One Positive Change at a Time (ASOIAF: Viserys SI) Dead.

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 31: Reaching For These Lies
Garlan Tyrell
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Father claps me on the back as soon as we catch sight of Fair Isle and lets out a snickering laugh. The waiting fleet is larger than I had expected though, making relief settle in my bones. The feeling doesn't last for more than a few moments and I take a closer look at the ships that are definitely not flying Westerland sails.

"I suppose it's time to fill you in on your grandmother's plan." His smirk makes my stomach sink as I finish counting the Ironborn ships encircling Fair Isle. Sixty of Quellon's new long-cogs create the base of the fleet surrounding the now visibly smoking island. With at least a hundred of the more standard long ships creating a fleet nearly equal in mass to our own.

"You and Willas really made us look like traitors to the true King of the Seven Kingdons." What are you even talking about? "It took Mother years to convince them it was all an accident. But you can make it up to us by subduing Lord Jaime… I was quite impressed watching you dismantle him in the training yard back at Casterly Rock."

Are you really as dense as Grandmother constantly mocks? "He was teaching me a better way to riposte. He's still years beyond me beating him fairly."

With a cocky grin on his face, my father just laughs. "I guess we aren't going to be fighting fair. The Lannistter men will be quite surprised when we hand them over to the Ironborn." And I think you'll be quite surprised at how hard they're going to be fighting back once this betrayal is made clear.

We barely have a few thousand more soldiers and the Westerland forces have a very good chance of taking over the Redwynne fleet. Rolling his eyes at my defiant tone, Father let's me know exactly how far my regent's reach really is.

"I know you're still angry about Viserys but he wasn't supposed to be in any danger." The lie sounds obvious with my knowledge of how many days Father spent cursing my friend for Willas' leg.

"He was supposed to be rescued by our allies at Summerhall but Viserys fought back, unaware he was really slaying those sworn to his family." Viserys doesn't really take the time to get a second opinion… he does kind of just charge in headfirst. "In his memory, we need to prove our families loyalty to King Aegon."

"What are we going to do with Lord Jaime and those who wont surrender?"

As his lips pucker in distaste, Father considers the question carefully. "He'll be held in your tower's dungeon until the war is over and given the choice between death and the Wall. He already gave Lynesse and heir and now that her spare is on the way… the Hightowers see no reason to keep him around."

"What?" Father sighs heavily at my incredulity and tuts his tongue.

"Mother said you only cared about your lance and sword but even I would have noticed something going on under my nose after all these years." He snorts at my red face and teases me playfully despite the awkward timing. "Maybe I should leave Margaery with you two for a few years. She can help your grandmother put some knowledge in that thick head of yours."

He notices my eyes widen in shock and snorts. "Don't let all of Mother's mockery ruin your idea of me. I was quite the good looking tourney fighter in my day, swooned over by many maidens in the Reach and beyond."

The clanging of steel and yells of battle start to filter into my ears from the surrounding ships. "Well it seems we've lost the element of surprise. You better go help Lord Tarly deal with Jaime and Tygett, we may lose the flagship otherwise." He draws his own sword shocking me.

"Have you even used one of those since my birth?" What I wanted to be a silent thought ends up becoming a blurted comment.

Father thankfully isn't offended and reinforces why we need Lord Jaime in chains. "Jaime Lannister is the one who convinced Viserys to give up his families dynasty and marry his niece off to such a deformed beast as Tyrion. It was he alone who whispered in Viserys' ear and had him surrender himself to the rebels."

… That actually makes a lot of sense. My frown softens as his words convince me of Viserys not having all the facts when he was made to give up his crown.

"If Viserys hadn't been so stubborn, Lord Tywin would have been able to lock down the city and marry Viserys off to Cersei." His explanation continues even as I'm forced to swiftly cut down a charging Lannister. "We can't make things right for your friend but his family can be restored."

The Baratheons and Lannisters stole everything from the Targaryens and all Viserys wanted was for his family to live. "I hope you aren't opposed to a marriage of your own, we do need to secure ourselves after all. I've gotten you the hand of Balon Greyjoy's only daughter so our shores will be safe from any future reaving."

"Careful," Warns one of Lord Tarly's men when we reach the group. "They've got the captain's cabin secured and we've already lost four men trying to force our way in."

Father seems stumped and Randall is going to keep wasting lives until he's inside, which makes me bellow my own command. "Dump out a few of the water barrels and start a fire inside each one! We can prop each one against the open windows and fill the room with smoke." The wet wood should give us enough time to prevent a fire from spreading.

Men rush to obey and soon we can hear choking coughs from inside the cabin. "Ready yourselves, they can't take much more of this!" I share a nod with Lord Tarly and raise my long sword to a guard position.

"Take the ship!" Lord Jaime roars in defiance as the door is kicked open, sending a dozen of his men charging out onto the deck. "We need to warn the mainland!"

"This is all you're fault!" Randall swings his two-handed sword with both ferocity and far more grace than I had believed him capable of only moments ago. "You handed King Viserys right to the rebels!"

No matter how good he is, Lord Jaime is just that much better. In the time it takes me to carve through three men in red, the Lord of Hornhill roars in agony as his left shoulder is skewered.

"I was the only one willing to keep him safe from the Mad King." Growls the panting Lannister. "You sat outside a castle and let the Baratheons take the Kingdom!"

Before the Reach's best military commander can have his head removed, he sees my approach. Narrowing his eyes at Jaime as the sword is pulled free, Randall makes sure to keep the swordsman in golden plate distracted.

"I was the only one to win a battle, shame is not something I have reason to feel." He spits in Jaime's face, enraging the golden haired warrior enough to end things.

He raises his longsword up to remove the best military commander in the Reach's head and I am finally close enough to act. My blade flicks down even faster than Jaime's and sends it rolling across the deck with his right hand.

None of us react for half a second but when the pain registers, Jaime starts to scream in horror and flail his bloody stump. Warm crimson splashes across my face and I don't even notice in the haze of my shocking win. The din of clashing steel starts to die down and I don't even notice when the Lannister men have finally all be killed or clapped in chains.


…

​

Robb Stark
​

"If the savages aren't going to attack fortified structures and only flee from any kind of organized force, we need to slip armed men into the villages being pillaged." Domeric's father exchanges heated words with the other lords during my own father's war council.

A dozen of his most trusted lords sit beside mother and the at the head table, while the lesser lords and Mormont women take up two whole table to themselves. The wives and children occupy my own table and I try not to roll my eyes at Domeric over the bickering between Edith and Sansa.

I know this is important, I'm just frustrated at having to be on my best behavior for the third straight week. My best friend always turns into a boring stick in the mud when his Lord Father visits, but this time it's not even a social call.

Why do Domeric and I have to listen to all this talking, we aren't going to come on any of your raids. Why can't we take the Alys Karstark and the Manderly sisters exploring, instead of all this boring talking that goes nowhere? Domeric says girls can be fun and as long as I don't squeal, he might even tell me how.

Wildlings are swarming across the entirety of the North in bands ranging between half a dozen men, all the way up to a few that seem closer in number to a hundred. It's forced those who live more secluded lives to cluster in overfilled villages, leaving far to much of our food stores free to raiding.

"Victarion hasn't made a move since he ferried these ones around the Wall," Father reminds the grim faced Bolton of the real threat. "He can keep bringing more wildlings into our lands until we deal with Skagos. I don't want the wildlings to have enough men to start thinking of taking a keep."

"You want the Squid to pay and I'm all for that kind of plan," Bellows the Great Jon Umber, his voice cutting through the rising clamor of over a dozen arguing men. "But not if my lands are going to be burning for years. The wildlings are stealing what food and supplies they can and setting flame to anything else."

"Don't forget all the horses they've been taking. I'm starting to think they don't even like women beyond the Wall, no matter what my father claims." Adds Lord Jorah Mormont, getting cackles of laughter from all across the head table.

The smallest one of them all speaks in between voices and somehow everyone listens to Lord Howland Reed. "Let Lords Bolton, Umber, and I handle the defense against the wildling's hit and run tactics. While you Lord Stark end this false King of Skagos' reign."

All this talking in circles just makes my head hurt but I do my best to pay attention to everything said. Mother told me this was important and I won't disappoint her by missing one of the lords being sneaky.

"All this does is give the King beyond the Wall to grow his own forces!" Lord Hornwood roars with red cheeks that Mother says come from drinking too much. "His offer to subdue these 'traitors' working with Victarion, is nothing but lies to get the rest of his army below the wall in a single move!"

Father said this Mance Rayder only asked for the isles of Skagos and his army of fifty thousand would ally with our own. I don't know why everyone is ignoring such an offer.

Why don't we let Mance attack Skagos himself? It'll whittle his men down enough that trouble will be a few decades off at least. Adults just make everything so complicated. We have two enemies and someone who might be. All we need to do is make the maybes fight one of our for sure foes… and it's probably better if we have the fight strangers off the northern mainland.

​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 32: Sea Lion's Wrath
Tyrion Lannister
​

As the last of Urrigen Greyjoy's fleet sinks off of Bloodstone, I give the signal for Lord Clegane's third wave of men to go ashore. I know exactly why Father has kept him in our families service and I'm only ashamed of myself for setting him loose.

Prince Stannis and the Dornish forces should have smashed the so called 'Prince of the Narrow Sea's' meager collection of boats he calls a fleet. Once they take Grey Gallows and my own soldiers finish claiming this island, the Stepstones will have been taken with only minimal casualties.

"Are you sure giving Clegane command is a good idea?" My uncle frowns at me as we climb into our own rowboat and half a dozen soldiers begin lowering us to the water. "He won't leave anyone fit for questioning."

"He was given one very simple command." I'll do anything to get Rhaenys back safely, even setting Father's mad dog on my enemies. "Leave the children and hostages unharmed, he can do whatever he wants to the rest."

His actions are atrocious but will speed up Bloodstone's surrender by hours. I don't have time to do things honorably. Every second I waste is another second my betrothed could be sailing away with.

"Wyman says that Oberyn's paramour and youngest three children are here somewhere," He found Oberyn's oldest girl in King's Landing trying to stir up trouble and she didn't endure his questioning for long. "Clegane can give Ellaria my regards. The Red Viper is going to learn exactly how sharp my claws are."

