Interlude: Part 1: Secret Society

A/N: Okay then, this is the first half of the Halloween special I was talking about. I ended up dividing it into two parts after it got way longer than usual for my story. Still, I hope you enjoy it.

Let me make a few things out of the way though, if you don't mind: This Interlude will introduce a few more major players, both individually and as an order, that will play a big role in upcoming arcs. And while I based most of the content about said order from characters, to objects they own, leadership, etc from stuff about the show and the books, by and large, this Secret Society based on a Westerosi island notorious for its isolation is a personal creation of mine to enhance my world-building. So, I really hope you are curious to learn more, even if you won't have every single answer by the time the Interlude ends.

Finally, and this is important, depending on how you look at it, it could be argued that this chapter will illustrate more clearly than the previous ones that when the next to omnipotent entity ended up picking Jon to become the **** God in this particular timeline, he didn't pick the Jon from the show OR the book reality. More like, a dimension much more similar to the show's timeline but with some elements from the books making it past Season 5 that didn't make the cut in the actual tv series.

At least, that's one way of looking at it. More explanations will be added to flesh that out in Story Arc 4: Rise of the Dragonwolf. But until then, I hope you enjoy the first half of this Halloween Special.

Read, enjoy, and review!

The Haunted Forest coastline: South of Hardhome

"I am telling you," The shorter soldier hissed to his companion, "This is a terrible, terrible idea!"

The Skagosi beside him had a look of long-suffering on his face. "Why don't you spend your time telling me something all of us don't already know? Or better yet, actually, use your eyes for the purpose of our expedition instead of your rambling mouth?"

"Because this is crazy!" He insisted. "Who comes to the Lands Beyond the Wall looking for the walking dead? On purpose?!"

"People who have excellent reasons to follow orders," Came the reply of the leader of their expedition.

The two soldiers flinched, realizing they had annoyed the versatile Firemage. "Apologies, Lord Stane," The shorter soldier stammered. "I didn't mean to sound like a coward. It's just..."

"First of all, remember that I am not actually the Lord of House Stane of Skagos," He told him. "I am a third son who chose to join our most vital and secret order when my magical talents bloomed for the second time. Just call me Enforcer Maenag.

"Yes sir," He responded as he bit his bottom lip.

The highborn saw that their little discussion had also caught the attention of the other 20 men and women in their expedition and he couldn't help but notice they also looked unnerved even if they didn't want to say anything.

"Although," He realized silently as he stared at Zhu and Nadria, "My fellow mages seem to be better at hiding their fears."

Sighing, Maenag decided it was time to address the people he was leading before they headed further inland and the real tests began.

"Look, we all know we would rather be far away from here but that's not an option," He insisted. "The High Keeper and the Dragon Dreamer's visions actually aligned during the magical quake that flooded our senses nearly a fortnight ago. And after much deliberation, it was unanimously agreed by all the Mages and Keepers that this was the most vivid and detailed vision of the future we had been able to foresee since our order was cut off from the Greenseer Cave for our own protection at the orders of Bloodraven's predecessor."

"As if that wasn't enough," He went on, "I also felt that magical eruption right to the bones. And I am sure I speak for my sorcerer friends here when I say that it left a memorable impression on them too. That is why when the High Keeper and the Dragon Dreamer announced that after nearly 400 years, the mission our secret order was built on would finally be fulfilled, I believed those omens with every fiber of my being," He declared.

"He is right," Nadria interjected. "The currents of magic shifted with the power of a mighty flood, heralding the arrival of something higher to rise up against the coming darkness. That can only mean one thing: our prophecied savior has finally ascended into godhood. And after all these centuries of preparation and waiting in isolation, do any of you intend to let him down?"

The expressions among the island soldiers hardened answered with a determined no. Maenag looked at the olive-skinned Rhoynish water witch and nodded firmly. "What she said," He said with a mild smile, unsheathing his black dagger with one hand and his borrowed Valyrian Steel Blade with the other so that they could see them. "Now, our orders are clear: verify if our old records about dragonglass and Valyrian steel being lethal to wights and walkers were actually accurate. If so, then we will have even more to contribute to our promised prince since Skagos has a large supply of obsidian. But we have never been able to put that notion to the test, which is why our mission here is so important. After that, and only after that, we head to the ship under Captain Snowaters at full speed. Is that clear?"

