The Many Gods of Man

Ivar Stark POV

"WHUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUDHHHHUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUM"

I woke up with a start from the loud roar of the Titan.

"I don't think I will soon get used to that."I muttered while I roused myself from the bed.

I got up and went to wash my face.While I was doing that,I began to think of what to do today.I don't have a particular routine now to follow,but I should still train.Although without a sparring partner I will have some difficulty's doing it to good effect.

'Whatever.First order of business should be to buy decent clothes first.These rough woolen clothes have irritated me long enough.After that,the whole day is open for entertainment,we will see what to do.'

'But should I take my bow and arrows with me?It's not like there is anything to hunt here in this city of stone,and you can't fish with a bow.I think I should leave it behind,only take my dagger with me.'

While I was thinking of this,I heard my door being knocked on.

Knock,knock...

"Good morning,my Lord.Would you like to break your fast in the room or downstairs?"I heard Merlin's voice through the door.

'Of course he is already awake.He has never woken after me,even in Westeros.'

"Good morning Merlin.Give me a moment,I will join you downstairs in a bit."I replied to him.

"Understood,my Lord.I will tell the Innkeeper to prepare the meal."Come the voice of Merlin from behind the door,before I could hear footsteps going away.

I went to the privy and began making rain,before I went back to my room to wash my hands.After a moment,I made my way down the stairs.I could see some others in the tables around,already eating.After I spotted Merlin I went to him,watching his figure waiting quietly with food in front of him.

"You could have started first,you know."I told him after I saw he hasn't touched the food.

"It is not trouble,my Lord.I wasn't waiting for long."Merlin replied with a smile.

"Well,let's eat."I said to him while I looked at the fresh loaf's of bread and the boiled milk and honey pots on the table,beginning to tear into the still warm crust of the bread.

After a while of us eating,Merlin started a conversation.

"What are our plans for today,my Lord?"He asked me curiously.

"First,I wan't to go and buy some decent clothes,after that,I haven't considered what yet.Do you have any suggestions?If there is anywhere in particular that you want to go,feel free to speak."I said to him.

"Well,I really want to check the mummer's play.But considering the city is only now waking,it might be rather early for them."Merlin said a bit eagerly.

"We will find something to do after we buy clothes.We can take a boat around the city,see the sight's properly."I said to him as we were eating.

"My Lord,how did you sleep in the first night on foreign land?"After a while,Merlin asked me.

"I slept well enough,until that roar woke me up.I don't think I will find much sleep here to be honest.If it wasn't for the upcoming festival,I would have left after five days at most,but now?I am just too exited for the festival to miss it,and I doubt we will find a ship leaving no matter how much coin we offer."

"Most are Braavosi just coming home,and others want to stay for the festival as well.We are going to be stuck here for five and ten days at least."I said while thinking about it.

"You could stuff a cloth in your ears,my Lord.That might work."Offered Merlin.

"I didn't think of that.I will try it out tonight,see what happens."I said.After a moment of silence,Merlin asked me a question I didn't want to think about.

"My Lord,what do you think has happened now in Winterfell?"

That's something I have been trying to avoid thinking about.I thought back to my home.

'I imagine my parent's are worried sick.My brothers are sad and angry at me,and little Sansa has no idea what has happened.Arya and Bran have probably noticed nothing.'

"I don't know,Merlin.I honestly don't know."I said to him helplessly.After a moment of hesitation Merlin spoke in an uneasy tone.

"My Lord...would it not be possible for you to sent word that you are alive and well at least?We are now in Essos,the chances of them finding us are slim."

"Perhaps.I am not sure.I think my father would still try and catch me if he finds out I am alive.And any person I sent from here will spill the beans of where I am with a few more gold coins from my father.No.I won't send word.Not now at least,maybe in the future."I replied to Merlin after a thought.

"As you say,my Lord."Merlin said,not all too convinced in my decision.

"Forget about this,Merlin.I know you are only thinking about my family's sake,but since I have made my choice,I will bear the consequences of my decision.Even if my family hates me for it."I said to him resolutely.