Any witnesses I can't buy off, will of course need to die 'heroic' deaths before Prince Stannis can question them. "We're following his advance force for a reason." I finally relent to Gerion's scowl and lose my hard expression for the ride to shore. "We're going to need to cover up quite a few atrocities before the sun sets today." Going to be easier to put all the bodies in the bloodiest buildings and burn the evidence.

Still this isn't enough for my uncle and I actually feel bad my choice has mad him look at me te same way he does Father. "Prince Stannis was clear in how he wanted this campaign handled and I'm not going to the Wall over getting a little… over enthusiastic. Once this insurrection is over, I'm not going to be coming back to Dragonstone with you."

"I see." My voice barely keeps the trembling from being heard as I lose my biggest pillar of support's respect. "Going to fill your office from King's Landing?"

"Turn it in and spend some time with Joy before I leave." He scowls at the smoke rising from the shanty town. "You'll probably be offered the position after I'm gone and as much as I disagree with your methods… I can't deny how effective they are."

"Finally going after Brightroar?" He hasn't talked about it seriously in years, I didn't think it was still his dream.

With a voice heavy with layered emotion, Gerion gets out and pulls the boat onto the shell covered beach. "You don't need me watching over your shoulder anymore and I really don't want such a close view of you becoming Tywin. One of my brother is enough for this world."

We march in the middle of a hundred soldiers and see the devastation wrought by my order up close. Bodies of Ironborn are everywhere and I grow sick at the sounds of screaming women. The few dozen children aged ten and below are clustered in a terrified bunch, while their guards eagerly wait for their turn to have some 'fun'.

"You did this Tyrion." Gerion's words are harsh and unyielding. "Don't close your ears or plug your ears." He growls down at me and I start to feel dizzy.

"Take a big whiff of all that blood in the air you demanded be shed." I do and nearly gag on the odor of bodily waste and blood that overpowers the smell of the ocean. "Listen to the wails your men are creating on your command and look at the children you left traumatized!"

Gerion is panting when he finishes and shakes his head in disappointment. "You always wanted the world to see you as a Lannister. So let me ask you something after taking in everything you wrought… was it worth it?"

The screams can't be ignored any more and I collapse to my knees mid step. I empty my stomach on the bloody dirt and feel my eyes burn with tears. Is it?

Remembering what it was like before Viserys gave me this chance at happiness, my eyes narrow into a very Cersei like scowl. "As long as Rhaenys comes home safe." That's the only thing keeping me from a complete breakdown and I focus on that one simple goal. "… Yes, this is worth it Gerion. Rhaenys makes me feel as tall as you and I won't just give up on her."

"I'll do anything to save my betrothed Uncle Gerion." Gritting my teeth I shove the feelings of horror into the depths of my soul and vow to only release them on my wedding day. "Even act like Father." I wipe my eyes and settle my face into a scowl.

He gives me a look of pity and sighs heavily. "You go find Clegane and I'll take care of this. I don't want to see what Gregor does to this woman, but you don't have the right to avoid your orders." Closing his eyes to gather himself, Gerion gives me some final words of advice. "Just make sure her children go to Doran unharmed or he might decide losing Arianne was really an accident."


…

​

Dale Seaworth
​

Why does Renly have us in the middle of nowhere? We aren't children and he doesn't need to keep us safe from the war. My frustration over the Prince's decision is close to boiling over and I know the rest of the men feel the same.

I scan the border with the Reach and see for the first time in weeks, something besides crops blowing in the wind. A cloud of dust is growing in size and coming straight towards us.

My heart hammers madly in my chest as the alert is sent Lord Selwyn Tarth and I draw my sword beside Donnel Swann. I know I wanted something to happen but I nearly piss myself at the sight of so many charging knights.

"Has to be twenty thousand of them…" He gasps as the mass of cavalry can start to be distinguished by individual riders. "We're all going to die here."

"If you're so sure, grab a horse and ride for Harvest Hall," I hiss at him low enough no one else hears the chiding. "Make sure you send a raven before you go into hiding though."

"I'm not a scared!" Denies the Swann heir stubbornly making me cackle in his face.

"I'm terrified." He blinks in confusion at my blunt admission. "But I want to raise a family in my new keep and the only way I get to do that…" I draw my sword and ready myself for the ambush. "Is by winning here today."

I get a few chuckles as those nearby and a snort from Donnel. "I guess it's not so bad. We each only got to kill two of them."

"And look at all those horses," An older Dondarrion man-at-arms adds with a jingle of his ringmail behind me. "We win and it's going to be a nice ransom for each of us." I'll worry about claiming steeds after I know I've lived through this.

Any second now they'll hit the thousands of grass covered holes we spent days digging in those damned crops. At least a thousand horses go down on broken legs and I release a tense breath when that many again trip over their bodies.

"Ha!" Cheers Donnel quietly when the Reach army runs into our second layer of preparations. "Serves these flower pickers right, thinking we'd be an easy score."

The caltrops and beehives get trampled just as the knights reach the end of the field and use the road instead. Bad idea. I let out a chuckle as several thousand men break formation to swat the stinging insects.

"Get ready!" Galladon is red faced by the time he gets his father's command down the line to us. "Once they cross the stream, we're only going to get a few volleys off before we clash with these bastards."

Renly's idea of turning scrap metal into coils of wire wrapped around rusty nails is going to be our final defense before battle begins and I'm eager to see how well the woods will do. Should at least get them down to nearly even numbers before we clash.

We only have to show them why those numbers are necessary. These Reach traitors definitely don't win wars on the quality of their army.

"Loose!" The bellow signals two thousand bowmen to fire at will and soon the air is whistling with the sound of incoming death. "And charge!"

Donnel and Galladon race down the ridge on the left flank and I feel the surprised terror in the first knight I face. His eyes are panicked and his horse is covered in deep bloody gouges across it's chestnut flank but those eyes haven't noticed me yet, to focused on looking for yet another trap.

In the time it takes me to get close enough to thrust up into the knight's armpit, the two armies have clashed at the foot of the Red Mountains. The panicking Reach men are quickly overwhelmed by our fresh and eager forces and in only minutes I hear calls for mercy being called out in swiftly growing numbers.
​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 33: Stop Saying Yes To Everything
Duncan Selmy
​

As the roofs of Stoney Sept come into view under the warm midday sun, I smile wide at the collage of collars. The wooden shingles are stained in many shades of blue, red, and green, and I find myself overwhelmed by the variety.

"We should be able to find you a mule here or maybe even a pony," Grunts Sandor as he pulls his visor down. "You're getting way too big for Titan to keep carrying you like this." Frowning down at my friends, he mutters down at me. "You're sure they'll find you again?"

"Of course they will but… uh, I didn't bring any gold." I realize with my cheeks turning pink.

"It's a good thing Viserys is so paranoid. He didn't have much saved up but he did give me the coin recovered from those Summerhall ba-" At the last second Sandor remembers who he's talking to and changes his word choice. "-ndits."

Frowning at the offer, I try to put my foot down. "But that's for his family! You can't just spend that gold on me."

Hesitating for a moment, Sandor's voice eventually comes out softer and more vulnerable than I can ever remember. "When your father is as shit as mine or Viserys', you cling to the first man that can show you a different way to live. Lord Barristan may not actually be your Father… but Viserys and I will always consider you our little brother."

"Really?" The words fill me with warm contentment and feel the awkwardness start to ease when he winks with his good eye.

"Damn straight. Why else do you think I'm willing to risk Ashara's wrath?" He snorts at my expression. "If I really didn't want you around, I would have just taken the day and brought you back to her."

"Oh." I guess I didn't have as much control as I thought.

He laughs at my embarrassment and dismounts from his massive black stallion. "Yeah, 'Oh'. You have a head screwed on the right way and you're damn good for you age… but that just means you're going to get cocky."

"And cocky warriors end up in a grave." I repeat the rest of 'Father's' oft repeated phrase and sigh. "I'll be more careful from now on."

"Good. You're not allowed to die on me until you're a knight." We enter the small town and find the street bustling with activity. "Once you're a man grown it's on you to keep breathing." He catches sight of a slightly plumper woman with strawberry red hair and sighs again. "Can't keep putting my life on hold for you brats."

A girl only a little older than myself, with a head of bushy black ringlets hanging down to her shoulders is watching us. Or more specifically Sandor. I realize her eyes only briefly brushed over me and scowl at being so easily dismissed.

"Ser, are you the ones searching for a pony?" Her dark blue eyes are nervous at having to confront such a large man but she doesn't flee from his growl.

"Who told you that Girl?" I'd like to know as well, because I didn't see anyone near us on the road.

"The Red Woman Melisandre," Murmurs the girl as she wrings her hands under Sandor's intense gaze. "She saw you in the flames and said you'd save us…" She frowns as she examines me. "But she has to be wrong, you're just some hedge knight with his squire."

I can't let that girl insult such a good man and roar back at her angrily. "Ser Houndsworth is no hedge knight and I am not just his squire!"

"So who are you?" She rolls her eyes at me with a full serving of scorn. "At least he's a big guy, but you don't look so special."

My neck gets hot and I can't stop myself from firing back at the smirking girl in her simple peach dress. "I'm Duncan Selmy!" It may not be may name by blood, but it's mine until I'm given my real one.

"Well I'm the King's bastard but the name Rivers doesn't seem to matter all that much." Narrowing her eyes at me fiercely she stomps right into my face. "So I don't care if you're a Selmy, a Stark, or even a Sevens damned secret Targaryen."

Wouldn't that be something, Aerys really being my father. Though the more I consider it, the less ridiculous it seems. He would have had plenty of time to rape my mother if that was true and explain one of his own kingsguard covering it up. And it would also explain why I felt the heat of the dragon egg.

Some in the crowd start to take notice of the commotion and linger to watch the scene unfold. "Knock it off Dunc, we're drawing a crowd." Thankfully Sandor notices for me and grabs my arm firmly, hissing his words into my ear.

Remembering exactly just how valuable his bag is, I decide to swallow my words. "Sorry for my behavior, I'm simply exhausted from so long sleeping under the stars." I try to be as charming as Renly always is, but I know I must look like a fool when the Rivers girl giggles at my attempt.

"We've been looking for days and you're the only man I've seen of such a large size," The girl explains to Sandor after accepting my apology. "I should probably get you home… unless you have an even bigger brother on his way?"

"You all better damn well hope he never steps foot in your little town. Or those bells will only be ringing for grief." Growls Sandor as we follow after her. "Now you know our names, so what's yours Girl?"