The soldiers stood straighter and clenched their fists as if daring the servants of **** to appear before them so they could punch them in the face. The Firemage imagined they would get their chance soon enough.

"Well then," He thought to himself, after raising their morale a bit. "Time to practice the magical talent from my mother's side."

"I am going to warg into one of those birds over there," The highborn said as he pointed at some crows flying nearby. "In order to search for the risen dead. In the meantime, guard my body," He commanded.

The soldiers readied their dragonglass blades and spears, as a response and bowed. Satisfied, the leader of the expedition sat down on a boulder that jutted out of the snow.

And his eyes began to pale.

Eventually, the half-Skagosi warg was done skin-changing and looked around. Everyone was accounted for and ready for action.

"Good," he thought grimly. "We will need it."

"I saw a small scouting party of around 9 wights heading in this direction, just behind that snowy hill," The Firemage announced, as pointed at the small mountain less than a mile from them.

He paused for a moment before just getting it over with. "And...they are lead by a real White Walker.

Uncertainty gripped their features. Maenag didn't blame them. After all, the walking corpses were bad enough as it was but the ice monsters that enslaved them were something else entirely if their lore was any indication. But his own expression didn't falter.

"We are unlikely to get a better chance than this one so close to the ship," He stressed. "We need to take it. So, this is what we are going to do: we will move as fast and silently as we can around that hill, and then we are going to outflank our enemies. Most of you will go from one side and concentrate on shattering their shambling corpses with dragonglass in an ambush, preferably fast as that would mean our suspicions could be proven right," The member of House Stane ordered. "My fellow mages and I will handle the walker," He assured them, trying to keep his tone neutral. "But we will need three strong and brave volunteers to watch our backs as we engage that foul demon. Any takers?" He asked as he raised his voice.

At first, no one actually did. But soon, the three tallest soldiers of the expedition took a step forward. Maenag took a moment to analyze the courage in their faces before remembering the 7 and a half feet tall men were from a special bloodline of vassals from House Crowl, from the southern tip of Skagos. The warg firesage suppressed a grimace.

"Lord Crowl will never let me hear the end of it if I get so many of their remaining prized fighters killed that happen to be blood of the Giants," He realized as he bit his bottom lip. "But we have more important things to worry about right now. Besides, he refused to provide unicorn mounts for our mission, saying we needed stealth on this one more than speed. I can always remind him of that folly if it comes to that."

"Very well, then we all know what to do and what's at stake," The leader of the expedition said solemnly. "Let's go."

And with that, they marched into the jaws of ****.

Nadria Sand shivered yet again as they neared the hill. While she had gotten used to the weather of Skagos in the years since the Secret Society adopted her, the cold in snowy lands beyond the Wall was starting to get to her. She sighed.

"Dorne is certainly much warmer than this," She thought wistfully.

Then she blinked as something occurred to her that she hadn't fully considered. If the purpose of their order is getting fulfilled in her lifetime, then the second Long Night is coming. And if she managed to survive the conflict after doing her part to help their prophecied savior, she may be able to return to her homeland now that her years of service would be at an end.

The Dornish woman adjusted her furred cloak as the frosty winds of the Lands of Always Winter buffeted her conflicted face. To be honest with herself, she had never really thought she would be released from her services to the secret order that took her in and saved her from starvation. After all, many generations of Keepers, Mages, and Stoneborn had come and gone since the Doom of Valyria. She had no reason to suspect the omens would converge on her lifetime.

But now that they had, the young woman couldn't help but wonder what she would do with her life should they survive the upcoming invasion of the Army of the Dead. True, the order wouldn't have taken her in if they hadn't figured out that she possessed the innate spark of the Rhoynish water wizards, that has been so rare ever since the Dragonlords destroyed Ancient Rhoynar, forcing Princess Nymeria to flee to Dorne with her people before taking over the country once she married into House Martell. Nevertheless, they had tried their hardest to help her fulfill her potential, fed, clothed her, made her feel welcomed in Skagos. There would be plenty of people she would sorely miss if she returned to her distant home as a grown woman and never saw them again.

Starting with the Dragon Dreamer...

Shaking her head, Nadria tried to focus on the road ahead but her thoughts would keep turning back to Dorne. And eventually, she scowled as she remembered another enormous problem over there.

"I still can't believe House Martell has been all but destroyed," She muttered angrily under her breath. "And by traitors to both their country and their trust, no less."

