So, you're Bran Stark
A/N: This is by far the chapter I am most satisfied with in this story. This arc looks promising. Keep reading for the adventures. And thank you for the support. Do comment and review.
Enjoy!
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{Third POV}
When the first men invaded the western continent that came to be known as Westeros later, they fought with the children of the forest and the giants who already lived there.
The fight was long and hard. One that the 'children of the forest' as the first men called them, were losing. It was simply because first men could endlessly reproduce while the children and the giants didn't have the same ability.
On top of that, the first men were crossing through the land bridge that existed at the southern tip of the continent which came to be known as Dorne.
Due to slow reproduction and the migration of the first men, the native children of the forest and the giants were almost on the verge of losing and dying off.
That was when their gods answered their prayers. From the weir wood trees, they carved and worshipped as a symbol for the nature gods, came a revelation. A human called Raven, a friend of the gods could help them.
And so the search led them to Essos and then further east beyond the mountains, to a great empire that had crumbled into itself due to man's follies. There they found the man they were looking for, Raven.
After that was a straightforward story, Raven helped destroy the land bridge and the two sides signed a pact.
The first men took up the religion of the children. The children and the giants stepped back into the thick forests northwards and the first men settled themselves on the new lands. They spread out throughout the continent. Most chose arable and warm lands.
Those who didn't have the power to choose the best moved to other places. And there were some brave men or foolish depending on whom you ask. Men who went to the cold, frigid north.
They wanted to be closer to the gods as that's where the children had gone to live. And that was where Master Raven was last seen heading.
From these new settlers in the north was born a kid. He was a man out of place, too ahead of his time. A hero to many and a legend to all even long into the future.
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"Bran! You little shit, give me back my wood!" An old man was chasing a very young boy. He looked to be 6 or 7-name days old and ran like he was 12.
Eventually, the man gave up and returned back to the amused chuckles of her wife. "Fufu, you know you can't catch him but you still insist on chasing him every time."
"How is that a child of merely 3 name days?! By the time he is an adult, he will have become at least half a giant! And those beasts he surrounds himself with…" The man howled in anger, "Sometimes I think the rumors are really true and the boy was born of a dire wolf."
The old woman gently slapped the man and scolded him, "Not you too! The boy already has enough people calling him names and pushing him around. And that poor lass…"
"But he always steals my wood!" The man defended himself while the woman sighed.
She frowned, "Oh stop being a baby. He barely took a small log. Do you expect the small child to fell and log his own trees?"
The man harrumphed "Hmph!" After seeing the impassive look on his wife's face, his eyes softened and he went back outside.
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{Bran POV}
The woodcutter grandpa seemed especially angry today. I should stay away from his house for a while. But I did get a great piece of wood. I wonder what I should carve on this one.
"Brandon! Did you go steal wood from the old man again? How many times do I have to teach you a lesson!" I heard the terrifying voice of my father. Oh no! I haven't hidden the log yet.
*thwack* It hurts! It hurts so much! But I can't cry. If I cry, father will hit me more. No, the tears are coming out. I need to look down.
"Look at you cry! And to think I gave you my name. How are you supposed to be a warrior like this? That physique is wasted on you!" Father sounds very angry. He must've drunk a lot today.
"Tsk tsk. What do we have here? A washed-up warrior trying to salvage his legacy by training a little kid into his own image? Or beating is the proper word?" When I heard the voice, I felt my pain go away and my body felt warm.
I looked up to see a very pretty brother looking at me and father from atop a tree. He doesn't look very strong, father might catch him and beat him too! I looked at father but he looked… scared?
"You, you! What do you want?" Father screamed as he slowly backed away.
"Nothing really. Just pointing out that you suck at parenting, bloody blade. Or would you like to be referred to as the reaper of the children and giants?" The pretty brother said things I only half-understood.
He continued, "I didn't expect you to come up north after the pact was signed. Are you still looking to kill the little cuties and the giants out here?"
Father flinched at the question and kept staring at the brother. When the brother jumped off the tree and approached us, father stepped back faster.
"And what is your name little dumpling?" The pretty brother asked pinching my cheeks suddenly. WOW! How did he disappear like that?
"My name is Brandon. How did you disappear just now, pretty brother?" I answered and asked what I wanted to know.
"Hahahaha! Am I pretty? Maybe I should put on some beard and cut off the hair? Yeah that should do!" He started to laugh and talk to himself. And then he looked back at me, "I'm just fast. Also, call me Brother Raven from now on!"
"Okay, Brother Raven!" I answered. His hands are so warm. I like brother Raven.
Suddenly father spoke, "What do you want with the boy? Leave him alone."
"Such a good kid and you want to turn him into yourself? Even named the kid after yourself." Brother Raven spoke. His voice was warm but I felt that the voice was hotter than before.
