Stannon took a deep breath, steadying his thoughts. If Melisandre was truly alone, then she was either waiting for him—or she wanted him to believe she was alone.
He closed his eyes for a moment, focusing on his ability again. His mind merged with Ghostwing once more, and the raven soared higher into the sky. Stannon carefully scanned the land below through the bird's sharp vision. He looked for any sign of movement—hidden figures, glints of armor, or tracks in the dirt. But there was nothing. No men hiding in the trees, no horses, no torches.
Only Melisandre.
She stood still at the edge of the shore, her red robes barely shifting in the wind. The only thing that seemed alive was the ruby at her throat, glowing faintly, pulsing as if it had a heartbeat of its own.
Stannon let out a slow breath as his mind returned to his body.
Why is she here?
Melisandre was known for following those she believed were chosen by prophecy—the prince who was promised, Azor Ahai reborn. In the show, at first, she had served Stannis Baratheon, believing he was the one destined to save the world.
But maybe due to the presence of Stannon in this world everything changed.
'Could she think that I am the one from her prophecy?' Stannon questioned himself.
It was the only explanation that made sense. And it wasn't surprising that she knew where to find him—she had the gift of seeing through fire, visions of the future.
The ship moved closer to shore, its sails full as the land became clearer. Stannon looked at the Velaryon sailors and saw their unease. The sight of the Red Woman had unsettled them. His subordinates too whispered among themselves, and stood ready, their hands near their weapons.
"She's not an enemy," Stannon said firmly.
The men obeyed, but their tension remained. The ship slowed as it neared the shore. The anchor was dropped, and the hull scraped softly against the sand and rock. The gangplank was lowered.
Stannon stepped forward, his boots landing on solid ground. The moment he did, Melisandre bowed her head in greeting, her face calm and unreadable.
"Prince Stannon of House Baratheon, future King of Westeros, I offer you my greetings."
Stannon studied her for a moment, looking for any sign of deception. Melisandre had always been a mystery, a woman wrapped in shadows, fire, and prophecy.
But she was here alone.
He turned slightly, glancing at his men. "Stay with the ship. Hide it from prying eyes." His voice was firm, leaving no room for argument.
They hesitated but nodded.
Then, he turned back to Melisandre. "Walk with me."
She did not question him, simply falling into step beside him as they walked away from the shore, putting distance between them and the others.
The only sound was the waves crashing against the rocks in the distance. They walked in silence for a while until Stannon finally spoke, his voice calm but edged with suspicion.
"Why have you come for me, Melisandre? The Red Priestess of R'hllor doesn't appear without a reason. Is there something you want from me?"
Melisandre watched Stannon closely, her red eyes reflecting the light of the setting sun. "Your network of spies is impressive, my prince," she said with a small smile.
Stannon smiled but said nothing. If she truly knew how much he knew about her, she might faint.
For a moment, he turned to look at the sea, letting his thoughts wander.
What would happen if Melisandre was riding a man in bed and that mysterious necklace of hers fell off? The thought amused him. One second, she would be a beautiful woman wrapped in red, and the next, a brutally old woman. He imagined the dude's horror—unless, of course, he had his eyes shut. The idea almost made him laugh, but before he could dwell on it, Melisandre's voice brought him back to reality.
"My lord, I came here urgently because of the visions I received," she said, her tone serious. "The Lord of Light has shown me that your life is in danger. One of your own men will betray you."
Stannon's smile disappeared. His posture straightened, and his expression turned serious. He too had just been thinking about it.
He raised an eyebrow. "Explain everything in detail."
Melisandre seemed relieved that she didn't have to convince him that the vision was real. She took a deep breath before speaking again.
"I saw you and your men traveling through the forests of Crackclaw Point," she said. "The trees were thick, and the ground was rough. Your men were cautious, their weapons ready. And then… it happened."
She paused, her face troubled as if she were seeing the vision again.
"There was an ambush," she continued. "Around fifty men attacked. They were well-hidden, using the trees and shadows to their advantage. Your men fought back, but they were caught off guard."
Stannon had no changes in his expressions as he listened to her seriously.
Melisandre's voice dropped lower. "In the middle of the battle, an archer took aim at you. I saw the arrow flying toward your heart. But as you dodged it, one of your own men turned against you."
She hesitated, frustration showing in her eyes. "I could not see his face," she admitted. "The vision ended when he was about to strike you with his sword."
Stannon let out a slow breath.
"How certain are you that this will happen?" he asked.
Melisandre's red eyes glowed faintly in the fading light. "The Lord of Light does not lie. The vision was clear—the betrayal will take place in Crackclaw Point. But I do not know when. It could be now, or days or weeks from now, but it will happen."
