All the Night's Watch members gathered in the Great Hall of Castle Black, a place normally used for meals, but it was the only room large enough to accommodate everyone in the castle.
Wright entered the hall after returning from the Rookery. Lord Commander Mormont and several senior officers sat to one side, and he gestured for Wright to sit beside him.
As Wright took his seat, he looked around at the crowded room. Most of the people were farmers who had lost their land, debtors unable to pay, poachers, rapists, thieves, and bastards. Many had come here to escape punishment, like the nervous Janos Slynt standing in the back row. Once the former commander of the City Watch, he now wore a black robe like his fellow Night's Watch brothers, but he couldn't bring himself to meet Wright's gaze.
Only a few of the Night's Watch members came from noble or titled families. They were often sent here due to political defeats or to secure their family's inheritance, like Commander Jeor Mormont and Benjen Stark. The senior positions of the Night's Watch were elected by all the brothers, but there was an unwritten rule that only those nobles who volunteered to join the Watch could run for high-ranking military positions.
For example, Benjen Stark, the First Ranger, had come to the Watch to avoid disputes over family inheritance, as had Waymar Royce, and Commander Jeor Mormont had come to ensure his title would pass to his son.
Sitting between the three men, Wright handed Mormont a royal decree and a letter with new information. "Vampires have appeared in five places across the continent. Their numbers vary in size."
Mormont looked it over and passed it to Benjen. "We've received letters from King's Landing and believe in the existence of vampires. But we don't have any silver here. Fighting them with fire and torches could cause massive losses for the Night's Watch."
Wright scanned the hall. "The reason I'm here is because I've uncovered a conspiracy. Two vampires were captured in Tyrosh. Through interrogation, we learned that there are six vampires who crossed the Wall through secret means. The Riverlands, Stormlands, and the Reach are their main breeding grounds, while King's Landing is responsible for gathering intelligence. In the Riverlands, I happened to cross paths with them, which forced the other two regions to launch an attack on humans."
Benjen and Waymar handed the royal decree back to Wright. Benjen asked, "If what Lord Wright says is true, that these species of vampires called Coldharbour don't have a concept of a Tyranny of the Sun, and there are mages all over the Seven Kingdoms, what's the purpose of starting a war they know they'll lose?"
Waymar replied, "If I were the leader of these vampires, I'd hide in the woods and slowly build up their numbers. I bet they have another goal!"
"Ah!" At that moment, a loud gasp filled the hall as a two-meter-tall ice-bound vampire was conjured by Wright.
"They have great individual strength, but their bodies are vulnerable to silver and fire. Ordinary swords can't break their skin, which is as fragile as paper when exposed to those two substances."
Wright pointed at the ice-bound vampire. "But there's another major weakness in their race: knowledge. Through interrogation, we learned that all the vampires outside the Wall were turned from free folk. They can speak, but they don't understand writing, military strategy, manufacturing, or socializing. They only know basic tactics. It wasn't until some lower-ranking nobles became their servants that they started to form some kind of organization."
"Lord Wright, then you flew here from the Riverlands—are you saying that the vampires and the Others are trying to destroy the Wall?" Mormont asked, looking worried. If the Others were involved, it would be manageable with the large amount of obsidian that had been brought to defend the Wall. But if it were vampires, the Night's Watch would have to fight them with their lives.
Wright turned to look at Mormont and the others. "You deal with the free folk outside the Wall. Even if they're foolish, they won't make pointless sacrifices. The idea of the Tyranny of the Sun, or building descendants, seems irrelevant. The only thing that makes sense for them is destroying the Wall!"
Mormont replied, "Guarding the Wall is our lifelong duty, Lord Wright. How can we assist you?"
Wright asked, "How many castles along the Wall are manned?"
Mormont answered, "From west to east, there are Shadow Tower, Icehold, Castle Black, Grayguard, and Eastwatch-by-the-Sea. We inspect the unstaffed castles every six months."
Wright instructed, "Immediately send word to them to inspect all the castles. Check for any broken sections of the Wall, hidden passages, or strange things in the rooms!"
The task was quickly delegated, with Benjen leading a group of rangers eastward, Waymar taking a group westward, Mormont offering central support, and the remaining castles sending rangers to inspect nearby areas.