"Thoughts like this are useless to me now.We are already here..Do not speak of Winterfell again."I ordered him while drinking a cup of warm milk.

"Forgive me,my Lord.I overstepped."Merlin said apologetically.

"You have done no such thing.I want you to be honest with me and speak your mind when you wish.But on the matter of my family alone,I don't want to hear anything."I said to him honestly.

'Since I have chosen to think about myself first and my desires.I will do so until the end.'

"As you say,my Lord.I will not speak of your family again."Merlin said a bit more resolutely now.

"Good.Now let us eat.By the way,I din't know the Braavosi eat the same food in the morning as us."I said to him curiously.Merlin laughed a bit,before speaking.

"They don't really,my Lord.I requested it.Since it's our first day away,I thought we might start with something more familiar."

"Good thinking.We shall try their cuisine later."I said and we laughed and ate our meal in a good mood.

_________________________________________________

After we finished our meal we went outside and walked on the edge of the street,close to the pool.

We walked past The Iron Bank,stopping to watch it for a moment.The building was massive.People were already coming and going by the steps of the entrance.Many dressed in flamboyant colors from many distant lands.I was sure I spotted e few Westerosi as well.

'Looks like the bankers wake before the roar of The Titan.Looking at this building,I wonder just how much gold is there inside it?'

Before long we made it to a clothing store a boatman told us about and entered inside.We saw clothes in many styles around the walls,including Westerosi nobleman clothes.As we were told,the shop had expensive silk clothes for rich patrons.There were only a few workers inside.Some sewing clothes in the corner,while a man approached,he looked over us for a moment in hesitation,but spoke politely nonetheless.

"How may I help you sirs?"He asked professionally.

"We want full clothing for the both of us,several pairs in the Westerosi noble style in silk and leather boots.Do you have any in our sizes?"I asked him,hoping we won't waste time to be fitted.

"Certainly,young sir.It will only need a little adjustment's to fit you,it will not take long.Is there any particular color you would like?"

"Black for me.Merlin?"I asked the uncomfortably looking Merlin,who after hearing me said.

"Blue for me,I guess."

"Understood,young sir.How many outfits would you like?"The shopkeeper asked.

"Five each.As quickly as you can.We want to try them on immediately."I said to him.

"Understood,please wait a moment."With a nod the man went deeper inside the shop.

Merlin looked like he wanted to say something,but choose to keep quiet.

'I guess he is still uncomfortable with spending like that without care.'

After a while the man come back and presented us with a few pieces of clothing,we took it and went to try them on in the small rooms with mirrors inside.

After changing in my new clothes,I began to appreciate how much lighter and softer they were than the rough woolen ones I had on.After seeing that they fit me,I kept them on,tying my new black belt around the black silk tunic,and strapping my dagger to it as well as my coin purse.I put on my new leather boots and I felt like a new man.After a last look of satisfaction I went outside while leaving behind my old clothes in the room.

As I stepped outside I saw Merlin already done,looking vastly different than before in his new blue tunic similar to mine in style on his skinny frame.

"Much better,right?"I asked him.

"Indeed,my Lord.I have never had such soft fabrics."He said to me.I turned to the shopkeeper and spoke to him.

"These fit.We want five of them each with pants.We are staying in the "Starry Sea Inn",can you have them send there?Also we are leaving our old clothes behind,if you can get rid of them for us,that would be great."I asked him.

"Of course,sir.It will be done.For everything you have brought today,it will be two and twenty gold dragons."He said and after I paid him,me and Merlin made our way outside.

We walked around the city for what seemed like hours.We saw the tall and square towers of the noble Braavosi Houses,the Antaryon's and Prestayn's on each bank of the Long Canal,we even got pretty close to the Palace of Truth with it's green copper domes on sitting on a large island.

It was where voting took place in Braavos.And though I wanted to see it from the inside,we were not even allowed on the island.While we were eating fruits on the eastern bank of the Long Canal,I recalled that The Isle of the Gods is across the water close by.

'Now is as good as time as any I guess.'

"Merlin,let's go to The Isle of the Gods.I want to see the temples there."I said to Merlin while eating an apple.

