20. Ravens

Stannon walked out of Ned's room and headed back to his own chamber. As he walked, he couldn't help but wonder if he'd made a mistake by sharing so much about his so called dreams. At first, he had been confident about telling them, but now doubt crept in. Maybe he needed to be more careful about when and how he used the 'dream' troupe.

Let out a sigh, he just hoped that Jon would take quick action. But knowing Jon's character, he definitely wouldn't take any sort of action without investigating a bit. But Stannon didn't mind as Petyr wasn't some God who would never make any mistakes. He definitely would have slipped somewhere. And even if he didn't, a thorough audit of House Arryn's funds would definitely provide Jon with some proofs.

Engrossed in his thoughts, he reached his room in no time.

Stepping inside, he lied down on his bed, his mind racing. Over the past four years, he had discovered something important about his system: he could learn skills without relying on it. Not only that, but he could decide whether or not to display those self learned skills on his system panel. For example, he had experimented with learning horse riding.

First, he had copied the skill from one of the guards in the North using the system. After practicing for a bit, he deleted the skill from his panel, which also made him forget everything about it, just as the system claimed. Afterward, he decided to learn horse riding on his own without using the system. It took a few days of hard work, but he eventually managed to learn it again. As soon as he did, the system gave him the option to register the skill back on the panel.

When he chose not to register it, he noticed a few differences. He could still use the skill, but progress in levelling it was much slower than when it was part of the system. Without registering the skill, he couldn't calculate or track the experience points for it either. That was the downside of learning a skill outside the system.

Even so, he was glad to know that he wasn't completely dependent on the system for learning. But this made him wonder why certain skills—like boxing, driving, and accounting—had appeared on his system panel right after he transmigrated. Was it because the system had automatically chosen to register the skills he was already most proficient in? The more Stannon thought about it, the more it seemed like a reasonable explanation.

Also one more important thing that he had found about the system was that it didn't work on dead beings. He had tried it on a dead raven and a notification panel stating that target was dead and system couldn't be used had popped up in front of him.

He let out a sigh and decided to shake off those thoughts and catch a break.

Not long after, Stannon woke up feeling a bit more rested but still unsure about his earlier conversation with Ned.

Shaking off his thoughts, he got up, put on his boots, and decided to visit the ravens. The air outside was cold and crisp as he walked through the quiet castle. Snow seemed likely, judging by the heavy grey clouds in the sky.

He headed toward a small aviary he had asked to be built just outside the castle walls. It was a place where he kept twenty ravens he had raised from their birth, two years ago. Since he was a half Stark, Stannon had hoped these ravens would help him awaken the Warging ability, a power said to run in the Stark bloodline.

Warging would allow him to connect with animals and see through their eyes. He hadn't succeeded yet, but he had still formed a close bond with the birds. They trusted him and responded to him in ways most animals didn't.

As he got closer to the aviary, he spotted Colen, taking care of the ravens. Stannon had rescued/ kidnapped Colen four years ago from a group of bandits who had attacked them. The boy had been helping him ever since, and he had a natural way with animals.

Colen was carefully cleaning the feathers of one of the ravens. The bird flapped its wings but didn't fly away, showing how comfortable it was with him.

"How are they doing, Colen?" Stannon asked as he approached.

"They're doing well, my prince," Colen replied with a smile. "Though Blackwing's causing trouble again. He tried to bite me while I was feeding him."

Stannon laughed. "That sounds like Blackwing. Did you calm him down?"

"I did," Colen said, grinning. "Gave him an extra piece of meat. That shut him up."

Stannon stepped closer to look at the birds. Some were perched high above, others hopped around on the ground. They all looked healthy. "You've done a good job, Colen. They're in good shape."

"It's my duty, my prince," Colen said. Then, with a curious look, he asked, "Why so many ravens, though? Most people just keep one or two for sending messages. What are you planning?"

Stannon thought for a moment before answering. "I'm trying to awaken an ability called Warging. It's something some Starks can do—connecting with animals, seeing through their eyes."

Colen looked intrigued. "Like... controlling them with your mind?"