"Bella but we don't don't use real names at my house." She shrugs at my confused expression. "Mother says it's so no one bothers us when we go outside. So you need to call me Seedling in front of customers, so they know I'm not ready to be picked yet."

I don't get what she's talking about but Sandor thankfully does. "I can understand why. We'll follow the rules while inside, don't worry."

"Good, because you have a few inches and fifty pounds of muscle on Uncle Boris." Bella leads us around to the back door of the house of faded red, a score of peach trees create a secluded little garden with a few children playing inside. "I know he's not really my uncle but that's just what we all call him. He makes sure the customers behave."

Bella opens the door and leads us inside to the sounds of people having far too much fun coming from the floor above. "Melisandre should still be in the kitchen. She uh… really likes looking at the fire."

"Crazy woman is what this sounds like." Snarls Sandor as he lifts his visor and looses some tension in his shoulders when Bella doesn't even seem to react. I guess she's not all bad.

"But she knows things that haven't even happened yet. She knew you two would come." Counters Bella with a slight scowl of her own.

"You said she knew someone really big was going to show up and need a pony." I think back on our introduction and frown. "She never said it was going to be us who came and she didn't even know when. Even I can do that."

I take a few seconds to think and make my own 'prophecy' to prove how ridiculous this sounds. "A woman with two different colored eyes will need a place to sleep."

My words finish as we arrive in the kitchen to find a woman in crimson watching me intently. "It doesn't work like that Duncan. If I was shown more than unclear signs, I would have just traveled with the two of you from Griffin's Roost."

"So what is it you 'see' in the fire." Sandor is filled with tension again and I can see him holding his hand away from his sword only with conscious effort.

"Many things Ser Sandor, but those I understand are few and far between." Well at least she isn't claiming to know everything. "The true conflict is coming and will make these rebellions seem like children's games. I need to find and guide the promised prince… but all I have seen is you shielding him from my view."

"The only prince I protected sailed off for the Sorrows," Growling at the woman, Sandor uses his full size to tower over her. "You're a little late to save anyone."

"Maybe." The woman in scarlet robes smiles at me warmly. "But the flames still show you protecting the prince and his dragon. I don't think any of us know how Viserys' voyage will go."

I remember something else Bella said and blurt out my worried thoughts. "Why did… Seedling, say we needed to protect them? Whats going to happen?"

"Two towers will fall and crush any who don't escape the shadow in time." Answers Melisandre with her smile now reaching her crimson eyes that glitter like rubies in the light of the fire. "I offered to take those here with us, in exchange for aid finding you. But we should probably be on our way… the towers seem to be in the process of falling."

"Can you please go tell everyone to meet us by the pony, we need to be gone before dark." Melisandre asks Bella who curtsies and darts off to obey. "They'll only slow us down and offer no real value on the journey, it would be better to leave before the girls are ready."

When I realize she intends to abandon everyone who she promised to help, I hiss angrily at the unnaturally pale woman. "You promised to help them. If you won't keep that one, how do I know I can trust you?"

"If you insist… we can wait for them." She gives me an unreadable look as Sandor begins cursing at me for getting us involved. "Bella at least will be able to help in an emergency."



​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 34: A Hound And His Boy
Sandor Houndsworth
​

After Duncan ropes me into escort duty with a desperate look in his nearly black eyes which I swear I will one day be able to resist, I settle myself on one corner of the worn cedar table. For however long it will take everyone to get packed, Duncan looks set to have a staring match with this Melisandre.

"So what's this Prince promised supposed to do?" I try and find out more information from this eerie woman and decide I may as well help myself to the fruit at the same time.

The woman who seems middle aged rolls her eyes and explains as if to a particularly slow child… like Joffrey. "Save the world."

"Does being so dramatic really help you get converts?" I grab a peach from the ceramic bowl and chomp down noisily.

"Some… but I don't see you being one of them." At least you aren't stupid, just completely insane. "Though it's not the fire you should fear but the man who wielded it."

Letting out a stern growl doesn't do anything to remove the smirk from Melisandre's face and I find my self swallowing awkwardly when she steps right up to me. She stands close enough that the smell of cinnamon and fresh embers filters into my nose and it quickly becomes uncomfortable at the proximity..

"You must have been injured in training with your blade. Are you scared of every sword you see?" Of course I'm not but that's damned different, didn't have a sword shoved in my face when I was seven.

Bella dashes back into the kitchen to find the two of us locked in a staring match while Duncan uncomfortably tries to nibble on his snack. "Uncle Boros needs help making some men leave."

Even the thirty seconds it takes her to get to the kitchen and explain is to much time. A man screams in pain as a second roars for his fellows to search the place. "She has to be here somewhere, don't let her get away!"

"Still going to make me save everyone?" Already knowing what Duncan will insist, I ready myself for action.

And like expected, he's fast with a denial. "We promised!"

"Get outside and wait for me by Stranger, I'll be out soon." Snapping my head forward slams down the visor just as the kitchen door is kicked open.

The man in muddy leather armor has a long curved knife in hand as he scans the room with beady green eyes, only to gasp in shock when I impale him through the gut. "Hush now, we don't want to draw a crowd now."

He tries to scream but I grab his chin in one hand and force his mouth shut. With my other hand I grab his wrist and slam his own blade up into his throat, ending him with only a few gurgles of breath.

The ringing of the town's bells is loud enough to cover any sound made as I charge into the main room. Two men are standing over Boros Rivers as he clutches a bloody thigh, the one in charge with a shield of two blue towers upon his back. Better not tell Duncan the Red Priestess was right, don't need him encouraging me to stare at the flames.

Gritting my teeth in frustration I swing low and bring my sword up between the fatter mans legs. He collapses when I separate his limb from the rest of his body and I follow through with my swing.

The Frey roars in agony when my sword bites into his arm deep enough to sends warm blood splashing across my face. "How many did you send upstairs?"

"Kiss my ass," He snarls in response to my question, so I begin sawing my weapon back and forth in his arm.

"Let's try that again." My words are hissed with deadly promise and he groans out an answer before passing out from pain.

Three more men is doable, if a bolder choice to make than I would prefer. "Damn brat. Couldn't just keep his mouth shut and let us go on our way." Should have just left him tied to Stranger and rode past this place.

Storming up the steps has me find one balding ginger with an ax in one hand, waiting at the top of the stairs to deliver a powerful downwards blow at my face. I barely roll to the side in time to avoid getting a new hole in my face and kick at the side of my attackers knee when his ax gets stuck in the wall beside me.

He falls face first down the stairs and I hear at least two bones snap with a satisfying crunch. You're not going to be a problem anymore, time to deal with your friends.

I find the next one with his pants around his ankles and decide it's simply faster to fling the scrawny bastard through the window. His victim gives me a shaky thanks as I bark at her to get to the horse.

Taking a second to look out the window, I hiss in worry at the sight of Stoney Sept aflame. Over a hundred men in red armor run down the fleeing townsfolk and my mind whirls for an escape plan.

The last man is just as easy to deal with as the pants less one before him and I soon find myself in the backyard with fourteen whores and six children. The orange glow of the fires casts grim shadows that flicker all around us and I'm proud to hear Duncan sharing words of comfort.

"My friends are waiting for us close by and will help us get away. We just need to be quiet while we sneak out of the town."

"You better have a lot of friends." Bella's voice is snarky like earlier but her eyes are wildly darting about in fright.

Duncan doesn't answer right away, instead his eyes widen at something above the girls head. "Follow me!"

He doesn't let anyone argue and we don't really have time to do so even if someone wanted to. Instead the whole crowd follows the idiotically brave boy, who I only now realize is being lead by a white crow flying low above him.

"Go!" Hissing at the whores and their children, Duncan leads the mad dash out of Stoney Sept.

Yells from behind me are followed by feet stomping through the dirt and I throw the nearest boy over my shoulder… so he doesn't slow us down of course, not because I care.

Just when I start to think we'll escape into the fields, the sight of reinforcements charging towards us makes me curse Duncan's good heart once more. Scores of knights charge towards us from the North and I can only hope they're taking prisoners.

When we reach the fields of corn Duncan calls out a happy warning to the rest of our party. "don't worry, it's just the friends I told you about!!" His warning comes just before his coyotes burst from the farmer's field, though with over three times the amount I remember from earlier today.

They race past us in a swarm of snarls and screams come as soon as they reach our pursuers. I guess Duncan can keep his friends after this if he really wants them. But he's figuring out how to feed them all… Viserys didn't pay me that much.


…

​

Viserys Ashtar
​

Even after explaining my intention to sail into the ruins of Valyria, not a single person wanted to take my offer of using the second ship to sail into the Sorrows. Not like I can turn down the help though.

I need at least eight people to actually sail one of these things and that doesn't give me a large enough crew to let anyone sleep. I wouldn't have been going far if that was all I could convince to join my voyage.

Flying the Greyscale flag will hopefully deter any pirates but I decide it's safer to sail out of sight of shore. Somehow that's the thing my crew finds the most to argue with and my only explanation is the familiarity of sailing makes sense to them… the magical sea of death just seems like sheer madness instead of stupidity.

"Grab me one of your needles Marya and some thread I can hang it from." She purses her lips in doubt but does go to fetch them. "And someone get me an iron nail. A really big one." I'm about to look like a wizard or an idiot. All depends on what kind of magnetic sphere Planetos has I guess.

Garrett Storm is back first with a nail though Marya is only a few minutes behind him. "Here ya go. Now care to share how these will be any use?"

"Watch and learn," I smugly explain as I begin tapping the needle against the nail and running it along it's side the same way sixty times.

Once I'm satisfied a charge has been passed to the needle I tie it to the thread. Letting out a tension filled breath, I hang it from a suspended oar. The needle wobbles in the air and soon begins leaning North. Oh thank whichever Gods decided to make the laws of physics the same on both worlds.

"That's North and we need to go almost due east from Lys." I grin at Marya who is flabbergasted at something so simple. "How about you handle navigation Marya."​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 35: We're Not In Dorne
Aegon Martell
​

The Golden Company surges into King's Landing with us through the Iron Gate and breaks into twenty squadrons to complete the objectives given to them by my Uncle and Ser Gerold. The four thousand men gathered on our march from Crackclaw Point are being lead through the Gate of the Gods by Lord Connington and I can only pray they show restraint.

