Reception upon entering the unconventional stronghold was not lacking. However, it was more hospitable for one named The Rat than he expected. This unfriendly moniker was a byproduct of the firefights between Risen Warlords. His survival ability was unexpected, backed by one tactic: do not say no to the Risen. As long as he has been able to follow this internal directive, he's made his way through several conflicts.
Because of this single rule, he happened to be currently scouting this stronghold under the orders of a Warlord. And as he waited, the demands he received echoed in his mind as he waited for the formal greeting of the citadel owner.
"They call him the Night King," The Warlord reported. "Nobody has any intel why and because of that this region is marked off-limits. This can't continue any longer, if I can claim that forest I have a place to push and claim the Sector nearest to me. Find out what's going on there and report back to me."
The Rat obediently followed through. He now stood within the unheard of well-kept bulwark, waiting to be received by a mysterious regent whose presence alone insulted his Warlord commander. The memory of received orders rolled in and out of idle thought like ripples in a lake until a friendly booming voice broke it.
"Forgive me for the wait! It appears my previous engagement took far longer than I expected."
An Exo stepped past the threshold into the waiting room, dusting off his clothes and looking somewhat messy. Although being named a king, the title created preconceptions of someone far less hard-worked, and his bustling appearance immediately dispelled such notions upon his arrival. Despite the descriptions, this was just another man doing his absolute best to survive in the wastes of the Dead Zones.
The Rat received the introduction with a respectful silent bow. The man was smiling, something the Rat hadn't seen in a long time. He couldn't get off track, though. The Risen are complex and unpredictable, all the rage and inconsistency of people with the powers of a god. Carefully choosing his words was a skill, and the Rat was better than most.
"Not a problem, milord. Please, take your time." He said after a second's pause.
He predicted gaining the Exo's approval, but he would end up even further surprised by the reply.
"Please, there's no need for that. I demand no deference, especially from visitors."
"Very well," came the polite response. Intelligence collection would prove a bit more complicated than the Rat expected.
"My previous understanding is that you take the name the Night King? I wished to offer my respect."
The Exo laughed
"That name? Received, not taken. People gave me the name for my duties here. I have no desire to rule over anyone, but they find a safe place underneath the concept and have used it since."
"They?"
"Ah, yes, you've not received a full tour of the keep yet, right? If you mind following me, I can show you around after attending to one final task on my list, if you have the time to accompany?"
The seemingly genuine cordiality was twisting up all the Rat's plans. The time-tested and proven pattern was leaping between words and picking out what to say to survive. Here, it did nothing for him. The kindness kept leading him into an unfamiliar comfort that quickly made him more defensive. He had to finish this negotiation soon. It felt best to continue following along with it and receive the surprising compassion.
"By your lead," he said with another bow.
A semi-circular hallway led to a grand wooden door opening to the outside. As the two men walked through, a gorgeous tapestry was hung in the corridor, depicting images of people drawing arrows of violet, blanketing the following scene in an array of vibrant colors.
"Do you happen to know what is humanity's oldest symbol of authority?" the Night King spoke after noticing the Rat observing the tapestry.
"The sword," the Rat replied after a brief reflection.
"The arrow. Something constantly overlooked, given our advances in technology. But the earliest known records state humanity first seized power when they mastered the arrow. With this, where ever the whim of the arrow went, humanity would control. The reach of the arrow was the extent of ancient rule. It was a statement. 'we defend that which the arrow touches.'. A fitting symbol of protection, don't you think?"
The Rat nodded, transfixed. The tapestry seemed to come to life with the Night King's explanation.
The Night King continued to point out a few features of the artwork before continuing the rest of the way to head outdoors. It opened to the rolling plain that surrounded the keep for a few miles before joining the densely forested region encompassing the entire stronghold.
The sight outside was far more surprising to the Rat than anything he had experienced up to this point. He could hear children playing just outside that heavy doorway for a few yards. Most of them were receiving aid from adults for nocking arrows. In contrast, others stood away from the range, learning how to do things like start fires and identify vegetation.
"I decided during my watch early that if these people wished to rely on me for protection, I would do what I can to learn and relay that information to them and help them become self-sufficient. Guns jam and knives dull, but you'd be surprised what archery can do for you in the Dead Zones."
Almost immediately, the Night King found himself surrounded by a multitude of excited children, eager to show him their latest accomplishments in survival training. The gentleness with which the Exo attended the children was unfathomable to exist in this place. The Rat was unsure what else to say. This man was no threat, nor were his people. But what would happen if he reported such to his Risen leader? The laughter of children was such a rare sound these days.
"Do the fireworks! Show us! Show us!"
The Night King laughed and then eased away from the group. He turned to the Rat apologetically.
"Forgive me, it appears they are expectant for a show. May I have a moment outside our tour?"
The Rat replied affirmatively. His mind was too occupied with the implications of what his leader would do to claim this keep. Their laughter would get silenced.
The Night King stepped away from everyone, encouraging them to keep a wide berth. He seemed to play it up a bit, too, making the children laugh from his antics as he stretched and prepared himself. Taking one step back, and in a single sweep of his arm, a bow manifested in the hue of the final deep violet of the fading sun. Drawing back, he launched a single spiral of Light. He watched its trajectory, waiting for the apex, to which he then snapped his fingers. The coil expanded and burst forth, launching in an array of amethyst Light, rivers of pulsing radiation arcing across the sky to cover every corner.
As the Light continued to branch out, bolts of additional Void met at the edge of the display. They continued to cover the sky beyond the reach of sight, unseen arrows from others hidden throughout the stronghold and the forests. The Rat needed nothing more to know this man, the Night King, was absolutely heritor of the title the people had given him.
The children cheered and jumped around excitedly, and their smiles lit brilliantly in the radiance. The Rat was pale, understanding the subtle show of force in the display. The previous discussion seared in his mind:
The reach of the arrow was the extent of ancient rule. It was a statement. 'we defend that which the arrow touches.'
"The Royals and I together watch the people here," the Exo spoke to the Rat, breaking him out of his thoughts. "They gather under our wardenship and we do our best to protect their trust and maintain their safety. As you well know, a people cannot grow in these Dead Zones, so we light their way and cover what they cannot without this gift. Now then, shall we continue the tour?"
It would be a while later until the Rat would return to his Risen leader to present an underwhelming scouting report. This misdirection eased the Warlord into a foolish, arrogant comfort that quickly led to his doom to the Night King's incalculable defense. Thus was the Rat set free from being forced to obey his whims.
If anyone could help him survive, it would be under the auspices of this Exo leader, and for the first time in what felt like ages, he didn't feel inferior in this new means to do so.