"What does that matter with you mage? Go back to wherever you came from. I know how to raise my child." It was the first time my father called me his child. Tears came into my eyes and something appeared in my throat choking me.
Brother sighed and looked at me while squatting. He flicked his hands and a cloth appeared in his hand. He gently wiped my tears and then hugged me.
After I felt a little better, brother Raven stood up and looked at my father. "Don't lie to me and definitely don't lie to this sweet little kid bloody blade! We both know that the kid isn't yours."
The heat kept increasing. It was like what the old granny described as a desert.
"I can sense the blood in him. He is the child of Lulun. My friend Lulun. Did you kill her after you sensed her magic?" Brother sounded very angry. And I could see the ground starting to steam and dry up.
"What are you talking about? The kid is mine. I had him with a whore who died in childbirth!" Father screamed while backing up further.
Is my father really not my own? His face looks like the times when he lies to me. Is that why he always beat me? Because I wasn't his son?
I felt a warm hand on my head. I looked up to see brother Raven smiling sadly at me. "Sorry for this buddy. I know you are much smarter and more mature for a kid your age but this must still be very heavy for a kid. But don't worry, I'm here now. Everything will be better."
Then brother glared at my father and again looked at me and smiled.
"Lulun is your mother's name kid. She was a powerful Direwolf matriarch, queen of the direwolves. Sweet little thing. She loved the ways of men and so asked me to turn her into one.
She was happy. She sent off her brethren back to the northern wilds and came to live with humans. I went away for some things after the war ended so we lost contact.
She must've found someone she loved and then got pregnant with you. She should've had a normal childbirth but for some reason, she decided to undo the transformation and passed on her bloodline and magic to you.
As soon as I felt it, I tried coming back to check on her, but I got caught up with things. I'm sorry you had to live a harsh life with this piece of shit these couple of years."
My mother was really a Direwolf like those people said? And she was the queen? I could hear from the voice that brother Raven was very sad. He must have been very good friends with my mother.
I hugged his legs. "It's okay bother!" I cried. I was sad for my mother. I was sad that she died and I couldn't meet her.
"Yes, it's okay!" Brother patted my head and looked up. "It's all okay now Lulun."
"Now, spill all you know. Where did you pick up the kid? Did you kill Lulun?" Brother growled at my father. "You know better than to lie to me. Or I will make you feel pains unimaginable to men."
Brother looked scary. Father was terrified and backing away until he stopped. There was an invisible wall behind him.
"I, I don't know!" Father screamed. "I felt a powerful magic pulse further up north, far into the snowfields. When I reached there, I only found a pool of warm blood and the kid sleeping in it."
"I could feel the strong magic in the kid and his physique was stronger than any newborn I've ever seen, I just wanted to raise him up to continue my legacy and defend mankind."
I could feel my heart beat faster after hearing those words. I felt very sad but also good. Now that I know that he is not my real father, the memories of being beaten up hurt a lot less.
Brother picked me up and held me in his arms. "On account of you having raised him till this day, despite your motives and how badly you did it, I will let you go. Go back to the Reach or wherever, just don't appear in front of me ever."
Father? I don't know what to call him. He looked at me. "What of the kid?" He asked. Is he worried for me?
"Unlike you, I'm plenty strong and don't need to rely on his magic. So put away your fake worries. I'll raise the kid myself." Brother Raven said while ruffling my hair. "Anyway, I have more experience raising brats than the years you have lived."
Father looked at me one last time and reluctantly began to leave. I could see him looking back every once in a while.
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{MC POV}
"Now!" I put the little kid down. "Since you are quite smart, you should've understood most of it yeah? I'm going to be your guardian from now on!"
The cute little dumpling nodded his head. What a cute kid! Chubby little cheeks, amber blue eyes with grey hues, and grey-black hair. If only he was the same size as the kids his age, he'd be the personification of the idea of cuteness itself.
But that's what magic blood does to you I guess, a 3-year-old who has the body of a 6-year-old. But he is still very cute.
"Do you want to change your name? That bastard named you after himself!" I asked, annoyed.
He looked up at me with his sad little eyes and shook his head. "No, I will just be Bran. But I don't have a last name."
"You'll be Bran Stark then. Your mother was Lulun Starksen. You carry a part of your mother's legacy so you should carry her name too." I gave the kid his name.
I should investigate what happened to Lulun though. Bran probably will do it too, he should already be thinking about it. Man do these magical kids really start off smart.
I don't know how he would get his Stark name in a timeline I don't exist but whatever. Also, who's to say this isn't the original Planetos timeline? Oh well, it is what it is.
"I am Bran Stark! Son of the queen of direwolves!" I know he is making a grand declaration but a kid declaring his name like this is hella cute. Aww, look at him puffing his little chest.
"Yes, yes you are little pup. Now let's get you home and discuss our future."