Silence stretched between them, broken only by the sound of the waves crashing against the shore.
Stannon crossed his arms, his expression unreadable. "If what you say is true, then I need to act before my enemy does."
Melisandre nodded. "That is why I came to warn you. You still have time to stop it."
Stannon asked,"Did you see anything notable about this traitor?"
Melisandre thought for a moment before replying,"I did see one thing clearly—his sword."
Stannon's eyes narrowed. "Describe it."
She closed her eyes for a moment, recalling the vision. "It was a longsword. Well-made but not decorated. The hilt was wrapped in dark brown leather."
Stannon's mind raced. Three of his subordinates used the exact same longsword as Melisandre had mentioned. So the traitor could be any one of them.
"I'll have to watch my back closely," he murmured.
Melisandre nodded. "Trust is fragile, my prince. Even among those who swear loyalty to you."
Stannon turned away, staring at the horizon. The salty wind brushed against his face, but underneath it, he could almost smell the danger ahead.
"Then I'll prepare," he said at last.
Melisandre tilted her head slightly, her red eyes focused on Stannon. The setting sun made her ruby glow even brighter.
"My prince," she said carefully, "would it not be wiser to leave this place? Why put yourself in danger when you know betrayal is coming? The forest of Crackclaw Point is dangerous, and if you already know it's a trap, why walk into it?"
Stannon met her gaze without hesitation. His face was calm, but his voice was firm.
"My lady, I am not a coward who runs away," he said. "Now that I know about the betrayal, this is the best chance to deal with the traitor before he can strike."
Melisandre sighed softly, but there was a hint of approval in her eyes. "You are brave, my prince," she murmured. "But bravery alone is not enough to win."
Stannon smirked. "No, but being prepared is. I won't walk blindly into their trap. I'll let them believe I don't know. And when the time comes, they'll realize too late that I was ready all along."
Melisandre's face showed a brief moment of uncertainty, but she quickly hid it. She knew she couldn't influence Stannon's choices—at least not yet. They weren't close enough for him to fully trust her, and if she pushed too hard now, he might turn away. All she could do was hope he understood the risks ahead and trust that the Lord of Light would guide him.
Stannon's voice pulled her from her thoughts. "What do you want from me, my lady?"
Melisandre turned to him, her red eyes unreadable. She didn't answer right away, letting the question hang in the air like an unspoken prophecy. After a pause, she finally spoke.
"I wish to serve you, my prince. And to warn you of the dangers ahead."
Stannon didn't look convinced. His sharp gaze studied her, searching for hidden motives. "And why do you wish to serve me?" he asked. "What do you get out of this?"
Melisandre met his stare, sensing something strange in the air between them. There was a pull, almost as if something was pushing her to reveal more than she planned. It unsettled her. Stannon was different from others she had guided before. He had a way of seeing through deception, making lies feel too heavy to carry.
For a moment, she almost told him everything—her real goal, the sacrifices that would come, the will of the fire. But at the last second, she stopped herself.
A slow, knowing smile appeared on her lips. "Because I have seen your destiny in the flames," she finally said, her voice smooth and mysterious.
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Hey everyone!
Earlier, I asked for your votes and suggestions regarding the abilities the MC should have in my new Marvel fanfiction. Now, I've come up with two more ability ideas that I think fit the plot perfectly.
Don't worry — I won't abandon the previous options. I might use them in other fanfictions later. For now, please help me choose between these two. Let me know which one sounds more fun, interesting, and better suited for the story. I'd also love to hear your thoughts and opinions on them!
Option 1: Alucard Template with a System
•The MC gets Alucard's powers as a template, starting from Stage 0 (0%) and progressing to Stage 6 (100%).
•The MC can increase their integration with the template by training or by using something called Interference Points.
•Interference Points are earned when the MC changes or interferes with the original MCU storyline.
These points can be used to:
°Upgrade the Alucard template to higher stages.
°Improve Alucard's abilities or remove their weaknesses.
°Even go beyond Stage 6, evolving the MC into a being stronger than peak Alucard (who was already a conceptual-level entity).
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Option 2: Supernatural Downloader Ability
•Inspired by the Supernatural Downloader fanfic.
•The MC can download skills and abilities from others by a physical touch and there is a download range out of which the download would stop. (Not decided the range yet).
•The download speed starts at 10 KB/sec. Also download speed can increase with each download so you don't have to worry much about the speed being too slow
•Only three abilities can be downloaded at the same time.
•The starting storage space is 5 GB, and it can grow as the MC levels up their downloaded skills or abilities. (Not so sure about this one).
Thanks a lot!
Please vote for the option you like better and feel free to share any suggestions or thoughts you have!
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