"Not quite controlling," Stannon said. "It's more about becoming one with them, understanding them deeply. I thought raising these ravens might help me awaken the ability, but it hasn't worked yet."

"Do you think it'll happen someday?" Colen asked.

"Maybe," Stannon replied. "But even if it doesn't, I've still got a strong bond with them. That's worth something."

Colen nodded, glancing at the ravens. "They do seem to like you. Blackwing especially, even if he's a bit of a troublemaker."

"Maybe he sees me as competition," Stannon smiled.

Colen laughed. "Or maybe he's planning to steal a bit of your hair for his nest."

Stannon laughed at that. He really liked how open minded Colen was and didn't hesitate to put forward his thoughts. Most of the people he talked to in the castle except for Ned and the family, they always act reserved around him, doing their best not to say anything that would offend the heir.

Of course Colen would only talk like that when they both were having a personal talk. Outwards in public, he acted formally as a servant would do for his lord.

Colen had also played an important role in helping Stannon move on from Jory's death and he couldn't be more thankful to him for that.

Stannon walked over to one of the perches.

A sleek raven with a white streak on its wing flew down and landed on his arm. "Hello, Ghostwing," Stannon said, stroking the bird's feathers. "Keeping everyone in line?"

Colen watched in amazement. "It's incredible how they trust you, my prince. I've seen people try to train ravens before, but never like this. It's like they know you're different."

Stannon didn't answer right away. He looked into Ghostwing's dark eyes, wondering if this bond with the birds might someday lead to something greater. Even if Warging didn't awaken, these ravens could still become invaluable allies.

He had also asked Ned for any direwolves cub, if he could find one during his hunts. But unfortunately for the past four years Ned and the rest hadn't even found a single one. That told Stannon how lucky were the Stark kids that they each got a cub at the same time.

"Colen," Stannon said after a moment, "keep taking good care of them. Winter's coming, and even ravens can struggle when it's cold."

"Aye, my prince. I'll make sure they're well fed and warm," Colen said earnestly.

Stannon placed Ghostwing back on the perch and turned to leave.

As Stannon was about to leave, he stopped and turned back to Colen, who was brushing one of the ravens. He placed a hand on the boy's shoulder and asked casually, "How's your training coming along?"

Colen straightened up, a small smile on his face. "It's going well, my prince. The trainers say I'm good at swordsmanship."

"Good," Stannon said, nodding. "But remember, hard work always beats talent if talent doesn't work hard."

"I understand, my prince," Colen replied.

Stannon studied Colen for a moment longer, his expression calm, though he was actually looking at the system panel infront of him. He wasn't just checking on Colen's training—he was making sure the boy was really himself. After the recent scare with the fake Jory, Stannon had become cautious. He worried that a Faceless Man might be hiding nearby, waiting to strike. Satisfied that Colen seemed normal, Stannon left the aviary, though his thoughts remained troubled.

It had been quiet since the fake Jory was exposed and killed, but that only made Stannon more uneasy. Did the Faceless Men know one of their own had been eliminated in the North? If they did, what would they do next? Would they send more assassins, or leave him alone?

What bothered Stannon most was how they had come to work with the Lannisters. Why would assassins from Braavos, so far away, involve themselves in Westerosi politics? It had to be for something important—or for a lot, lot of gold.

An unsettling thought crossed Stannon's mind: what if their god, the Many-Faced God, had taken notice of him? Could his existence, as someone not meant for this world, offend the god?

Shaking his head, Stannon thought, 'I'm overthinking this. Why would a god care about me?'

Still, the thought pushed him to act. He needed to grow stronger, smarter, and more prepared to face threats. If the Faceless Men or anyone else came for his life again, he had to be ready.

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Guys I wanted to start a fanfiction on Marvel, but I am confused about what abilities should the mc would have. Please help me choose one or give suggestions if you want. (I obviously won't drop the GOT fanfiction)

1) Time Manipulation (with system, for gradual unlocking sub abilities and stuff)

2) Metal Manipulation (Magnetic field)

3) The same system that I am using in GOT fanfiction after removing certain limitations.

4) Suggest me new ones or the ones you want to see MC have one

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