"You're home Aegon," Smirks Oberyn from atop the horse 'given' to him by Lord Blackberry. "How does it feel?"

"Like you're betraying everything Viserys did to keep us alive." Mother made it very clear what happened in the sacking would have also been done to us without his intervention.

"Because we are your Grace." The commander of 'my' kingsguard scowls at the name. "He was the true traitor to your family, stealing both the crown and your name while you where only a babe on Dragonstone."

I realize we aren't heading towards the Redkeep, but instead towards a fairly expensive brothel. Mother would be aghast to know I can recognize one by sight but I don't know what she expects, when one grows up with Uncle Oberyn's lewd comments.

"Viserys may have been able to sneak out through the sewers," Explains my uncle with a mocking tone to his voice. "But we are a little more… high class than the Vermin."

"Do you intend to wait in here until Lord Connington takes the city for you?" I wouldn't complain very much if that is indeed what the plan is. I really don't want to see the bodies up close.

Snorting at my defiance, my uncle ruffles my hair as we enter 'Chataya's'. "If you like the place so much, I'll bring you back in a few years. But today we need the Hand's tunnel to get into the Red Keep."

His words begin to make sense when I'm lead into a lavishly furnished room. The scent of lavender hangs thick in the air and I start to cough on the smell.

"Just be happy they perfume this place or you'd have lost your lunch before taking ten steps inside." Oberyn chuckles to himself as her reaches down to lift up a trapdoor. "Obara had to spend good coin confirming Jon's words true. I'll need to pay Lord Manerly a visit and express my… gratitude, for his part in looking after her."

Fifty men go through the tunnel before I'm even allowed to look inside, with a full hundred needing to clear the way. Only once they have given the all clear and surged into the castle from inside the Tower of the Hand, does Ser Hightower let me to follow.

From a lack of use in the last few years, the narrow tunnel is filled with cobwebs and signs of rodents every few feet. I try not to shriek when a rat scurries past my foot, desperately hiding any weakness from my captors.

We're forced to wait for what feels likes hours but I know can't even have been one. When the men already in the keep finally signal for us to enter the Red Keep, it's eerily silent.

A scattering of gold cloaks line the halls, eventually leading to a cluster laying dead outside the throne room. Two members of Robert's own kingsguard are in the pile of bodies, but one has been dealt with far more savagely.

"Lorch tried to sell out the Baratheons, Blount decided to take him out with his last few attacks." One of the captains explains the scene with a wry chuckle. "Certainly made it easier for us to deal with the Stark Bitch and the Usurper's heir."

My uncle's cocky smirk is wiped from his face and replaced with shocked disgust. "What did you do?"

"Made sure neither would be contesting King Aegon's rule of course." The voice of Jon Connington bellows with pride, a squadron of his own men having already reached the Red Keep while we waited in the tunnel. "Would you like to see the bodies? We're still searching for Lord Tywin and the girl but it won't be long now."

Oberyn brushes past Lord Connington and strides into the throne room with very visible rage in each step. When we see the body of Edric Baratheon mercifully killed with a slit throat and the headless body I assume must be his mother, my Uncle lets go of any restraint he still had left.

"We do not kill children in Dorne!" He grabs the perpetrate of this atrocity around the throat with a tight grip I'm sure will leave marks. I can't even react, too horrified by the scene to even twitch.

Connington reaches up and grabs my uncle's fingers, making him release the grip attempting to choke the life from him. "We aren't in Dorne right now, are we?" The words are spoken with a hate between the two men I had been unaware of before now. "You have no idea what goes on here in King's Landing. I suggest you go find your daughter Obara, my men will find Tywin and the 'Princess'."

While I stand frozen in place, the weight of what has just happened starts to really sink in. Robert isn't going to let any of us live now, not even if Viserys was still here to talk him down again. My whole family is going to die.


...

​

Arianne Martell
​

Waking for the fifth day in a row with intense cramps is the reason I'm now nervously waiting for Prince Renly to wake. By the time he does enter the hall mid conversation with his right hand Morrigen heir, I'm nearly a mess of nerves.

"I need to speak with you," Putting this off will only make it harder to cover up and so I force myself to speak with at least an attempt at charm. "Alone." But I make sure to have enough heat to deter Lester from trying to join us.

"Fine." He shoves his Prince towards the table and walks off muttering about the maids at least being more attractive than back at Storm's End.

Renly gives me a dashing smile of his own and takes a seat beside me. "What can I do for you Arianne? Need me to go remind Cersei who's castle this is?"

"As much as she needs it… no. This is something I need your help with." Though if Viserys was speaking true, maybe this could benefit us both. "We should probably discuss in private."

Nodding his assent, we make our way up to his solar with casual conversation. By the time we are sitting again in the more intimate setting, I'm far more at ease with my decision. Renly really grew up fast, or Viserys just didn't see all of him.

"Viserys left me with a parting gift and accidentally let slip something he knew about you." My heart hammers in my chest as I reach the point of no return.

"What do those two things have to do with you looking pale as a corpse?" His smile is kind and his eyes filled with concern.

Let's see how long those feelings are sent my way. "Maester Cressen has confirmed I'm with child."

"Oh..." Renly's jaw hangs in shock for a moment. "Oh!" Blinking rapidly as the information sinks in, I'm at least relieved he seems to finally understand.

"Viserys said you prefer the company of men." His eyes nearly pop from his head when my words process. "Is this true?"

"How did he know that?" Now Renly looks as worried as I was moments ago. "Donnel swore he'd never tell anyone about the kiss!"

"No idea, but he cared about as much as anyone in Dorne." I need a husband who wont care about my bastard and he needs a wife who will be understanding. "So I have a proposition for you." This can work out for both of us.

His eyes flash in understanding as I explain how well a marriage could benefit the both of us. He doesn't even need to touch me if it's to appalling, Dorne will accept a child of either gender as heir.

Since the Maesters have declared Storm's End unlivable for several years at the least, his brother Stannis can rule from his seat instead. I can't think of anyone else I could actually trust with a truth this damning, but Renly and I each have something to hold over the other.

It takes well over an hour to talk him into the decision but most of that only seems to be stubbornness over giving his brother control of Griffin's Roost so soon after receiving it.

"Alright. I'll send a raven to your father today." He seals the deal by pressing a kiss to the back of my hand. "We'll need time for the right rumor to spread over the babe."

If the baby is obviously a Targaryen we'll just have to face the reality and produce a legitimate heir. But considering who Aegon and Rhaenys take after in looks, I'm not to concerned. Viserys just wanted to go lay on a sunny beach, Dorne will at least give his child countless to choose from.​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 36: Smoking Will Kill You
Viserys Ashtar
​

The air turns warm and sticky against my skin almost the instant we steer our two ships into the straight, with a thick white mist coating the ocean from view. I watch the wind create currents and direct us to follow along the more fluid sections of mist.

"Avoid the still portions, that's where the water is too shallow for us!" My shout is repeated on the 'Grey Pride' behind us and I lean with the tilt as my own ship reacts to the command.

For most of the day we manage to avoid any issue, going slow with only a single raised sail pushing us between the spires of jagged obsidian rising several stories above the mist. What remains of the larger landmasses are visible when the steam rises up and makes it look like a snow covered hill.

My patches of dry grey skin have grown like everyone's and I know by years end I'll have almost no skin visible. It at least seems to give my crew some relief from the scalding steam and most aren't even bothered by the gusts of hot wind anymore.

In the distance a pillar of thick black smoke belches into the air and blocks anything but dim orange glow from providing light. What remains of a Volantene fleet starts to become a problem, with scores of ships half sunken on the sandbars warning us of what a single mistake will cause.

"Drop sails and bring out the oars!" We can at least push off the wrecks and inch our way through this death trap.


…


Dusk comes and goes shortly after we exit the narrow confines of the channel and soon the mist is lit by an eerie yellow glow that seems to come from the very sea itself. Now in the more open waters of the Smoking Sea, jets of boiling water erupt occasionally and rain down sickly pale fish.

The ashy grey sky allows starlight to filter through, but several pillars of what looks like fresh air are visible. Some only look as big as a barrel, but a few could be large enough to give the whole crew shelter as we plan our next move.

"Which one do you think we should go check first?" I decide my First Mate Barristan might have some input and give him a chance to speak it.

"The closest one looks to have a few to many spires of dragonglass for my comfort." He answers with a wry chuckle. "It'll be too much like going back into the ship graveyard. Though I didn't know it came in so many colors."

Marya agrees with wide eyes at the glittering talons of volcanic glass. "I thought it was all black like Dragonstone but this variety is beautiful."

Some spires are a dark forest green almost like a beer bottle, while others glitter like greasy gold glass. A few spires are a dark blue or glittering violet though my favorites are the ones that have the color of a gasoline sheen.

"All depends on the heat, kind of rock, how much pressure it's all under, and what it mixes with after the eruption." I can vaguely remember my single year of intro level geology but couldn't actually name any specifics.

"Not going to convince me you aren't some kind of a wizard if you keep spouting off things like that." Helmsman Arnold snorts at my remark and scratches at the large patch of stony skin on his neck. "Next thing your going to suddenly know, is how to hatch your egg."

I decide not to mention my possible ideas. "Wouldn't I already have done that if I could?"

"And leave us all to face this alone?" He rolls his eyes at that and laughs in my face. "You'll have to try a little harder than that, if you want to convince me your hearts turned to stone already. But if you're asking anyone's opinion…why not the one farthest from the pillar of ash?"

"Alright. Not like we know what's at any of them so you get all the credit for the discovery…" His cocky grin turns to worry when I finish. "And all the blame if it's something horrible."

A screech from the depths of Hell echoes across the water, silencing everyone with the terror of how big that creature must be. "Eyes on the sky and get us to your safe space Arnold!" I ignore his denials of it being what I claimed and scan the sky for anything incoming.

Each mile we cross is filled with tension that only grows worse when the water around us begins churning. The screech repeats itself from far closer this time and now it's clearly coming from beneath the mist.

We don't have time to react, only thank whoever is listening our ship isn't the target. Three black tentacles burst from the glowing steam, each one thick as a bear. They grasp the Grey Pride with shocking speed and soon the sound of splintering wood can be heard.

Those who jump overboard only scream for moments, but that's enough to remind us to stay out of the boiling water. I'm conflicted on what to do, but in the thirty seconds it takes me to form a plan… the screaming is over and the second ship gone.