Outside Castle Black, the snowstorm was fierce, and although the dragon had landed, only its sound could be heard. Wright didn't linger here long, and Mormont escorted him to the castle gates.
"Have you thought about who will succeed you as Lord Commander?" Wright asked, looking at Mormont, whose hair was gone and whose white beard hung down to his chest, knowing his time was running out.
"Benjen is the most suitable successor," Mormont said, tightening his coat. "How is Jorah? I heard he was captured in Dorne."
Wright replied, "Old bear, you're out of the loop. That happened last year."
Mormont sighed, "The weather is getting colder. Half of the ravens sent out have frozen to death on the way. We can only send people to Eastwatch to gather intelligence. The news we get here is sporadic."
"Jorah is lucky. After being captured, he was saved by Nymeria. He later made many contributions, and after the war ended, he went to Tyrosh and gained quite a bit of weight." In such a bitterly cold place, even news about family had become scarce. The life of a Night's Watch member was indeed difficult, so Wright spoke a bit longer about Jorah's situation.
After hearing the story, Mormont asked, "Have my granddaughter and grandson found anyone to be betrothed to?"
"Let Jorah worry about that. With the current power and wealth of Bear Island, it shouldn't be difficult to find them a good match. I must go now."
A smile crept across Mormont's weathered face, deep lines appearing as he silently watched Wright disappear into the snowstorm.
Wright still had some memory of Eastwatch. He recalled from the TV series that the Night King had breached the Wall from there, so he set out to patrol eastward from Castle Black. When Robb arrived a few days later at Castle Black, Wright would head west to support Waymar and the others.
A few days later, near the easternmost Eastwatch, at Long Barrow, Wright received a report from the Rangers. Robb and Waymar had discovered something at Nightfort, and all nearby Rangers were rushing to assist. It took Wright an entire day to reach Nightfort.
Standing atop the dragon's head before it even landed, Wright already saw Nightfort burning, with Rangers standing nearby with their horses.
The dragon landed, and Robb had already rushed over. Wright jumped off the dragon and floated down to his side. "What happened? Were there any casualties?"
Robb walked and spoke. "No casualties. We accidentally set the castle on fire."
"Accidentally? I recall that Nightfort has been abandoned for almost two hundred years. How could it have so much flammable material inside?" Since Robb had sent the message, and there had been no casualties, Wright found it strange.
Nightfort was the first Night's Watch castle on the Wall and once the largest. As other castles were completed, the number of Rangers stationed here gradually dwindled, and it was completely abandoned two hundred years ago.
This castle was often mentioned in northern folk tales, but always in ghost stories. Stories about the Night King ruling here, marrying the female Others, using magic to enslave brothers, and Rat Cook were all part of the local lore. People rarely visited the place.
Wright moved quickly and soon reached the burning castle. The Rangers were gathered around. Only then did Robb slowly explain:
"When Waymar and I entered the castle, we found it covered in cobwebs. I used magic to detect any magical energy but found nothing except countless white little spiders. There were no prey in this icy land, so how could there be so many spiders? I immediately sent for reinforcements. We stomped on many of the spiders and used long swords to clear the webs. Yesterday evening, one of the Rangers, while clearing webs, accidentally touched a web hanging from the ceiling with his torch. In an instant, the whole interior of the castle caught fire."
"The webs are highly flammable. As long as no one was hurt, that's good. Did you manage to capture any live samples of the white spiders?" Wright asked, clearly interested in the spiders. They were unusual.
"I have one alive." Waymar went to his horse and brought over a leather pouch.
"Good. Just like your brother, you're very meticulous." Wright praised him.
Waymar Royce, slender with gray eyes, elegant demeanor, and fine clothes, clearly came from noble birth. His second brother was one of Renly's personal guards, Robar Royce.
Waymar smiled without replying. Everyone was now watching Wright holding the leather pouch. The spiders were poisonous, and the fact that they were white meant they were definitely not ordinary. After capturing one in the pouch, they were too afraid to open it.
