Ghostrider0002

-Chapter 206-

Added 2024-11-12 19:54:14 +0000 UTC

-Chapter 206-

-POV Samwell Tarly-

"This has been going on for several moons; I’m really getting sick of it," said Jonothor, grumbling as he looked at the sea of soldiers below our walls, trying to besiege us.

I smiled softly and said, "Don’t be grumpy; we still have the advantage."

"You know perfectly well that we could destroy them easily in open battle. Instead, we’re forced to endure their constant attacks, day and night," he replied, looking exhausted and visibly ready to jump into the sea of Free Cities foot soldiers and mercenaries at the foot of our walls.

I shook my head and tapped his shoulder. "Put your helmet on and return to your position—they’re coming."

‘As usual, they send the Free Cities infantry first, followed by experienced mercenary units on the flanks to try to break through our defenses,’ I thought, unimpressed by the command of the coalition army made up of Lorath, Norvos, Qohor, Braavos, Volantis, Volon Therys, Myr, Lys, and Tyrosh.

‘They really have no idea what we’re capable of,’ I thought, watching the elephants carrying prototype scorpions scattered among the ranks of the attackers.

‘If Aegon really wanted to strike a devastating blow, he’d only need to hide in the clouds and swoop down on this oversized, leaderless army to destroy it in a single afternoon,’ I thought.

Despite my musings, I held no illusions, knowing that this battle alone wouldn’t change the course of this war, which now reached even Dragon’s Bay.

‘As long as we hold Pentos, their armies will stay pinned down. But to truly make a move, the situation at sea has to change.’

"ARCHERS, NOTCH!" yelled Florian as I raised my fist at the wave of soldiers charging toward us, shields raised to protect themselves as best they could.

I lowered my fist, wondering where Aegon would strike and how he’d turn the tide, because I knew him—he would end up finding a devastating flaw in his opponent’s plan.

"DRAW YOUR BOWS!" Florian yelled again, this time to give the next order.

Seeing that the infantry had finally reached our archers’ firing range, I suddenly dropped my arm, and instantly Florian shouted, "LOOSE!"

SWIIIIIIIISH

A rain of arrows immediately fell on the army below, now trying to set up ladders against our walls.

‘The soldiers of the 10th Legion are in top form,’ I thought, watching how all my legionaries’ movements were perfectly synchronized.

SWIIIIIIIISH

"NOTCH… DRAW… LOOSE!" Florian shouted, giving the archers a steady rhythm.

SWIIIIIIIISH

‘They don’t even need Florian’s orders anymore. With their training, they know exactly how and when to shoot.’

SWIIIIIIIISH

‘All those years of intense training are finally paying off,’ I thought, remembering the initial complaints among my subordinates when Aegon had reclassified the less disciplined, regardless of their service record in the Legion.

SWIIIIIIIISH

‘Grumbling that faded over time, but this experience serves as a far better lesson than any speech ever could,’ I thought, because despite our enemy’s numerical advantage, neither the commanders nor the legionaries feared facing them, as the difference in tactics and troop quality was glaringly obvious.

"LADDERS!" Florian shouted as he saw several ladders placed against the wall.

‘Unlike traditional ladders, Qohorii ladders have small mechanisms that latch onto the top of the walls, making them difficult to remove. By the time we unlock the clamps, they’re already up,’ I thought, watching a mercenary who seemed well-trained for this kind of rapid assault.

I gripped my war hammer tightly and struck with all my might, smashing the jaw of the man who had just placed his hand on the city walls.

"DON’T LET A SINGLE ONE OF THESE DOGS SERVING THOSE PIGS FROM BRAAVOS AND VOLANTIS SET FOOT ON OUR WALLS!"

"YES, COMMANDER!" shouted the infantrymen stationed on the walls, advancing to shield the archers who continued their relentless barrage of arrows.

‘It’s going to be another hellish day,’ I thought, lowering the visor of my boar helmet, determined to hold Pentos as long as necessary.

‘Not a single one of them will set foot on this wall,’ I promised myself, looking out over the sea of soldiers, numbering over 300,000 men.

---

-POV Viserys Targaryen-

“It’s today,” said Aegon, stroking Rhaegal, the dragon he had named after his late father.

‘My late brother,’ I thought, desperately trying to remember his face.

I sighed, forcefully pushing away the distracting thoughts that were flooding my mind, and then said,:

“So, it’s our turn to enter the Dance.”

“Hmm,” Aegon replied, looking at me, hesitant.

“You’ve never been one to mince words, so go ahead, tell me what’s on your mind. You’re acting strange.”

“I keep having this dream,” Aegon said, looking a bit uncomfortable to be speaking about it.

‘He doesn’t confide in many people,’ I thought.

‘To be fair, I was quite similar in that regard, because for us to lean on someone and confide in them, they had to be of a similar status and someone we could trust,’ I reflected.

“What kind of dream?” I asked more out of curiosity, as I truly doubted he’d tell me.

But to my surprise, he replied seriously, “The kind where Rhaegal dies.”

I frowned and asked, “How does it happen?”

‘Could he be having dragon dreams like our ancestors?’ I wondered secretly.