Only a blanket of raven black ink and some floating debris even shows the location it vanished. The bobbing bodies are one after the next pulled below the surface, with the reforming steam concealing by what.

"Get us to land, now!" Barristan roars for me and soon we're being propelled forward by both full sails and every oar available.

My shocked horror at twenty three people dying in less than a minute fills me with grim resolve. No matter how smart my choices are, we're going to lose people. But I can't let the losses break me, each person chose to sail with me.

When a jet of scalding sea water shoots up closer than any so far, my first instinct is to draw my dragonbone bow. Firing two at what I feared was a returning mass of muscle before I realize it was nothing but water makes me awkwardly laugh at Barristan's smirk.

"Better safe than sorry."

"Are those the words of House Ashtar?" I can tell he's also alarmed, but with decades of experience to conceal it better.

I've thought of this since the day I decided to become a knight and set myself on this path. "As good as those are, I've already chosen what they are. A little late to send Renly a correction now."

Marya smiles with encouragement despite the raw terror in her eyes. "Are you ever going to tell us what they are?"

"In the words of the fourth greatest woman I have ever known," I return her smile with a face splitting one of my own, thankful for how easily she found taking me in from the beginning. "Take chances. Make mistakes. Get messy." I made sure to check and no House Frizzle will being coming after me over this.

"And who are the first three?"

Rolling my eyes at her moment of self doubt, I reassure her immediately. "Why you, Mother, and my darling Arianne, of course."

That actually inspires me, we could all use something to distract us anyway. I take a deep breath and start to sing in a slow mournful voice.

"Oh my darling, oh my darling." Barristan is first to react and his eyes seem lost in better memories when he hears my voice. "Oh my darling, Arianne. I am lost and gone forever, Dreadful Sorrows, we're not going." I haven't worked on adapting this for my own uses since changing my destination, but this last second alteration will have to do.

"In Valyria, with a sickness. Searching for some steel." Rogar is inspired in the hold below and finds his lute. Giving me a melody of sad string music as accompaniment for the impromptu song. "Dwelt a kraken oh so massive oh it scared me, Arianne. Yes I love you… how I love you." Arianne.

Marya hugs me when it's clear I can't continue and whispers words of encouragement. "It's not really a distraction if the music is so sad, maybe you should try something a little happier."

Happier? I know quite a few marching songs from cadets and my favorite is very easy to adapt for any purpose.

"Alright… but remember you asked for this." She frowns at what clearly sounded like a threat. I stamp the deck and bellow as loud as I can down to Robar. "Something faster this time, like this!" I stomp out a steady one-two one-two rhythm for him to follow.

"Oh! Down by the Doom, my mother would say." I hold the note with a smirk of anticipation. "Have you ever seen a boat, in the shape of a goat?" Marya jerks back when I yell so close to her ear. "Oh! Down by the Doom!" We're all dead anyway, why face it with sadness?
​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 37: Checking In Across Westeros
Samwell Tarly
​

Mother waves at me from the doorway and I wave back before remembering where I am, sinking down into my seat with a blush. "Yes Samwell?" Maester Archibald leans forward and cups a hand to his whisker filler ear. "You know you need to speak up if you have something to say."

"No Maester… It's just my mother is here." I stutter out awkwardly and point to her.

The nearly bald man in brown woolen robes turns and smiles. "Your Lady Mother is here young Samwell. I believe this is the end of your lessons for the day."

"Can I read ahead tonight?" I'm desperate to know what happens next in 'The Princess and the Queen, or, the Blacks and the Greens'. How can the Realm turn against such a beloved woman? I know how it ends but not how it could have possibly happened.

"Go ahead but I better not find any greasy fingerprints in the morning." His smile reveals a mouth of many missing teeth.

Thanking him before I dash towards Mother and give her a hug, making her giggle at my excitement. "Always so eager to learn. You're going to be the most learned Lord of Horn Hill ever one day."

Only if Father is away at war for a while and it does sound like that will be the case after learning about the loss in the Stormlands. I still don't understand why the Reach is siding with the rebels, aren't we but hopefully my book will help explain things.

"Your father has sent word from Old Town," Her eyes are filled with excitement that I find contagious, letting a grin of my own grow. "He has secured a position for you as Lord Garlan Tyrell's squire. You need to be off as soon as we can have you readied. Your father will only remain in the city until he can present you and hen he is to take command of the eastern front."

"Lord Mace has finally seen his worth?" I'm shocked at this, Father has cursed being scorned as long as I can remember.

"It was the son again who argued in our families favor. That the Reach needs a proven winner against the Baratheons and Lord Randall Tarly was the only one in his service." Her eyes are shining with dreams of what this could mean for our families growth but I'm just looking forward to being so close to the Citadel.

Since it doesn't seem like I'll have another chance to ask, I work up the nerve and blurt out my question. "Why are we at war with the other Kingdoms? I even heard it was us who sent the Greyscale to Storm's End… is that true?"

Mother's face looks like she's sucking on a lemon and it takes a few moments o go back to normal. "Those are just rumors being spread by the Baratheons. Your father assured me himself." Father's a strict and scary man, but he doesn't lie.


…

​

Aurane Waters
​

The King paces back and forth on the prow of the 'Stag's Fury', seemingly immune to the chilly downpour washing over those of us keeping the ship from smashing to pieces. It's almost like the storm has grown with his rage since receiving word of King's Landing's capture.

"You should get back inside your Grace!" I decide someone needs to warn him and his Estermont Kingsguard of the peril brought by wearing so much metal in a storm. "You'll draw a bolt right to you with that hammer!" Even screaming as loud as I can, my voice is barely heard over the shrieking wind.

He roars with laughter at my concern and I feel like an idiot when his explanation comes, though I have no idea how I was expected to know the information he shares. "Baratheons are friends to the storm. None of us have ever been struck by lightning!"

"I can't go inside. I'm too close to home and I need to see what they've done to my city." His hands squeeze the railing before him and I can hear the oiled cedar crack under his strength.

We don't stop at Dragonstone even when they try and signal the passing fleet and I can feel my own anticipation rise. His family is once again in danger and this time he's close enough to do something himself.

"No eight year old boy planned this. Not even Viserys was that prepared." The King admits at first I think to his guard, but soon realize is directed towards myself when he puts a meaty hand on my shoulder. "What do you think I should do with 'King' Aegon?"

"It's not my place to speak of such things your Grace," I'm quick to bow my head and break the energy filled eye contact. "I'm just a bastard deckhand and I don't know about those kinds of things.

He chuckles grimly and claps me on the back so hard I nearly fall over the railing. "Your business is whatever I say it is, I'm the king. So what do you think I should do with Aegon?"

"If you don't think he's responsible for all of this, why does he need to be punished?" I've seen how angry he can get and fixed several doors broken already on the voyage. I really don't want that wrath suddenly coming my way.

"I need to do something with him, or this can just happen again in a decade." His voice is tired of the world and he removes his hand from my shoulder to rub at his eyes.

I consider what would keep him out of the enemies hands and not make the boy suffer. "Exile somewhere nice, send him to the Citadel, or maybe the Faith?"


…

​

Alliser Thorne
​

When the raven arrives and the Whent's are predisposed with yet another one of Brynden's escape attempts, I'm forced to act as messenger myself. Reading the letter and learning the Greyscale was not some freak accident but intentionally caused by our side, nearly made me collapse in horror.

"Those bastards have been lying to everyone!" My anger leaks out in a snarl as I gather those who I know are most loyal the royal family itself and not their own personal greed like the Whents have shown themselves to be.

I don't manage to find more than a score I can trust with the truth but with so many of our men out acting as bandits this will have to do. I lead most to the dungeons and have the rest saddle enough horses for us and the prisoners. Six lords who chose loyalty to the Baratheons are in the cells with the Blackfish and all need to be released.

"We're loyal to the Targaryens and King Viserys did not order any of this before his death." My words are a grim reminder of how easily we had been mislead in our own rage. "If we truly serve him and his family, we need to honor his last act as King."

The men agree with firm words and we draw weapons as we enter the dark cells beneath Harrenhal. "Forgive me for being fooled by these craven scum Lord Brynden!" My sword hilt slams into a guards helmet and sends him tumbling backwards unconscious. "We've learned what horrors are being committed in Viserys name and will not stand for this betrayal of his wishes."

"A little late to say just 'I'm sorry' and hope everything can be forgiven." He rubs his wrists when the shackles clang free against the cell wall. Do you have any idea how many people are dead because of your 'little' mistake?"

"Well we'd better help stop as many more from occurring as we can, my souls already stained enough as it is." We don't have long before the first 'bandits' start reporting in and need to be on the road as soon as possible. It's a long ride to Riverrun and we need to beat the Freys' head start.

"Oswell is standing guard over the kids!" He realizes with horror on his face and grabs one of the fallen guards, removing his armor as fast as he can. "We can't waste any time gossiping like maidens, get a move on you lot!"

His bellowed command has the other lords begin dressing in the uniforms we brought and he snarls at me next. "Don't even think this means I've forgiven you. You're going to face my steel the day this is over."

"My King is gone because of me and his family blamed for atrocities they had no part in." If the only way left to prove my loyalty is to be slain by a true knight, it's the price I'll gladly pay for all the blood my hands' helped spill. "If we face pursuit, do not slow down. We will break off in groups of five to buy you the time needed to escape."​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 38: Rivers Converge
Daenerys Targaryen
​

"I'm so sorry my Grace," Father's voice is thick with emotion as he uses his special name for mother. She may not be the Kingdoms' Queen anymore but that just means he gets her all to himself. "I know I said we could see Viserys before he left but the roads are far too dangerous. It would not have been safe for you."

It hurts when I think about Viserys. Knowing I'll never see him again or hear is hard to understand and worse when I think of Baelor and Jaenaera. The twins won't even remember our brave brother. Why couldn't the Maester's save him? Don't they know everything?

"I wanted him to get over his distaste of our home nearly as much as you." Father runs a hand the his long reddish brown hair and I notice a few streaks of grey making themselves known. I better remind him to apply more dye before Mother's nameday. "My own temper cooled years ago and I only wish I had the courage to admit it to him."

"No one's perfect Hoster," Mother answers with a sad frown but I have to correct her anyway.

"Viserys is." I confidently assure my parents and glare at Ser Desmond when he giggles behind a hand. "He is!"

