The sky over the North was a suffocating shade of leaden grey. It felt as though the heavens themselves were pressing down on the jagged peaks of the mountains.
Link adjusted the rough furs around his neck. He felt the damp chill seep into his very marrow. He was not supposed to be here. In his previous life, he was just an ordinary man living in a world of technology and comfort. Now, he was a nameless guard in a world where winter lasted years and death came in a dozen different gruesome forms.
He had been in this world for exactly one month. During that month, he had discovered the terrifying truth about his new existence. He was not just a background character. He possessed something that no one else in Westeros could imagine.
In his mind, a faint and translucent interface flickered. It was not a system that gave him quests, points, or magic spells. It was simpler and in some ways much more terrifying.
Current Anchor: Winterfell Outskirts Day 1
Status: Healthy
It was a Save and Load function. It was a time loop at the tip of his fingers. He could "save" his current moment in time and if he died or failed, he could "load" back to that exact second.
"Move it, Link!" a voice barked.
A grizzled veteran named Hullen shoved past him. Hullen was the master of horse at Winterfell and a man who had no patience for daydreaming guards. "Lord Eddard is waiting. We have a deserter to execute and the cold is already biting through my boots. Do not tell me you are freezing up now."
Link did not answer. He could not find the words. How could he explain that he had already lived through this specific morning three times?
The first time, he had been clumsy. He had tripped on a hidden root and twisted his ankle so badly that he was sent back to the infirmary. Because of that, he had missed the discovery of the direwolf pups and lost his chance to be noticed by the Stark family.
The second time, he had tried to change things too quickly. He had tried to speak up during the execution to warn Ned Stark about the future. The stern and icy look from Ned Stark had practically frozen the blood in his veins. The pressure of the moment had caused him to panic. He had triggered a Load out of pure embarrassment and the fear of being executed himself for heresy.
This was his third attempt. He had learned that in this world, knowledge was a blade that had to be hidden until the right moment.
He followed the party of riders toward the execution site. The air was thick with the smell of pine needles and damp earth. At the center of the circle stood the prisoner. His name was Gared. He was an old ranger of the Night's Watch who looked as though he had seen the seventh level of hell. His ears were gone to frostbite and his eyes were wide with a madness that went beyond the fear of death.
The man was babbling about White Walkers and cold shadows that moved through the trees. The other guards laughed and whispered about how the cold had turned the man's brain to mush.
Link did not laugh. He watched the horizon. He knew that the old man was the only one telling the truth. The Great War was coming and everyone in this circle was a ghost who did not know they were dead yet.
Lord Eddard Stark dismounted his horse. His face was like carved stone. He was the embodiment of Northern justice. He signaled for his ward, Theon Greyjoy, to bring him the sword.
As Ned Stark drew the massive Valyrian steel blade named Ice, the air seemed to grow even colder. The sword was as wide as a man's hand and glowed with a dark and smokey ripples.
Link focused his mind. This was the moment where the story truly began. In the original timeline, they would find the direwolves in the snow immediately after this execution. If Link wanted to change his fate and if he wanted to be more than a background character meant to die in the War of the Five Kings, he had to start here. He had to be in the right place at the right time.
He reached out his hand mentally. He hovered over the Save trigger in his mind.
"I need a new anchor," he thought. "I need to lock this moment in so I can never lose my progress again."
The blade fell. The steel bit through bone and sinew with a single and clean strike. The head of the deserter rolled into the snow. The blood steamed in the freezing air.
New Anchor Point Established: The Execution of the Deserter.
Link let out a breath he did not know he was holding. He felt a strange ripple in his mind as the new save point locked into place. He had his checkpoint. Now he just had to survive the journey back to Winterfell.
"Well," Hullen grunted as he wiped a stray drop of blood from his cheek. "That is done. Let us get back before the snow picks up."
Link gripped the hilt of his own sword. The real game was about to begin.
...
Author Note
Hi guys! Thank you for reading my fanfiction.
I wanted to let you know that I'll be releasing bonus chapters for Power Stones. Here are the goals:
15 Power Stones: 1 Bonus Chapters
30 Power Stones: 1 Bonus Chapters
50 Power Stones: 1 Bonus Chapters
75 Power Stones: 2 Bonus Chapters
100 Power Stones: 2 Bonus Chapters
Thanks for the support!