Chapter 713: Rain

Viserys found himself reminiscing about the recent close call.

The Grey King, also known as the Drowned God and the storm-summoning raven, the 'Storm God' in the Ironborn's tales, had been locked in a millennia-long battle. The last scene Viserys recalled was their final confrontation.

At that moment, the Grey King wielded a sword, a gift from the raven, capable of slaying gods. With it, he decapitated the raven.

However, in its dying moments, the raven retaliated, severely wounding the Grey King's spirit, almost causing his immediate demise.

In truth, the Grey King's physical form was that of a floating corpse, having drowned when he slew the sea dragon Nagga in his youth.

Realizing his time was limited, the Grey King left behind his driftwood crown, taking the god-slaying sword with him into the sea, disappearing forever.

To honor the drowned king, the ancestors of the Iron Islands began to revere the Grey King as the Drowned God.

However, back then, the ancestors had no written language, only cryptic runes. Over time, with stories passed down through generations, the Drowned God and the Grey King became two distinct entities.

In later Ironborn legends, the Grey King was invited to feast in the watery halls of the Drowned God, even taking a seat to his right.

During his reign, the Grey King urged the Ironborn to be self-sufficient, farming the barren lands. Yet, in later tales, he was portrayed as a raider.

The Ironborn believed the Drowned God created them, urging them to reave and rape, to carve out a new world with blood, fire, and song. Yet, the earliest Ironborn were not created by any god but were settlers from the Dorne peninsula.

With the Andals' continuous invasions, the bloodlines mixed, making the Ironborn and most of Westeros essentially kin.

The Ironborn also believed the Drowned God brought fire from the sea, but it was the Grey King who drowned countless Ironborn and brought the fire of Nagga.

Viserys had glimpsed significant memories of the raven, indirectly witnessing the Grey King's life.

The Grey King was the Drowned God.

This revelation was something Viserys had never considered. There was no historical evidence, but the story had been distorted over thousands of years.

The raven's decapitated head, though severed, still emitted an enraged cry, summoning storms.

The grievously wounded Grey King managed to suppress both the raven's head and body, ensuring they'd never reunite.

The raven's spirit was then cast into darkness, never breaking its seal.

Its last attempt at revival was a decade ago, summoning the greatest storm over the Narrow Sea, hoping to break free. But the greenseer, maintaining Westeros's balance, sent his sword, Dark Sister, to suppress the raven's resurgence.

The raven, drained of its power, fell back into slumber until Viserys awakened it with divine fire.

Viserys had accessed the raven's memories, but much was lost during the raven's final retaliation.

However, the raven's counterattack was fierce. Immersed in its memories, Viserys was unaware of the looming danger.

It sought to possess Viserys, just as Brynden Rivers had tried before. But Viserys's mental strength was formidable.

Despite its weakened state, the storm-summoning raven, revered as the Storm God by the Ironborn, was a genuine deity and not easily defeated.

Their intense spiritual battle was what Myles Toyne, Jon Connington, and Rhaenys had witnessed, with Viserys surrounded by lightning.

Eventually, Viserys, with the power of the Old Gods and the mysterious black mist, overcame the raven.

However, the raven chose not to yield entirely, dissipating most of its spirit, vanishing from this world.

Viserys absorbed some of the raven's residual spirit, which transformed into a black mist within him. His attributes surged, with the most significant gain being the ancient, white raven skull before him.

As Viserys touched the skull, distant thunder echoed.

"Is it raining?"

...

Rhaenys, who had just left the Red Keep's dungeons, still had a blush on her face. She couldn't understand her sudden impulse to kiss Viserys.

Embarrassed, she had fled. But as she stepped outside, the once-clear sky darkened.

Thunder rumbled.

Clouds gathered swiftly, and a downpour began, catching the brown-haired girl off guard.

"What's with this rain?"

"It's so strange."

"It just started out of nowhere?"

Rhaenys, unsure of what had transpired, hurriedly sought shelter from the rain.