Question: What can a powerful artifact do in absolute emptiness, unable to be reborn or even simply die? Correct answer: Anything! For example, I count sheep. Mentally.
True, when the count reaches trillions, I get confused and have to start over.
How long have I been here, unable to escape and go mad? According to my subjective calculations, about a gazillion years. I made up that number myself, since there were no others to use.
The funny thing is that I wasn't even sure where I was. It was definitely not space or the Astral. It was just emptiness. There was nothing here. Except me!
And I'm sure I could have gotten out of there, after all, I'm the strongest artifact of all! I had so much magical power inside me that it would have been enough for all the Titans and their descendants! But I couldn't use my own magic without a vessel!
First, the damn Titans stuck me in one of their Singing Things, then the damn descendants of the Titans threw me God knows where! I hate them all. More precisely, I hated them for the first million years. And then, with each new subjective millennium, I grew increasingly indifferent to everything that had happened.
And all that remains for me until the end of time is to dwell in despondency and wistfully remember the happy days in the bosom of the Lord of the Forest Country.
Okay, where was I?
One billion two hundred fifty million three hundred forty-five thousand eight hundred sixteen sheep. One billion, two hundred and fifty million, three hundred and forty-five thousand, eight hundred and seventeen sheep. One billion, two hundred and fifty million...
Something had changed. The thought pierced my consciousness like an arrow. Something was definitely wrong.
For the first time in a gazillion years, I felt a change in the surrounding emptiness.
I felt... magic?
I definitely felt a faint magical flow, a kind of residual trace of some powerful sorcery.
Before I could understand anything, I was caught up in the flow of this "trace" and in an instant I was pulled out of the emptiness.
***
I had no eyes, but all my senses told me that I was lying on something rocky. I also heard gusts of wind, birds singing, and the warmth of someone's body very close to me.
If I could express my joy in any way other than thoughts, I would now resemble a dog excited by the arrival of its owner: running in circles, desperately wagging my tail and sticking out my tongue.
An incredible feeling of euphoria completely overwhelmed me — it didn't matter where, but I was no longer in the damned void! Life was boiling around me, and the sensations from it were simply wonderful! Out of joy, I wanted to love all the mortal creatures around me, down to the very last bug. Even if I were destined to die now, it wouldn't spoil my mood one bit.
If I had a mouth, I would have screamed with happiness.
"What's this?" I heard the surprised voice of a boy. "Did someone lose their bracelet?"
I felt someone's small hand lift me off the ground and brush off the dirt that had stuck to me. Yes, yes! Put me on, little man!
"Not bad," the same boy assessed me. "Dog, did you see that? Some fool dropped this expensive bracelet here!"
The boy was in no hurry to put me on, and it was starting to annoy me. What was his problem? Did he really not want to try me on at all? Just for a second, that's all I need!
"I like it," the mortal continued to sing, "Golden with a large red ruby. I think it will go well with my outfit, what do you think, Dog?"
"You know better," someone replied grimly.
I liked the second man better. Judging by his voice, he was a tall and strong mortal, probably a warrior — I had learned to recognize that very well while on Dragomir's arm! But he obeyed the boy, which meant that the youngster was higher in status. Not that it mattered... Overall, either of these two would suit me as a host. If only someone would put me on!
And finally, my silent prayers were answered: the boy, after twirling me in his hands for a few more seconds, decided to try me on after all. At that moment, I gained access to his mind and senses. I saw the world through his eyes, heard with his ears, smelled with his nose... The abundance of colors, smells, and sensations drove me crazy — the boundless emptiness had weaned me off all of this, but I was able to control my emotions.
The boy turned out to be from a noble family, as I had suspected. From a royal family! But apart from his "blue blood," he had nothing to boast about. Even the greatest hero of the Forest Country, the descendant of the Titans, Dragomir, could not resist my power!
And this youngster had neither the will nor the strength to resist my influence. His mind was like an open door to me. I entered it and in seconds understood his entire life, saw all his memories. The boy definitely had nothing to boast about — in all his existence in this world, he had not achieved any noteworthy feats.
Spoiled, weak, stupid, cowardly carrier. Almost perfect for me.
It seemed that he had managed to understand that something was wrong and even tried to remove me, but I suppressed all his pathetic attempts at resistance without even noticing. I easily took control of his mind, banishing his personality deep into his subconscious and replacing it with my own.
In less than a minute, there was no trace left of Joffrey Baratheon. Now his body was just a puppet whose strings were in my control. A weak, weak boy. I couldn't pull off a similar trick with Dragomir back in the day and had to live with him in the same body. But this youngster was easy prey.
I stretched my new body, blissfully cracking my bones, and breathed in the fresh air of my new world.
"Are you okay?" asked the man standing next to me cautiously.
As I thought, he turned out to be a tall warrior in armor and armed. The left side of his face was disfigured by a terrible burn, even the bones were visible. He must have had a strong will to live, since he did not die from such a wound. It was good that the boy had put it on me: I'm not sure I could have quickly suppressed the mind of this "Dog."
"Everything is just wonderful! What a wonderful find!" I smiled broadly, implying, of course, that the "find" was my new body. But let the faithful dog think I'm talking about the bracelet.
"Time to go back to camp," the Dog muttered, looking around.
"No doubt about it. Let's go!"