Aegon shrugged, then said, “I don’t know. All I remember when I wake up is a searing pain, Rhaegal’s agonizing cry, and then I’m falling from the sky as the warmth leaves me and…”

“And then what?” I pressed, eager to know what might kill him in his dream.

‘And what might potentially happen in real life,’ I thought, anxious to find a way to prevent it.

‘I can’t die now. Ysilla and Rhaella will still need me in the years to come,’ I thought, listening to Aegon.

“And then I wake up,” he said simply.

I frowned, sensing that he wasn’t telling me everything.

“It sounds more like it’s you who’s dying in that dream,” I said, as I didn’t see the connection between his dream, his “death,” and Rhaegal in all this.

‘He might be afraid of going to war; despite all his powers, the fear of losing everything can shake anyone,’ I thought.

Aegon shook his head and said, “That’s the strange part. I know it’s not me who dies; I’m sure of it. It’s Rhaegal, because I feel the same sensation as when I’m looking through his eyes.”

“You told me it was common for a warg to dream through the eyes of their animals, and if I recall, you even bragged about having cousins who share that same potential in this branch of magic,” I said lightly, remembering that he’d even considered training his young cousin/sister to become his future master of whispers by helping her harness her gift.

“You don’t understand, Viserys,” Aegon said, slightly annoyed, before adding, “Wargs can’t see things that aren’t happening; they only see the present.”

“So, what? You think you’ve seen your dragon’s future? You think you saw him die? Are you mixing dragon dreams with warg dreams?” I asked him.

Aegon shook his head and said, “I don’t know what I saw, that’s the problem. I don’t even know if Rhaegal was really dead.”

I looked at Aegon, usually so confident, with his gaze lost in thought, before he turned to me and added, “All I know is, if what I saw in my dream is the future, then I need to prepare for that possibility.”

‘Surely he’s not talking about his own death,’ I thought, realizing that what was troubling him wasn’t the death of his dragon but his own possible downfall.

“You’re joking, right? No one can take down our dragons, let alone you,” I said, trying to bring him back to reality. We couldn’t go into a war against the rest of the world with a leader lost in dreams and prophecies.

‘This already killed his father; there’s no way I’ll let it kill him too, or else the vultures will flock and try to wipe us out for good,’ I thought.

I wasn’t blind to Aegon’s strength and charisma, and I knew that if he faltered before the next generation of dragon riders was old enough to fight, we’d be plunged into chaos that could well spell the end of House Targaryen.

“No one alive,” said Aegon, clearly implying that the dead could defeat him.

‘Which I refuse to believe. No one has ever been as powerful as Aegon, and they were still defeated in the past,’ I thought.

“Aegon, you’re completely losing it,” I said in a firm tone, trying to bring him to his senses.

Aegon’s gaze, previously lost, suddenly became more resolute, and he said:

“Viserys, I don’t care what you think about my visions. What I want to know is if you want my crown, yes or no.”

‘He’s lost his mind,’ I thought, barely recognizing him. Then, squinting, I wondered if this was a twisted test to gauge my loyalty.

“Of course not,” I replied almost instantly.

Aegon stayed silent for a few moments, his gaze fixed on mine, searching for the slightest hint of doubt, before finally sighing and saying:

“Then, if I die, remember this moment and the promise you’re going to make to me now.”

I frowned and asked, “What promise?”

“This one,” he said, drawing his Valyrian steel dagger and slicing his palm.

He began chanting in a language I didn’t understand, then switched to High Valyrian:

“Nyke Aegon ēdrus hen vēzos zaldrīzoti vestri ondoso rhaenagor hen ondoso jelmyr ēngos iā Viserys Targārio udrir dārys se sikagon tolī ñuhys vaores ēza iksan.”

I struggled to understand everything, as I didn’t usually speak High Valyrian with my servants.

‘It’s a noble language that I only use with Valyrian nobles or family members,’ I thought.

But I finally understood that Aegon was invoking mystical forces to, in some way, grant me power.

(I, Aegon, invoke the remaining forces of the Fourteen Flames of Valyria to grant Viserys Targaryen the strength to vanquish all his enemies in exchange for sacrificing part of my life’s flame.)

‘So, it was a test after all,’ I thought, relieved to have passed but even more so to see him stop creating anxieties in me.

‘As if anything could actually kill him?’ I thought, feeling a bit foolish for believing him.

Aegon handed me the dagger and then said:

“Cut your palm as well, then repeat after me.”

I cut my palm deep enough, and he said:

“I, Viserys Targaryen, Prince of Riverrun.”

“I hereby renounce my right to the throne forever.”

“And I make a blood oath never to bear arms against the descendants of Emperor Aegon Targaryen and to protect them from any dangers that threaten them. I make this vow, and this vow will be passed down to all my descendants.”

“I swear it in the names of the Seven New Gods, the Old Gods of nature, and the Fourteen Flames of Valyria.”

I hesitated but finally repeated everything he had said. Then he extended his hand, which I grasped, only to feel a burning pain shoot from my palm, searing up my arm and spreading throughout my body, making me scream.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”