After twenty minutes, five of the seven people I had summoned appeared before me, brought by the angels who had descended. Among them were three women and two men.
For these five, the being standing before them could not be described, for each one perceived a different aspect —light, shadow, death, life, fire, water— opposites, yet united. Surrounded by the angels who had delivered them, they knelt as I descended a staircase made of light. Before their eyes, the formless presence they had glimpsed took shape: that of a human with short black hair like obsidian, standing 1.82m tall, with attractive though not perfect features, dressed in garments they had never seen before. When they heard my voice, a feeling of calm enveloped them, like the embrace of a father or mother.
"I see you are finally here. I hope your journey was not too abrupt. I have summoned you for one simple reason: to serve me in all that I ask. That is, to become my apostles on Earth —to accompany me wherever I go, to fulfill my desires, and to guarantee my protection, even if unnecessary. I hope you will accept, for this is a unique opportunity in your existence. Of course, you are free to refuse, in which case you shall be returned to where you were without issue."
After hearing my words and processing them, the five displayed varied expressions, shaped by their past deeds, dark desires, or newfound motivations. The first to kneel was a dark-skinned man, scarred on the right side of his face and blind in one eye. This man was the current leader of the Faceless Men cult, who, to show his sincerity, abandoned his disguise, leaving his visage blank —like black chimney smoke.
"You are the first to accept, mere seconds after hearing my proposal. You even abandoned your identity before me. Why?"
He answered with a single phrase:
"Valar Dohaeris" —all men must serve.
"Very well. In that case, I accept you as one of my apostles. May this gift serve you well," I said, placing my hand on his chest. A mark of absolute loyalty appeared, signifying the end of his free will before my commands. I also granted him the gift of metamorphosis —the ability to alter his form and appearance at will.
Next to kneel were two women dressed in scarlet, with striking red and chestnut hair.
"You too will join me as my apostles?"
"Yes, my lord, we hope our bodies and souls may serve your cause. I, Kinvara, solemnly swear to dedicate myself to you for all eternity."
"And I, Melisandre, solemnly swear to serve you until the end of time."
"Then let these blessings be yours," I said, placing my hand over their hearts to implant the same mark as before, along with their blessings. "And you may discard those collars now —they will no longer be needed."
To Kinvara, I granted the gift of healing: every wound or disease could be erased from herself or her target. To Melisandre, I granted the gift of fire: the ability to conjure and control flames at will.
Hearing this, both removed their necklaces without hesitation, though their surprise lingered when they realized their beauty remained absolute.
"And you two, will you accept my proposal?"
Both knelt without hesitation: one because he had regained his faith, and the other because she had lacked purpose until now. The light returned to eyes that had long since dimmed.
"I, Thoros of Myr, solemnly swear to serve you until the end of time.""I, Asha Greyjoy, solemnly swear to serve you until the end of time."
"Then let these gifts serve you forever."
I marked them as I had the others, but unlike before, Thoros visibly grew younger before their eyes, while Asha aged into her future counterpart —short-haired, slender, long-legged, with sharp features, a prominent nose, and skin smooth and white, as though her time in slavery had never happened.
To Thoros I granted the gift of valor, capable of restoring hope to the darkest soul. To Asha, the gift of war, ensuring that no one in this world would ever command or fight like her.
With the ceremony concluded, I conjured a table, chairs, and a feast to celebrate our first gathering while waiting for the remaining members. Judging by their expressions of joy and delight, they had never tasted food like this before.
The meal lasted about twenty minutes until the remaining angels arrived with those I had requested.
"At last, the final guests stand before us."
The angels, having fulfilled their purpose, were erased from existence. Before me stood those I expected would become my last subordinates. I repeated my words as before, also presenting those who had already accepted.
Of the three present, the first to approach was a young man.
"I fully accept this task, but… may I set one condition in order to accept?"
At his words, Kinvara and Thoros attributed it to youthful recklessness, or perhaps saw it with kindness, guessing what he might ask. Melisandre and Asha, however, reacted with pure hostility. How could a mere youth dare to place conditions before God —their God?
"What is it you desire? Speak."
"Please… bring my sister back to life. She did not deserve the fate she received. In exchange, I will become the sharpest weapon in your arsenal. I swear it."
Indeed, the one before me was none other than young Oberyn Martell, the future Red Viper.
"Very well, but to make it fair, you must first fulfill a mission. Do you accept this condition?"
"If it means bringing my sister back, I will accept anything —even travel to the ends of the earth."
"In that case, Oberyn Nymeros Martell, from this moment you are sworn as one of my apostles under the condition that you bring me the body of Elia Martell and slay all responsible for her death —Gregor 'the Mountain' Clegane and Amory Lorch."
Placing my hand on his chest, I marked him and granted him his gift.
"From now on, you are free to carry this out however you see fit. But know this: you may not receive help from anyone else, save yourself and the gift you now possess."
"I swear I will fulfill my duty and return here."
In a beam of light, Oberyn vanished from the place.
"And you —will you accept my proposal?"
I turned to one of the oldest beings in this world, a Child of the Forest. It was Leaf, who had once served the now-dead Three-Eyed Raven.
"I accept."
She too received her gift: the gift of nature, powerful enough to reshape entire ecosystems.
"As for you… I know exactly what I will do."
I locked eyes with the emerald gaze filled with fear and hatred. "But first, we must do something."
Approaching the shroud on the ground where bones and a sword lay, I applied a fraction of my power. The bones reformed, blood vessels and muscles knit together, organs took shape, until a human body stood resurrected before them all. Confused, he looked around, so I implanted the necessary knowledge directly into his mind. Processing it, the man knelt and offered me his sword in service.
"Rise, Ser Arthur. From this day forth, you shall be my sharpest blade and strongest shield."
In his case, there was no need to mark him —the process had already occurred during the reconstruction of his body, along with the acquisition of his gift.
"Now then… what should I do with you? Ah, yes… that will suffice."
Placing my hand upon his head, the process began.
{Braavos}
At last, the long-awaited moment had arrived: today, God would descend upon this city. For its inhabitants, it was a time of jubilation and celebration. Festivals filled the streets, while the city's rulers arranged everything to ensure His comfort and favor.
At the appointed moment, a beam of light split the sky, and from it descended eight figures —each distinct, yet all radiating divinity.
"Lord, Braavos is at your complete disposal," said the spokesman of the Iron Bank alongside the city's Sealord.
"In that case, prepare the two fastest ships in the city for my companions," I said, pointing to Thoros, Asha, and Leaf, who already had their respective missions.
"As you command."
And thus began my stay in the world of ice and fire.