"Yes,my Lord.I am really exited to see the various Gods worshiped on the isle."Merlin said in excitement.

"Let's go find a boat."I said to Merlin and before long we found a nice one and commissioned it to go towards the isle.

"On which isle should I leave you?"Asked the boatman.

"On The Sept-Beyond-the-Sea."I replied to him.

Once there,we can move by bridge until we reach to the separated isle where The Temple of The Lord of Light lies.Take a boat to there and then again with a boat to the Temple of the Moonsingers.

Before long,we reached The Sept-Beyond-the-Sea and after paying the man we entered it.

It was a large domed Sept.We saw statues of the seven in a circle on the walls,there were some people,most of whom I presumed to be from Westeros praying in front of their chosen statue.We took a look around curiously.This was the first Sept I ever stepped foot in.

I never really entered my mother's Sept in Winterfell.According to her,we were brought there as babies,me and Robb,but I don't really remember that.And I seriously doubt the Sept in Winterfell could compare to this one here.

'I can only imagine how The Sept of Baelor looks like.Looking at the magnificent Temples people build in their name,one would think they are great and mighty Gods,instead of the tedious sounding Seven-Crossed-Star,with all their rules and what not.'

'Rules The Southrons break all to easily when it suits them,but still like to pretend to be pious.We have nothing of the sort in The North,yet still keep true to our word more than them,and they call us savages.'

While thinking of this we finished taking a look around and exited the Sept,then we headed to the bridge towards the isles where other Gods are housed.

We saw The Weeping Lady of Lys,a goddess worshiped by the Lyseni with a weeping statue in front of her shrine,shedding silver tears.The Gardens of Gelenei with their hundred feet gilded tree with silver leaves.

The wooden hall dedicated to The Lord of Harmony who was inside as a laughing giant, naked and bearded and attended by swarms of women with butterfly wings.There were glass windows around the hall,depicting butterflies with all the colors in the world.They looked so splendid and vivid that if one saw them from afar they would think they were in Naath and witnessing real butterflies.

There was Aquan the Red Bull,whose worshipers sacrifice a pure white calf once in every thirteenth day and offer it's blood to beggars.The three-headed God Trios,who is said to eat dead people in one head and revive them in another,while the middle one feeds on sacrifices.The Stones of the Silent God,where people whisper to the stones their wishes.

The Patternmaker's Maze,according to their priests,the one who walks it properly will gain wisdom beyond people's understanding.The Church of Starry Wisdom,who is said to be founded by the legendary Bloodstone Emperor of the Great Empire of the Dawn.The Great Shepherd of the Lhazareen people holding a lamb in his hands while smiling kindly,his gaze always catching your own as if his eyes danced around the room.

We saw The Holy Refuge,a big brick building where the forgotten gods are depicted.Strange creatures,half-man and half-fish,a horse with many eyes,two headed snake with one black and one white head with green eyes and green body,and many more forgotten deities,yet they still had a shrine to them in Braavos.The city build by people from a thousand cultures who sought to escape the Valyrians honored them all the same.

Before long,we crossed the water to the red temple.The Temple of the Lord of Light had it's own island,one that was connected to the city by bridge but not with the Isle of the Gods.It was a large temple built from red stone. On top of it's great square tower burned a big fire and all around the stairs leading up to the interior were small iron braziers burning,the insides of the temple were red and everything people wore was red as well.In here me and Merlin with our black and blue colors stuck out like a Dornishman on The Wall.

The people were giving us weird looks,some were even hostile.Making Merlin nervous with the attention we seemed to be getting.In all the other temples the people paid us no mind and went about their business.Here it seemed it was not to be the same.I completely ignored their looks and the pleading gaze Merlin was sending my way and went about observing the temple's insides.

After I was satisfied I turned around and walked out,Merlin following me eagerly.

"My Lord,that was scary,the way they were looking at us...."Merlin began to breathe a bit hurriedly once we stepped outside.

"Like they wanted to devour us.Hah,you are too easily frightened Merlin.They won't kill us just because we were looking at their temple.Probably....."I began to laugh a bit,seeing his frightened expression.

