Chapter 705: The Oily Black Stone
"Really?"
Upon hearing Lyanna's words, Benjen Stark couldn't help but lower his gaze to the unremarkable black stone necklace in his hand.
"But I can't see anything special."
To Benjen, it seemed like an ordinary stone necklace, except its surface was slightly oily, as if it could absorb light.
He tried adjusting the angle. The Northern Lights were dazzling in the sky above, but any light that shone on the stone was absorbed completely.
The stone, having absorbed the light, seemed to become even purer and darker, as if staring directly into an abyss. As Benjen looked closely at the small black stone, he felt an uncomfortable dizziness.
Logically, his body was already a corpse; he was dead, only able to move. He shouldn't have been able to feel cold or heat. Yet, when he looked at this small black stone, he felt nauseous.
This discomfort seemed to directly affect Benjen's soul, making him feel uneasy even in his undead state.
"This feeling... it's so familiar."
Benjen, fighting the dizziness and nausea, quickly moved the stone away from his eyes.
He then took deep breaths, kneeling on one knee, as if his very soul had been drained.
"Don't stare at the stone for too long, Benjen."
"Because it will devour even your gaze."
Lyanna's voice rang out.
She hadn't stopped Benjen earlier, letting her younger brother learn the hard way, as she had experienced the same thing before. But she knew it wasn't dangerous.
"I remember this feeling now!"
"Lyanna!"
"I've seen it!"
Benjen, kneeling on the ground, gasping for breath as if his lungs were a broken bellows, clutched the black stone necklace and spoke.
"Hmm?"
Lyanna was taken aback. She hadn't expected Benjen to have encountered such a mysterious and terrifying object.
"Yes, I remember."
"I've seen it!"
Benjen recalled the familiar sensation. Not long ago, he had followed a White Walker north and arrived at an icy altar.
The White Walker seemed to be transporting something important. It dismounted and approached the icy altar step by step.
Benjen had wanted to stop it, instinctively feeling that the White Walker was up to something crucial. Anything important to the White Walkers would surely be detrimental to humans.
Unfortunately, Benjen hadn't been fully resolved at the time. He watched as the White Walker placed a much larger black stone on the icy altar than the one he now held.
The stone on the altar then ignited with a blue flame. As Benjen watched, he felt the world spin and lost consciousness, becoming a mindless wight until they moved away from the flames.
"Is that so?"
Lyanna, hearing her brother's experience, appeared thoughtful.
She hadn't been near the altar at the time and hadn't witnessed the event. But as a 'high-ranking spy' among the White Walkers, her understanding of the black stone was more profound.
"This oily black stone is different from the dry black stone used by the Valyrian Dragonlords in their constructions. Those stones were forged with fire and magic."
There are several black stone structures on the continent of Westeros. Dragonstone Castle is made of black stone, as is the base of the Hightower in Oldtown.
Although they look similar to the black stone necklace Rhaegar gave to Lyanna, they are not the same material.
"I don't know its exact purpose, and I don't know if it's found elsewhere in the world."
"But there's no doubt that it's essential to the Night King."
Lyanna spoke thoughtfully, then asked,
"Benjen, do you know why we suddenly attacked the Iron Islands?"
"Hmm?"
Benjen was slightly taken aback, then nodded. He had heard about the event while imprisoned in the dungeons of Winterfell.
The White Walkers had bypassed the main battlefield at the Neck and ambushed the Iron Islands, appearing behind the allied forces and nearly annihilating them.
If it weren't for the King riding a dragon and repelling the Night King in battle, the Long Night might have engulfed Westeros, extinguishing all hope.
"Was it to flank and ambush the allied forces from behind?"
Benjen Stark replied, but Lyanna shook her head, refuting his answer.
"No, he didn't care about the human alliance."
"He just wanted us to find something on the Iron Islands."
Benjen was taken aback. What could be so important to the Night King?
His gaze fell on the black stone necklace, and he wondered if it was the stone...
"It's this oily black stone."
Lyanna didn't keep him in suspense and spoke directly.
"He wanted us to find this stone that can absorb all light. He seemed to sense that such a stone was on the Iron Islands."
"And after we landed on Pyke, we found this oily black stone in the castle of House Greyjoy."
"It's what the Ironborn call... the Seastone Chair."
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