Wright used a white mage's hand to gently take the spider out of the pouch. The spider was entirely snow-white, with a few black spots on its back. Its eight thin legs spread wide, roughly the size of a human hand. Its body was about the size of a thumb, with the most striking feature being its swollen abdomen.
Wright gently pressed its two fangs with his fingers, squeezing out a small drop of pale yellow liquid. He then dipped his fingers in the venom and ate it.
"Don't!" Some of the Rangers immediately shouted in protest.
"It's fine. Quiet down," Robb shouted. He knew very well that when it came to alchemy, Tyene ranked first on the continent. The reason Wright was lazy and picky about tasting all sorts of strange things was well-known.
Using his magical power, Wright carefully sensed the venom, his brows furrowing as he tasted the venom. "It seems to be quite delicious?" he muttered, though he was clearly uncomfortable.
"You mustn't try it! That half drop of venom could take five lives!" Wright spat out the venom, and as it mixed with his magical energy, it landed on the snow, emitting smoke and a sizzling sound.
Robb kicked snow over the venom to cover it. "Master, is there something wrong with these spiders?"
"They're just ordinary creatures, and they don't have magical power. But it's strange that there's nothing wrong with them!" Wright turned the spider in his hands, inspecting it carefully.
He gently pinched the spider's abdomen, rubbing around its spinneret. A fine silk thread began to float out from the spider's abdomen.
Wright wrapped the spider's web around his thumb and forefinger, subtly channeling magical energy. The magic flowed smoothly between his fingers. When he increased the magic output, the web immediately snapped in two.
Wright looked at the others. "Think carefully. What was the shape of the webs in the castle?"
Waymar thought for a moment. "The webs completely blocked the main entrance. We cut through them with our swords, and inside, the floors, the ceiling, and the walls were all covered in white webs."
Robb suddenly recalled something he'd learned in Tyrosh. "The webs had main strands as thick as arms, and there were branches splitting off from the main strands. Master Wright, do you think the spiders are using the webs to form a magic circle?"
"That's very likely! Spider webs aren't very resistant to fire and can be easily cut with a sharp blade. I just tested the webs' magical conductivity." Wright glanced at Robb's greatsword, which was strapped to his back. "The conductivity of these webs is even better than Valyrian steel, but they can't withstand the violent output of magic, nor can they convert magic directly into spells. They're too fragile for that. However, they're perfect for forming disposable magic circles!"
"Does anyone know the architecture of Nightfort?" Wright asked loudly, surveying the ruin. Some wooden structures had burned away, and with no support left, the ceilings had collapsed, making it hard to discern the original layout.
Everyone shook their heads. The oldest Ranger in the group was no more than forty, and the castle had been abandoned for two hundred years.
"Lord Wright, I've heard a legend," a weak-looking Ranger said quietly, his voice lacking confidence. "There's a secret door in Nightfort. It's as old as the Wall, and it can let people pass through the Wall."
"Where are you from?" Wright asked, eyeing him.
The weak Ranger replied, "Karhold, in the North."
Wright nodded at him. While they couldn't discern the layout of the castle from its current state, knowing that there was a secret passage was useful. Inside the Wall, there were magical wards that prevented the undead from passing through, but these white spiders were not magical creatures. Their intelligence would be low, but they could still inherit some instincts from their mother. If there were enough of them and enough time, they could easily construct a magic circle with their webs.
Since the spiders could pass through the secret passage in the Wall, there must be a large spider nest on the other side of the passage.
"Ha!" Wright stomped his foot into the snow, and ice began to spread outward from his foot. In just a few seconds, Nightfort was covered in a layer of ice crystals, and the fire was extinguished.
"Everyone, grab your weapons and come with me to search for the secret passage!" Wright shouted. He unsheathed his greatsword and led the way toward the castle ruins.
Having used the ice magic to enclose the castle, Wright could now sense the location of the secret passage through the magical link. It was located on the first floor of the castle, at the bottom of the well in the kitchen. Even if the entire castle burned down, the secret passage would remain intact.
(Tyranny of the Sun = The Tyranny of the Sun was an ancient prophecy written in the First Era by Arch-Curate Vyrthur of the Chantry of Auri-El. The prophecy foretold of a time when the sun would be blotted from the sky and the world plunged into eternal darkness)