"It is not funny,my Lord.I felt like I could not breathe inside there.It was terrifying.They say the worshipers of the fire God can do magic,imagine what they could to us."Merlin said with an uneasy and pale expression.

"Relax a little.Almost every man who serves the Gods says they are blessed with power beyond the abilities of others.It's what they use to gather more worshipers for their Gods.It's always about material power however,and not divine.We Northerners are luckier than others in that regard."I said to him,hearing my words,he relaxed a little.

"Forget about the red people.Let's go.We still have the Temple of the Moonsingers to visit.It is very close."I said to Merlin and began leading him down the stairs,heading to the boats where we boarded one and in just a moment we reached the Temple of the Moonsingers.

Just like The Temple of the Lord of Light,this one had it's own island,but unlike the red temple it was not connected by bridge with the city.It was but a single solitary temple surrounded by water.The Temple of the Moonsingers and the House of Black and White were the only temples with their own island without a bridge connecting them to any of the others.

The Temple of the Moonsingers was the largest temple of Braavos and certainly the one I found the most splendid.

Build to honor the slave women whose prophecies saved the ancestors of the Braavosi,it was the foremost temple in Braavos.

The boatman who led us here kindly told us the story of a Septon,who in a drunken state cursed the Temple of the Moonsingers and called the women who made the prophecies,whores of The Others.That was the last time he was seen.

'Leave it to the religiously intolerant seven worshipers to offend the most honored temple in this city.'

While I was thinking of the boatman's words,I could not help but marvel at the sight of the temple.

It was a huge mass of snow-white marbled walls and similarly white marble floor,on the roof was a huge silvered dome with glass windows that showed all the phases of the moon in a blue color that I was sure reflected the stars and moon splendidly at night. A pair of marble maidens flank its gates, tall as the Sealord's statues on the Canal of Heroes.I could honestly say it was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my life.A worthy place to honor the saviors of the people the Braavosi descend from.

"They certainly spared no expense with this temple.Let no one say the Braavosi are ungrateful people.We should come at night to see it again,I bet it is better."I said in amazement.

"I agree completely,my Lord."Merlin said with awe clear in his voice.

After a while of watching the interior of the temple,we went out and headed to the boat.

"Where to now,my Lord?"Merlin asked me.

"There is one more island that we haven't seen yet.The one that has the The House of Black and White.We go there now."I said to him.

"But my Lord.The way people in Braavos react when they hear of the House of Black and White is worrying.They look like they both fear and respect that temple.And anyone we asked on the reason is very tight lipped about it.When you chose to go to the Sept and make our way to the other isles I thought you did not wish to visit it."Merlin said with his face paling the same way it did in the red temple.

"Nonsense.I left it for last.Any temple that can make grown man to fear just by the sound of it,is not one to be ignored.It was the one I was looking forward to the most."

"But that is more reason to be cautious,my Lord.The Gods only know what's inside that temple."Merlin said cautiously.

"We are going there,Merlin.My instincts are telling me it is the way to go.Fear not.I know you are no fighter but I am and I will protect you.Don't worry about it."I said to him confidently,seeing me like that he nodded with a strained smile.

'By the looks of it,my words did nothing to assure him.Oh,well.He will find his courage when he needs it,I guess.'

I thought while we made our way to the boats rolling around the waters,finding a free one,we approached it.

"Greetings,goodman.We are heading to the House of Black and White."I said to him as I made to enter the boat.The man's face paled a bit and he spoke in a bit of a trembling voice.

"Young sirs.You are too young to go there.I will caution you against it"The man said in an gentle tone.

'Too young for what?To visit a temple?These Braavosi are funny people.'

"Thank you for your advice,goodman.But our course is set.Bring us there."I said to him with a smile.

"Understood.Let us go then."He replied and began rolling in silence.

I could not help my curiosity and considered asking him about it.But ultimately,I chose not to.

'He probably won't tell me anything about it,just like other Braavosi.Besides,it is more fun not knowing what's inside it.I will see it for myself soon anyway.'

After a while of silent rolling we reached the island of the big windowless square building.