Desmond concedes before I really need to yell at him for being mean. "I'm not arguing. I've heard of four songs so far about the Stone Dragon."

"Really?" Mother bounces my sister on her knee and swats her exploring hand when it grabs a lock of hair. "Any good ones?"

"The one about the Dirty Dragon finally being given a bath by the Princess of Dorne was quite a funny one I can share once Daenerys has gone to her lessons." Answers our castle's master of arms with the wiggle to his eyebrow that always makes me laugh. "And the one about the dragon and stag saving each other at Summerhall might even make Brynden tear up."

Mother smiles wide and blinks away a few tears. "Next time you hear a good one… that's also appropriate, send the bard to me please."

"And make sure none of the Frey's get any bright ideas when they get here on the morrow." Father's scowl becomes a wink when he makes eye contact with me. "Keep Dany in the family quarters until they get their orders and leave."


…

​

Duncan Selmy
​

The woman and children with us have quickly gotten over any fright my friends may have caused by the first meeting. In fact Bella was even letting the leader of the pack sniff and lick at her days before the horses started to settle down.

Milk-Eyes as the Rivers girl has started calling him, will vanish for hours at a time. When he returns though it's always to the grumbles of Sandor.

"Again?" He snarls down at the silent animal before jerking his reigns to the left. "Fine! Looks like we're going the wrong again everyone." We're lead off the road and along a game trail beside the stream. "Hope you don't mind taking the scenic route ladies, because the pack doesn't seem to like the road anymore."

"Last time you tried to argue, we ran into a whole group of those Second Sons…" I can hear the scowl in Bella's voice as she holds tight around my waist.

"And it got us enough horses you can all ride double. Don't know why you keep saying it was the wrong choice." With less bluster than normal Sandor doesn't push the point any farther and lets us ride in near silence.

The road may be faster, but I'm finding I like the varied scenery of the stream a lot more. Willow trees line the bank and create a dense canopy shading us from both the sun and being seen from the road. Even just watching the little yellow ducks paddle along in the current is enough to make me smile.

Once we get to Riverrun, Sandor will finally be free to take me North. I'll finally know if Ned Stark is my real father or if the rumors of it being his brother Brandon are true.

Bella shows her inexperience on a horse and whines in my ear. "How much farther? My backside is really getting sore and it's only been a few days."

"I've been riding every day since I was five and I would have done it sooner if Mother allowed me." It took 'Aunt' Lyanna convincing her on one of her visits before I was allowed to practice on a pony. "It takes months to really get used to it I'm afraid."

The honest answer doesn't make Bella any happier and I try not to flinch when she bangs her forehead against my shoulder. "When are we stopping for food?"

"Whenever White-Eyes decides it's safe." I still don't know why he decided not to eat me but he can at least never lie to me. "He hasn't been wrong yet."

"The beast is wrong just for existing," Counters Melisandre with a warning hiss when one of the coyotes gets too close to the Red Woman. "You don't trust me know and when you head my words it will be too late for you to turn back. You're letting an animal lead you to your death."

Sandor snorts at that with almost enough scorn for he both of us. "Better than trusting fire to show you the future. I still think you've just been breathing in too much smoke, get light headed, and make shit up."

"If you insist on sending me away at Riverrun, I won't be able to keep saving you from the scary fire each meal." Her mocking words succeed in riling Sandor's temper but he makes himself swallow whatever comeback he had ready. Shame, he looked mad enough to get really creative this time.

"I'm not scared of fire, just not fond of how… unpredictable it can be." Sandor denies the accusation with a not very believable grumble. "I can't figure out if you or White-Eyes pisses me off more, you seem to keep outdoing each other."

"I won't lose to an animal." Of course the scarlet haired woman only takes this as a challenge. "You are how I will find the Prince who was promised and I will follow as long as the flames continue to show you shielding him from my view."

Frowning at the repeated argument, I realize before Sandor does that the pack has frozen stiff in warning. "Quiet, someones coming!"

Everyone goes silent immediately, not eager to witness another defense by my friends if we draw attention. It doesn't take long before we can hear the sound of men marching in far greater numbers than last time and I realize we'll lose if these men want to fight.

"-far the pack has only gone after the enemy but that can change with the next attack." A confident voice speaks loud and with no fear of drawing notice. "We need to deal with them before they find a village to settle around." Doesn't sound like the 'bandits' to me and it seems Sandor agrees.

He looks to me with a nod, letting me see the relief in his eyes. We just let them pass and go on our way safe and sound. It doesn't work out like that though as soon the sound of galloping horses is heard coming from several directions.

"Ambush!" Roars the one I'm nearly convinced is on our side, and I can hear swords being drawn nearly in unison. "They've saved us having to hunt them down today. Such luck!"

We cower a dew dozen feet away from what sounds like a bloody battle, flinching when a very dead body rolls down the bank towards us. Seven keep us safe and I'll never swear!

I have no idea who's winning but realize in horror we've been found as a pair of men follow the body. I don't even hesitate for a second.

"Get the bad guys." My words are a grim promise that the pack soon rushes to fulfill.

The break their frozen state and charge up to the road. The sounds of terrified screams soon become screams of agony, but the pack is not unharmed.

Yelps and whimpers also fill my ears and it's only Bella taking the reigns that keeps me from charging into the battle like a foolish child. "They're protecting us, you need to let them." She's right and a better friend than I deserve for teasing her so often.

"But they're my friends!" I whine anyways as the worry becomes unbearable.

"They're protecting you but if you go after them… who will protect the rest of us?" She's showing more fear than ever and I realize I'm not the only person who doesn't know what to do.

"Okay." I finally relent and stop trying to reclaim the reigns from Bella.

It feels like we wait most of the day in tense silence for a winner to be decided but I know it can't possibly have been more than five minutes. Eventually the confidant voice from earlier calls out to his fellows and I breathe out in relief.

"Well this changes things doesn't it?" His words are getting louder though I'm too relieved to notice. "Someone told them to help us and the voice came from down here."

A knight with a neatly trimmed beard of white hair and a thick bushy mustache leads some of his survivors towards us and his eyes go wide in shock.

"Well this is really turning out to be an odd day." He snorts to himself before introducing himself warmly. "I am Ser Bonifer Hasty of the Holy Hundred and I thank whichever one of you gave your hounds the command to attack."​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 39: Landing Party
Viserys Ashtar
​

The 'Shalescale' runs aground on the beach suddenly, sending many of us tumbling to the deck in a heap. The beam of light is maybe half a mile in diameter and somehow is keeping both the steam and smoke from entering.

"We're stuck until high tide," I growl in frustration at the sight of half the hull stuck in the black sparkling sand visible where we cut a channel in the mist. "Who wants to go exploring?"

The pieces of canvas sail Marya has been sewing into masks are better than nothing and I'm very grateful for it every time I wipe some sticky black sweat from my brow. After watching an entire ship get destroyed by the kraken, no one seems excited about waiting on ours.

"I wont be much use if you find trouble onshore," Marya realizes none of the men are going to volunteer. "Leave a few with me and we can keep an eye on things here for you. Let you boys go play Sea Snake the explorer."

I'm not thrilled with that idea but know someone needs to wait with the ship. "If anything comes out of the water…" We exchange uncomfortable expressions as everyone tries to resist the urge to check the water again. "Just ditch the ship and come find us. We can always search the shore and cobble a new one together from the wrecks."

"Of course you know how to build a boat." Gerold Peasbury rolls his eyes as he hands me a rope.

"No idea actually," I admit with a grim chuckle. "But I think it'll be easier to learn how to do that than fight off another beast like that."

He scowls at the returning mist that's nearly concealed the beach from view once again. Though this chunk of land rises high enough to break free from he steam and lead towards a few hills still connected by solid land.

In the end, Barristan and I climb down to the black silt beach with fourteen people eager to get some distance between themselves and the water. Each step through the muck makes me sink nearly to my knees, creating a chorus of wet squelches with each movement forward.

Only the sickly yellow glow of the mist gives us any light and it creates an imposing ridge separating the beach from the rest of the island. What looks like giant skeletal hands are only visible with black shadows from such a distance and I'm as terrified as I am excited to reach dry ground.

"Maybe the ship is the safer choice?" Arnold whispers from my left with chattering teeth.

Even if it was, I'm not letting you walk back alone. "Too latte to change your mind, walking into the mist alone seems like a horrible idea to me."

Reaching the part of the beach where the steam doesn't reach reveals a carpet of grey chalky grass that crumbles to a fine powder with each step. "The grass burnt so fast, the ash didn't even have time to blow away."

"Are those dragon bones or more strange rocks?" The terrified Arnold points a shaking hand towards one of the skeletal hands in the gloom ahead.

"I'm guessing petrified trees, which basically just means the wood got turned to stone." My absent minded reply has him muttering about me being a wizard once again and I decide to ignore it for now.

We cover almost half a mile of terrain before the ash grass reaches what turns out to be a petrified orchard. I'm surprised o find something actually growing among the 'trees', but countless stalks of spindly mushrooms reach up to my waist.

A bone white color makes up the majority of the fungus but each cap drips with a faintly glowing yellow fluid. I'm not sure if the mushrooms' roots reach through the stone or are only thriving off whatever nutrients collect on the surface.

Brushing away the ash only shows baked red clay and large slabs of fused black stone. Only a few deposits of obsidian have been seen since leaving the shoreline and they're all the darker bloody red variety. It makes me uncomfortable after prolonged eye contact and so I lead us onto what seems to be a cultivated path towards the pillar of clean air across the ancient orchard.

"Something or someone made this trail," I warn those who might not have realized an easy path in dangerous places is not always a good thing. "Listen well and don't hesitate to call out a false alarm. We've all seen how fast things can end here."

"You're good at this," Barristan remarks proudly when I keep everyone in a single group the entire hike. "Never really had a chance to see you be King Viserys and I'm realizing what the Kingdoms missed out on."

"Just because a woman's good at sex, she doesn't need to be a whore." Smirking at my mentor's roll of the eyes I press forward towards the ever closer pillar.

Now a vague shadowy outline can be seen through the ash in the air and we're all moving just a little bit faster. When we finally cross the stone orchard, the pillar is close enough to see inside of.

It reveals itself to be several acres in total size and some kind of force, is keeping environment inside as pure as it was centuries ago. Three separate structures in pristine condition can now be made out clearly in a grove of olive trees still perfectly cultivated.

