any of her foolish brothers' descendants were.

Distracting her from her musing, She felt tremendous amounts of power wash over the battlegrounds, sending everyone to their knees. Her own buckled at the sheer weight of it all, but she held her ground, refusing to drop as she fought fiercely to stand side by side with her husband.

The men, be it from the Banners, the Company, or the Braavosi looked on in awe and horror, realization dawning on them that the King was last sighted heading towards the source of this power. Jinhua and her siblings let out simultaneous roars of excitement, their eyes firmly on the shocking sight above the location Erlend had disappeared off to.

It was beginning to dawn on everyone that there was more to the King than just an impressive martial prowess and legendary blade.

The only one who remained unbothered by it all was Feld. Erlend's trusted confidant looked as stoic as always, not taken aback by his liege's might. She had to admit, the man's loyalty was impressive, only rivaled by his brother and the Royal Guard.

Those same guards were placed in charge of securing the more important prisoners so that Erlend could make a show of it all where he would parade them around their 'precious' city.

A city whose laws and traditions they spat upon.

Wherever one looked, there was water forming from the air itself, concentrating above that area and poised to fall at any moment. She only vaguely understood what was happening, but she could tell that her beloved had no intentions of withholding his strength anymore.

Another surprise made itself known, as a giant made of the literal earth appeared. Sure it crumbled speedily, but considering the shockwaves it left in its wake, no mortal army could hope to resist it.

'It was going to happen either way, darling is now a god. What is a mortal to a divine?'

"Will he be alright? You did say there was something wrong with the Khal." Visenya stared worriedly, it didn't help that everyone once in a while tremors could be felt running through the earth.

'Of course, for some indescribable reason, darling lacks the inherent weakness a god is forced to go through when first ascending, it is remarkable and I have no doubt the horse has not accounted for that fact, nor his silly accomplice.' The goddess reassured her, confident in their beloved's ability.

"Accomplice?" That surprised her, she assumed the deity was the main opposition they would be facing in Essos.

'Naturally, you can't expect a brute to plan something as intricate as that assassination, he's a god of war, not wisdom.'

"This accomplice must be dealt with, a hidden enemy is not one we should let roam free."

To this, the goddess giggled abruptly, apparently amused by Visenya. 'Don't worry too much, darling is already aware of the god, and that fool is not going to disappear anytime soon, I can confirm that easily.'

Just then, the water in the sky began to move, rushing towards the ground with sudden ferocity. It looked like her beloved had decided to finally end things.

…

(Erlend Mudd)

Knowing that killing the deity wasn't going to be so simple without using one of his trump cards, Erlend decided to borrow a very common cliche. One that would help solve an issue that would inevitably plague his descendants.

He would seal his downed foe as all true powerhouses did. You couldn't be considered truly overpowered unless you can trap your enemy in overly complex seals. There was this faint idea in his mind just waiting to be put into action.

The younger deity wanted to borrow a certain idea, this time from the infamous titty world, wanting to turn this god into a useful tool. This was valuable material that shouldn't be wasted. 

While he was nowhere near reaching the expertise and level of skill that the biblical god of that reverse held, there was no reason not to temporarily seal this fucker up till he was ready to make good on his promise.

The idea was simple, Erlend couldn't always be there to guarantee the safety of his descendants, and time would ensure that all protocols left behind could potentially fail. Yeah, it would be thousands of years later, and by then he'd be nothing more than myth and legend and no longer such a useful deterrent.

The best way to get around that was if he could give them a way to protect themselves when they were still weak, especially when they weren't within the safe embrace of Firmridge.

A wizard was most vulnerable during their childhood, their control of their magic too weak to properly protect themselves, there was no real way to get around that fact without crippling their potential. So why not develop something that could independently protect them even when they had to leave the safety of Firmridge or the Twilight Isles?

Glancing downwards, Erlend found his trapped foe, unable to move and growling impotently at him. 

The water wasn't as simple as it looked, if all it took was a mini-tsunami and a bunch of house-sized rocks to deal with a god, then the drowned god would have long since dominated this world. No, mixed within the water were certain particles that mirrored the properties of the infamous Blackstone, albeit adjusted to suppress not only magic but also divine power, though not his own obviously.

It took years to perfect this method. Erlend had only been able to make it reach the level of constraining divine power only after ascending. His magic as a 'mortal' was incapable of precisely doing so due to a lack of quality and power, as absurd as that sounded.