Water witch took a deep breath, trying to soothe her outrage as she paid attention to the cold.

"This line of thought can wait," She told to herself. "I need to focus on not getting killed."

All the same, she decided that, once she returned, she would have an important conversation with her lover, after they warmed themselves up by scissoring each other to climax.

Zhu of Tiqui, studied the landscape with his gaze as they approached their side of the mountain. And even though he determined he was right, the young man sighed, his slanted eyes closing for a moment. He would always be grateful to the Order of the Emerald Weirwood for rescuing him from dying at the hands of that angry mob after they discovered his magical powers but when he agreed to leave the distant lands of Yi Ti to serve them, for they had granted Zhu a place to belong in Skagos, going to a frozen wasteland to seek out the forces of **** wasn't what he had in mind.

"Who would have thought," He said silently and grimly, "That I would not only live to see the second coming of the Long Night but play a part in it after all the thousands of years that have passed since the effects of the first one shattered the Great Empire of the Dawn."

He brooded, and not for the first time wondered with a shiver if the dreaded Night King, was actually the legendary Bloodstone Emperor reborn. It had been too long to say for sure what was the relation between them was. However, some of the Keepers he had discussed the topic with suspected that since the lands of Yi Ti and Westeros were so far apart, it was unlikely that the Bloodstone Emperor was the same being as the Night King that terrorized Westeros over 8000 years earlier. Still, he couldn't help but wonder if there was some sort of connection, if only in regards to the fact they were champions of dark gods.

"Or perhaps the same dark god," Zhu thought solemnly as he remembered the recorded lessons from the priest of R'hllor that he read on the order's archives. "Assuming the Great Other is the one that influenced them but by different names."

He was snapped out of his thoughts by Nadria getting closer and placing a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and looked at the witch that was part of the expedition to Yi Ti that ended up saving his life. He smiled lightly.

"What is it?" He whispered.

"Just wanted to know if you think the terrain would be good enough to allow you to use your magic," She asked him.

He nodded, understanding her concern.

"The land is quite frozen and wet," Zhu agreed. "But the rocky ground is close enough to the surface, so I will still be able to manipulate the earth. I can feel it."

"Good," She said, somewhat nervously. "I have a feeling we will need all the power we can muster."

The Yi Tian didn't disagree with her as they stopped behind the hill. Then Maenag told them to get to their positions while they waited for the scout to return from the higher ground. They readied their arms and stayed alert, watching their immediate surroundings in search of danger. Before long, he climbed back down and nodded, looking like he had just seen a ghost.

It wasn't much of a stretch, given the circumstances.

Maenag Stane hardened his expression and took his position beside Nadria and him, the trio of tall guards close behind. The remaining 17 soldiers steeled their hearts and gripped their dragon glass weapons tight. Then, the Warging Firemage ignited a flame around his fist and raised it above his head.

He had opted not to yell, for that would alert the enemy of their position. Zhu could easily imagine his battle cry all the same. The men moved faster and the Stone Mage followed his comrades to battle.

A/N: Okay, I know this was a lot of exposition but I needed to dive into some things in order to kickstart these major developments that will be crucial for the coming Story Arcs. Sorry if this chapter and its characters seemed a bit random to you but well, I did say it was an Interlude earlier, and usually, those kinds of chapters do not involve the main cast you have been following by then.

So, I imagine you have plenty of questions and I will be happy to answer some of them but for those that found this chapter a little too mysterious for their liking, know that everything I added here had a purpose that will have some form of pay off later on in the plotline. Nothing gets wasted here and I assure you the answers to many of these enigmas regarding the Secret Society will be provided at the very earliest opportunity and made to fit with the context of the chapters that have been released so far.

Still, I hope you enjoyed this chapter enough to be intrigued about the future of the plotline. And again, if you have any questions, feel free to let me know and I will strive to provide acceptable answers that don't spoil all the surprises.

Oh and, regarding Yi Ti, that area is like the far east of Essos. It's not mentioned in the show but they had their own version of the Long Night way back when, as I explained in the chapter. As for the whole deal with water magic, yes, it is considered canon to the books that the Rhoynar ancestors of the Dornish people had water wizards before being defeated by Old Valyria. Obviously, their numbers have dropped considerably since then but yeah, that's a thing.

Anyway, thanks for the support so far. Leave a comment if something caught your attention, and until next time guys, see ya!