"If I melt or something horrible…" I take a deep breath to steady my nerves. "You have my permission to say screw it and sail for the Sorrows." Not letting anyone else test out the clearly magical phenomenon, I leap through in a single clean movement.

No searing agony ignites across my flesh and I don't feel like my brain is going to start leaking out of my ears anytime soon. I blink in relief and start patting myself down when my patches of stone begin to itch in the no longer humid air.

"I'm okay, come on in and we can check the place out." Maybe even use it as our base of operations for a while. If it's really habitable as it seems, this gives us a few places to search next. Better than just sailing around blind like before.

Two of the buildings are made of more fused black stone, with one being an over six story tower without a top. On each window ledge and in a menacing ring along the tower's top walls, stone gargoyles glare down at us.

The other building of the same material is more of a manse in the style of the Free Cities. While beside it the third building is a crypt made from white marble. I can only see inside the entrance and the first few dozen stairs descending below the ground.

"What do you think Barristan?" No reason to ignore good input. "Search them one by one or split into four groups of four?"

"Haven't seen anything threatening yet, I'd rather have this place cleared so we can go bring the others here." He makes up his mind so I assign Elyse Storm and Gerold to us, entering the tower with anxious trepidation.

Nothing attacks us when we enter and I let some tension ease when none of the other groups scream. Inside the wall is covered with tapestries so realistic it looks like the images are alive.

One is of a trio of primary colored dragons soaring above a Valyrian army, laying waste to who appears to be people from Yi Ti. What I find most shocking about the scenes that seem to show the progress of an ancient war is that it's not only the Valyrian side with the flying reptiles.

Nine smaller creatures that look almost like scaled deer are doing aerial combat with the red dragon and slaying it with what I think is breath of glittering white fire. Each looks only about two or three times the size of a horse in comparison to the blue and yellow dragons that feast on them in the final image.

Gerold is the one who mentions the creatures, very intrigued by creatures able to fight a dragon nearly evenly. "What in the Seven Hells are those things? Some kind of lizard-horse?"

"Kind of look like Qilin." I respond before I can censor myself and try to at least create a viable source for this information. "… Or at least what Lomas Longstrider said the statues looked like when he visited Yi Ti."

I only notice Elyse has vanished when her voice echoes from far above, awe clearly audible in her voice. "Whoa! It's beautiful…" Her voice trails of with no more hints and the three of us make a mad dash up the stairs.​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 40: Hungry Like The Wolf
Benjen Stark
​

By the third day hanging in my iron cage over the street of Flea Bottom, I'm growing hungry enough to hope the smallfolk throw more rotten produce in the morning. A light drizzle of rain at least lets me suckle at the metal for a few mouthfuls of water.

I'm not alone in my punishment, another dozen cages along the street in each direction are filled with men loyal to Robert or his Small Council. My status as the Queen's brother has given me a cage all to myself but that just means I'm facing questioning once they break Wyman.

He gave me enough time to to get Lyanna and Jen out of the castle, though It grieves me to know Boros and Amory failed to do the same with Edric. Having a mistress who looks so much like my sister was enough to delay the search for our escape.

Tywin should have gotten the two of them to Dragonstone by now. I consider how fast the two person boat could go and hope Blackwater Bay hasn't been to rough for them.

Going back to find Aegon on my own wasn't my smartest choice I can at least admit after a few days of self reflection. But I couldn't just leave my nephew with only Boros and Amory, I told Lyanna they needed to be replaced.

With the rising of the sun I look East and my eyes widen in shock. Dozens of sails with friendly colors are in the harbor and I can feel a panicked energy rising among those already out and about.

I can see flames and smoke rising at the docks, signaling that those loyal to King Robert are fighting to lower the harbor chain. In my excitement I fail to realize how few of Aegon's men are actually moving to counter the returning King.

The clamor of battle comes steadily closer as the streets are cleared one at a time. Soon the action spills into Flea Bottom and I almost sob in relief when my cage comes down. Will insist it's only the rain until my dying day though.

Lord Commander Lomas Estermont and Ser Hugo Vance help me stand on legs shaking from hunger but I refuse to sit out this battle. "Just get me a weapon and I'll be fine."

"Lynderly is with the King and clearing the way to the Red Keep," Hugo explains when he hands me a spear taken from one of his fallen foes. "We're facing far less resistance than expected. They must be holding everyone back for a single defense in the castle."

"We'd better catch up before King Robert charges right into that trap." Groans the always whining Hugo but I shut him up with a snarl.

"The King has no idea I got Lyanna and Princess Jennelyn out of the city with Lord Tywin." He's mellowed out since I first came South but Robert will have nothing left to lose if he thinks his whole family is dead. "He needs to know he still has something to live for!"

Charging towards to Red Keep with scores of men leads to no resistance and I grow concerned at what awaits when I see no bodies. How many men are crammed in the castle waiting for us? Can we even retake it with these numbers?

We reach the gates and finally start to find signs of resistance. Bodies of 'Aegon's' men litter the hallways but still with less than half of the number we would have manned the gate with.

"Where is everyone?" Lord Commander Estermont agrees with my thoughts and scowls at the empty throne room. He starts sending groups of men to secure the most vital sections of the Red Keep and I strain to hear anything that can point us in the right direction.

Sudden clanging of steel from the dungeon has me break into a sprint only a step behind Hugo as we race down the narrow stairwell. The rage filled bellows of King Robert echo off the walls and I nearly trip over Ser Lynderly's body in my haste.

"I'm going to turn your brains into fucking paste!" Stone explodes as his foe avoids a blow that would cripple.

The single torch still providing light down in the lowest level of the dungeons is close to flickering out, Before we're left in the dark, I lift it above my head and cast an orange glow over the battle taking place.

One of the instigators of this entire insurrection is deftly avoiding the powerful swings of Robert Baratheon. Oberyn ducks under a blow that would cave in his ribs and tries to counter with a thrust for our King's face.

It barely even cuts the Demon of the Tridents cheek but leaves the Dornish prince open. Robert reverses his swing with tremendous strength and drives the spike of his warhammer into Oberyn's back.

Robert lets go of his weapon and the momentum sends the gurgling Dornishman crashing down onto the black stone floor. "This is for my children!"

He grabs Oberyn by the ankles and swings his broken into the wall. The screams end on the fourth impact but the sound of his skull shattering will remain with me forever.

"You look like shit Benjen," The King finally realizes it's me holding the torch. "What did they do to you?"

"Doesn't matter right now, I'll live." But I'm still only seeing three bodies down here, where is everybody?

Robert is red faced and breathing heavy. "Connington is holed up in the Tower of the Hand with Gerold Hightower. They ran for it as soon as we breached the gate."

"Lyman and I came down to free anyone who was fit enough to help retake the castle," He pants out and so I start checking the cells for occupants. "But these craven had been hiding down here in the dark."

"I don't think he was hiding." I see the bloody face of Lord Manderly inside the last cell and get Hugo to bring the key. "I think he was trying to get answers out of Wyman."

When I pull open the door the metal rusted from years of blood screeches. "You still alive in here Wyma-" I start to ask only to jerk back in disgust at the swarm of rats that emerge from the cell.

Wyman groans at the light from he flame and covers his eyes, so I step back and allow Hugo to get the shackles off. "Took you long enough, was getting worried it would be found before you could get here."

"What would be found?" Hugo presses the Master of Whispers who laughs darkly.

"The poison I was filling the wine with before they found me," Snorts Wyman with more savagery than I can remember the large man showing. "Made sure to dilute it enough to get as many sick as I could all at once. Over half of them should be shitting their guts out or still in bed wishing they where dead."

"That's why we haven't had many bastards to kill." Croaks Robert from behind me and I whirl around to a worrying sight.

Blood is leaking from his nose and the corners of his eyes like crimson tears. His face is a swollen angry red and I can hear him wheezing for each breath.

"Don't look so worried," His grin becomes a grimace as he tries to stay awake. "Stannis will do a far better job than I have…. and Jon won't have to fight him every step of the way."


…

​

Robb Stark
​

Mother finds us in the Winterfell woods with an expression of relieved confusion. With all the lords and their children gone with the army, only Domeric, Gendry, and Jon remain to help me outnumber the women in the castle.

Beth and Jeyne follow Sansa's every word as they pick a very specific arrangement of flowers. While Edith is quite pleased with herself at having convinced Gendry to finally eat the worm she found and Arya's giggling assures me she's going to be just as wild.

"Your father has sent word from Karhold." They're back from subduing Skagos already? "The Greyjoy and his fleet had left for parts unknown… weeks, maybe even months ago. Everything but the stone buildings themselves had been taken and not a single living person remained to greet your father's army."

"Is he coming home or going to help hunt down the wildlings?" Even the Wolfswood is no longer safe for small groups anymore.

She smiles with pride at my attempt to act like Father. "No. He's going to Eastwatch by the sea, to learn how so many of them slipped past the Wall in secret."

"Wouldn't have been a secret if we had a fleet of our own."

"You can bring that up with your father when he does return." Mother smirks at my comment and takes a seat with Edith before she can feed Gendry another bug. "You're getting old enough to start sitting in with him and find out how to rule.


​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 41: The Emperor
Viserys Ashtar
​

Atop the tower lays a runic pattern of blood somehow still fresh as the day it was applied. Though the rippling steel cauldron nearby still has enough bubbling crimson ooze to redo the design a few times.

Suspended above the design of repeating S's, is a chunk of dragonglass made from the same blood red variety that unnerved me earlier. It pulses with searing orange light that give the impression of veins filled with magma and seems to breathe with each pulse of orange.

"What is it?" The wonder in Elyse's voice is exactly what I find myself feeling, the warmth of the light draws me towards it like a mosquito to a pregnant woman. Mother was very vocal about it each time she visited.

"I think it's a glass candle but that's only a guess and not fact." She snorts at my attempt to hedge my bet.

Nothing happens when Elyse examines it far closer than I find safe and I slowly let go of my nervous breath as she circles it. "So it just makes magic light?" She sounds far too disappointed by what I realize shouldn't even be possible for another decade. "Was expecting something, I dunno… more?"

Of course the runes made of impossibly fresh blood flicker to life when I step towards the glass candle myself. An infernal red glow bathes the entire top of the tower in it's light and unleashes a deafening screech.