It was interesting to note that while his elements could theoretically be mixed with the same properties, water was by far the most suitable carrier, a hint towards its true origins probably. 

There were after all hints that there was a more Eldritch touch to this plane.

He shuddered at the idea of tangoing with whatever equivalent of Lovecraftian horrors existed in this universe. Wisely choosing to let them slumber in peace wherever they hailed from.

Thankful they weren't in this world. Its will would have informed him otherwise, nor did he sense a power of that magnitude anywhere close.

Frankly, if his fear proved true, then the drowned god would look like a particularly ugly pug in comparison.

…

There was no such thing as overkill in Erlend's mind when it came to dealing with his enemies.

Only a fool would underestimate their capabilities, especially in situations such as this.

Therefore, just in case the bastard had a trump card hidden in his sleeves, the younger deity had conjured several of his living flames to circle the trapped deity. If the water had made his enemy incapable of escaping and using his divine power, then the flames quite literally forced him to a standstill.

Their true nature instinctively made the horse god cower in fear as it felt the threat of death for the first time.

Of all the Seven, Erlend was most familiar with the Stranger, its aid during a certain ritual had helped him develop his flames into a genuine god-killing weapon. Even with the support of the hundreds of thousands of Dothraki souls to call upon, it would only be a matter of time before the horse god was reduced to nothing.

But that wasn't the reason Erlend had conjured them, "I have an offer you would no doubt be quite interested in." He spoke towards the Stallion.

The resistance in the god's eyes did not diminish, looking warily at the flames and infuriated by his incapability of escaping these waters. It didn't help that the rest of the water was all around them, making it impossible for it to flee, even if it managed to get free from the water and dodge the living flames that floated menacingly around it.

More importantly, it kept those voyeuristic deities who had nothing better to do than spy on him from finding out about his next actions.

"How?" The Dothraki god asked, his expression easing for a moment.

Rolling his eyes, "You'll have to be more clear about what exactly you're asking." Erlend said.

"You Strong. Must Weak." He clarified.

"Hmm, I'm just built differently." The snort he received for his non-answer told him all he needed to know about the deity's thoughts about his answer.

Why the hell would he reveal the truth behind his strength? Firstly he wasn't a shounen protagonist. Secondly, he lacked the plot armor that allowed one to explain their capabilities without fear of being countered by a more intelligent opponent. Finally, he only had a vague idea of why he wasn't nerfed.

"You couldn't give a rat's ass about your followers, and with your weakened state, surely some of your more proactive enemies east wouldn't mind taking a bite out of you." Never mind the fact that Erlend was the reason the schmuck was weak in the first place.

The Dothraki had no friends, and with Erlend's culling their population to dangerously thin levels, their days as a culture and civilization were numbered. The battle today had not helped in the slightest, this day was probably the last time those savages would ever be able to present a threat to anyone.

Unlike Ferrago, none of the other free cities or even Yi Ti intended to let the horse lords recover from this blow, Erlend certainly didn't.

Being healed by the souls of his dead followers was one thing, but the minute this deity ran out of his consumables then he was well and truly fucked.

"I. Listen." It admitted with a grimace, its distaste for this anticlimactic conclusion palpable for Erlend to see.

"Good, I knew there were some brain cells in there somewhere. There is a much better use for these souls, you'll love it."

Hmm, he'd have to deal with this brute's accomplice soon, no reason to leave another potential tool running amok.

…

When Erlend returned to the battlefield, all he could see was a land drenched in blood, an aftermath that promised to leave this land scarred for centuries to come. Superstition and myths would likely follow suit if the locals had any say in this.

Conspicuously, next to the field of blood lay a mountain of corpses, neatly stacked atop each other like a twisted pyramid of death, their final expressions threatening to haunt the dreams of their slayers.

If there was ever a reminder that this was a real world, one with living breathing humans, then this was it. Actions had consequences, and even for someone like him, who had committed atrocities beyond a doubt, it was a sobering thought.

He had played the game, came out victorious, and it had changed him beyond recognition.

Letting out a sigh, Erlend turned his face towards the camp, where the Banners, the Company, and what remained of the Braavosi set vigil.

Upon landing on the ground, Erlend observed as those who caught sight of him prostrated themselves, both in awe and fear of the King who was no longer mortal.

Nodding his head, the young ascendant made his way to the shining beacon of magic and divinity that was his other half. She might not have said anything, but he was well aware of her connection to the Maiden.

The only question that remained on his mind was whether it was beneficial to her, or detrimental. If it was the former then he wouldn't mind lending a hand so that she could grow stronger, and if it was the latter, then Erlend would not hesitate to break the pact between him and the Seven.

It wasn't like he was unable to create a new pantheon from scratch.

Once he found her tent, Erlend entered it unobstructed, with his Royal Guard bowing their heads, their eyes shining with reverence. Ah… Their training already made them loyal to the death. His showcasing his power turned him from a god amongst men in their eyes, to an actual divine being.

It was a shame that the Great Lords needed artifacts enchanted just so they would gain even a smidgen of that loyalty towards his House.

His wife in all but name and the first woman to catch his heart was lazily reclined on her seat, there was not a hint of worry in her eyes.

Bemusedly Erlend gently took hold of her, sat himself on the seat, and placed her on his lap, her eyes not even wavering for a second from the curious tome.

"You have an amazing poker face, love." Erlend was the first to break the silence, whilst settling himself to a comfortable position.

"Did you ever intend to reveal that the ascendance ritual could have left you vulnerable?" From experience Erlend knew that despite her calm tone, Visenya was quite definitely seething inwardly, ready to erupt the minute she received an answer that did not satisfy her.

Taking a deep breath, "I didn't know." He admitted, not intending to hide anything.

Her gaze no longer on the tome, she looked at him intently, seeking for traces of falsehood. Well aware that Erlend hated worrying those close to him the most.

After a long while, assured that he was being fully honest, Visenya threw the tome and lunged at him, devouring his tongue with fervor. Their entanglement lasted for a good while, neither content with just a simple chaste kiss.

Once satisfied, the two broke away to gaze into each other's eyes, the affection no longer hidden, not when there was no longer a need to remain discreet.

"You reckless man, next time you do something you're not sure about, make sure I'm there. Just in case something goes wrong." She chided him.

Erlend nodded his head in agreement and had the weakness set upon him. The only person capable of getting him out of there safely would be the woman in front of him.

He had not been in any way stingy with raising her strength beyond what was normal, in fact, he would wager that she was by far the most dangerous magic-user in this world after him. That was without taking into account the numerous artifacts on her person intended to protect her from life-threatening situations.

"What's done is done. We can finally relax for some time before I'll have to deal with the ice corpse."

"You are aware that this Khal had an accomplice right?"

"Naturally, but as the maiden no doubt informed you. He can't go anywhere even if he wanted to."

Visenya didn't seem surprised by his mentioning of the Maiden she appeared to be pleased if the quirk in her lips was anything to go by. "Hmm, how did you find out?" 

"Two things really, her aura is practically merged with yours. Secondly…" Pausing with a mischievous smirk on his face, "You both share the same laugh when you're amused."

The deadpan she gave him was so worth it. Erlend would forever treasure this memory and use it to tease her when she got too serious.

"You are incorrigible."

Deciding to change the topic, "I am, aren't I… There is no need to fret over the gods, I have realized that there is a far better way to make use of them than simply killing them. It will just take some time to put it into action." He said.

Want to seize his body, do you? We'll see about that.

"Is that why you have that disturbing gem of all things on you?" Visenya looked curiously at the ominous-looking amber gem on his body, aware that there was no such item on him previously.

Smiling, Erlend took the gem off of him. Presenting it to her for inspection. "Yes. Inside it is the divine consciousness and power of the Horse God. Quite fascinating isn't it!"

Faltering for a second, Visenya sent a glare towards the mischievous King, having almost dropped the damned object.

Raising his arms in surrender, "Relax, only I can release the beast god from it. It's indestructible." Erlend assuaged her.

Releasing a breath of relief she did not realize she was holding, Visenya inspected the amber gem with a glint in her eyes. "You never fail to surprise me, darling." She murmured.

"Naturally, in this world… Throughout heaven and Earth, I Alone Am the Honored One!"

======

Note: The horse god is more of a fight at first, ask questions later, but he's not stupid. As I've revealed previously, deities can be killed, it's just incredibly difficult, his choosing to be sealed shouldn't be that much of a surprise, especially when his only other choice is death. I couldn't help it with the last line, I just had to do it. Don't worry about the Lovecraftian nonsense, that's not Erlend's problem.