The energy inside the shard of obsidian shines hotter with each second and soon shines a steady and constant white. Red smoke the shade of rusted iron leaks from the runes and coalesces into a humanoid face that sneers at the sight of us.

Several languages are spoken before a heavily accented form of common is used by the enormous head wreathed in red smoke. His skin is such a pale white it seems almost translucent against the pair of gleaming violet eyes.

"Of course it would be one of the savages from the West who finally found a way into my empire." The high pitched voice cackles mockingly. "Everyone with a brain gave up decades ago." The eyes seem to burn my very soul when they lock on to me and it's a struggle to even think of speaking.

"Who are you?" I don't even notice when I begin speaking in perfect High Valyrian that I was only able to barely read a few seconds ago.

The voice snarls with hate that chills my bones even remotely. "Your Master."

"You can't be Dragonlord Aurion…" Only one Valyrian I know of claimed the title of Emperor and he vanished centuries ago with his entire army.

"Pretty educated for one raised on the frontier. Your blood is showing true." No longer scornful, the voice has become more clinically curious. "I guess I can allow you to live… it would be useful to have someone fresh do the searching for once."

My three companions are trying to decipher some of the meaning in our words. Frustration is clear on each one's face at the sudden language change. Narrowing his eyes at Gerold Peasbury who is shouting the loudest, the floating pale face roars with fury.

"You need to discipline your slaves more thoroughly," The power in the voice nearly sends me to my knees as he unleashes it with in a single wave of force. "These ones are far to uppity!"

Gerold's eyes go wide in terror as the wind slams into him and throws him into the air. His scream churns my stomach all the way to the bottom of the six story drop and I grind my teeth to hold in my rage.

"Don't make me step in again or letting you live will just not be worth it." I'm warned with a stern hiss. "My servants will be by tomorrow night to bring you into the fold. But please don't let their appearance frighten you too much, just leave them a slave as an offering on the beach before nightfall."

The head breaks apart into smoke again once something at the speaker's location seems to draw his focus away from me. Swiftly the rust red cloud is pulled back into the pulsating hunk of obsidian with a howling roar and we're left shaken from the experience.

"We need to get back to the ship," I snarl in realization and dash for the stairs. "He said to leave the sacrifices on the beach each night if we wanted to live!"

Barristan catches on and growls with his own worry for the rest of our crew. "Are we bringing them here or going to push off again and try one of the other pillars? One of them may not have a giant demonic head waiting for us."

"We'll bring them back here for the night and decide if we reinforce this place…" If the monsters come out only at night we need to find out before we sail off in a panic. "Or find another home base to use once we have daylight to see with."

When we reach the ground and Gerold's body, the four we left keeping watch are very relieved we decided to walk down. The group who checked the manse style building have also reemerged without finding anything amiss and I find my nerves unable to wait for the final four.

"You four go with Barristan back to the ship and bring everyone here for the night." Elyse can keep watch with the second group, while I check on the four who descended into the marble crypt.

Being able to breathe clean air for even a single night is just to big of a draw for me to hunker down on the 'Shalescale'. I can hear voices talking as I descend the stairs and am soon in a single oval room with the four missing men.

Urns made of only the purest gemstone line the hallway, with the occupant's most prized possession hangs on the wall behind them. I walk past the first few and my jaw hangs in awe.

Each urn contains the warriors of the places families and the prized possessions are made with no simple castle steel. A suit of smoky grey chainmail armor hangs above a topaz urn, while a triangle shield with a very sharp edges reveals it's rippling metal above an emerald one.

At least a dozen swords of various sizes are already being fought over by the four people I was looking for, with Arnold holding up a wicked looking scimitar in glee. I ignore those weapons and approach a sapphire urn that seems to have twice the amount of ashes inside it as the rest.

A pair of Valyrian steel ax heads are mounted on dragonbone hafts, though each one is stained a different color. One is a blue as dark as the ocean under the night sky and the other a bright enough yellow it can easily be called bronze.

"I got to admit," Grabbing the two axes carefully, I try a few practice swings with the incredibly light yet balanced weapons. "I thought something was eating you down here since you didn't react to the giant screaming head."

Though I can understand why they forgot we existed for a while. This find makes all the loss so far not exactly worth it… but like getting dessert after getting tortured. It doesn't fix the first part but none of the crew is going to complain about this.

"You four have dibs, pick which ever one you want and go send Elyse's group down." Once I give that order, I walk back to the rippling chainmail with relief. It's light enough even Marya can wear it and I grab it off the wall before anyone else wants to be smart.

Maybe we don't have to run now. Valyrian steel can kill the Others, maybe it can hurt the 'Wizard of Valyria'.

"And dig a grave for Gerold." I'll explain it properly once everyone is in the same place. "He uh… didn't make it." It's way too confusing to explain more than once.

Letting the guilt for Gerold's death fill my body as I breath in, I release it once my vision begins to grow spotty. The sharp pain remains in my heart but I don't have the breath to let it affect me.

Even only the few seconds of relief as my breathing returns to normal is enough that I can shove the guilt where I keep everything I refuse to think about. The taste of refined sugar was the first thing I had to shove in that part of my brain and it was very soon followed by the memory of toilet paper.


…

Note: Diet, blood type, and estrogen levels are all contributors to a mosquito biting you. A drunk pregnant woman who eats lots of bananas, with (If I'm remembering correctly) B Negative blood type will attract the most.​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 42: Trial By Combat
Aegon Martell
​

As soon as the Baratheon army deploys at the harbor, Ser Hightower takes command of anyone able to hold a weapon. The sudden sickness that struck after taking the city has left only a few dozen men well enough to shuffle me back out the tunnel to 'Chataya's'.

We emerge onto a street already reclaimed and find the resistance by the gates far to thick to flee. The Lord Commander is forced to lead us to Sept of Baelor and barricade the doors behind us.

"Your King has need of you!" Roars the pale faced and sweaty Connington, causing those already present for worship to cower near the septon in the midst of service. "Help us hold the doors you craven wretches!".

None react how he wants and a few even make a made dash deeper into the expansive building. While my escort tries not to lose themselves to sheer panic, I find a strange sense of calm settle over me as I let the light from the stained glass windows wash over me with a warm glow. That might be the only way I walk out of here alive.

When the door's start to shake with an attempt at forced entry, I look over to those who have claimed to swear their lives to 'my' cause. I'll give you a chance to prove it.

"Enough!" My raised voice echoes in the hall and even I'm surprised by the forceful clarity. "We can end this madness now and only one more person needs to die."

Connington and Hightower exchange a long drawn out stare as they wordlessly argue. Hightower seems to win out and lets me walk up to the door, making my choice of champion very easy.

"You will be the Crown's champion to prove my innocence Ser Hightower." He nods stiffly as I ignore Connington's own arguments and stride to the cracking doors.

"I am Aegon Martell!" Bellowing over the noise is barely enough for my voice to be heard outside and it takes two more impacts of the battering ram to stop. "I demand trial by combat to prove my innocence in this war before the Seven themselves!"

No one answers for nearly a minute and I start to worry the attack will begin again. It's only when the miraculously still living Benjen Stark answers, that I let the delusion of living through the day take root.

"What reason do we have to blame a kidnapped child for all of this?" The ability of the late Queen's brother to think beyond righteous rage is a huge relief. "It's 'your' army we intend to put to the sword."

The men around me grow resolved in the face of certain death and I decide to try again before it's too late. "Let the True King of the Seven Kingdoms face his challenger and decide this war today!"

Ser Gerold seems confident in his ability to kill a King and I hope he can finally show the shred of honor he still has. Benjen isn't the one to answer, instead it's an unfamiliar voice.

"If you wish to prove your innocence before the Seven, shouldn't this be a Trial of Seven?" No! That will ruin everything I'm trying to pull off.

"I won't let an innocent man die for the crimes committed in my name." This needs to be single combat or I lose any control over the result. "The King versus the 'Usurper' and we settle this now."

The gruff man speaking for King Robert reveals another dishonor I need to defend myself against. "King Robert will not be able face anyone. Your Uncle bit back before dying." I know that means poison and can only hope it's one of the slower ones.

"If I can name a champion so can he." This removes any remaining hesitance over fighting a child and the snarling voice agrees readily. "If I win." I'm not stupid enough to think they'd just give us back the city. "You let us walk free and the horrors done in my name are cleared."

"And when you lose?"

"I surrender this war and go to the Wall. As is the right of any man facing the block!" I need to make sure that second option is reinforced in everyone's minds.

My offer is considered and soon found tolerable by everyone outside. "Open the door and send out your champion."

"No." That's just asking to be betrayed. "I open the door and the fight will be held under the gaze of the Seven. I will only accept their judgment in my guilt!" And that's just ensured the Faith back me as long as the terms are held to. It's just like Uncle Doran says, politics is just like playing a thousand games of cyvasse at the same time… with each board missing different pieces and in a vastly different shape.

"Alright." Agrees the slightly less snarly voice. "Whenever you're ready."

I give the command twice before 'my' men start to obey, while I wait it the rainbow light with Sers Hightower and Connington on either side of me. Two men in the pristine white armor of the kingsguard stride at the head of thirty grim faced and resolute soldiers.

The Lord Commander Estermont and Benjen Stark at his side. I can almost see the age around them like a cloak and it makes me swallow nervously when they stop a few paces away.

"Ser Hightower will fight for the King of Westeros." I speak with a calmness not my own and find some hidden strength guiding my actions.

I draw the ornate short sword hanging from my hip and take a few steps away from a very confused Gerold. "I will of course be defending myself."

"What?" Gasps a horrified Ser Hightower. "But you are my King and I am to be your champion!"

"If I am really your King, you will do as I have commanded." I refuse to back down and raise my blade with a trembling arm. "And I commanded you to be the Crown's champion… and look, I don't have one on my head."

"You either prove your oaths mean something and face me!" Charging forward with vision that blocks out anything, I watch for him to react. "Or you show everyone this insurrection was all for the pride of a few old men!"

He doesn't fight back and only avoids my untrained swings with ease. "Stop this madness your Grace!"

"Madness is sending Greyscale after Viserys and claiming it's for my family!" I stab for his belly and growl when I once again miss. "Madness is allying with pirates and savages to bring blood and fire to the Seven Kingdoms in my name!"

My next few dozen attempts all end with equally embarrassing results and I can barely lift my arm for another try. "If you live, I die. So how loyal are you really!"

Throwing myself at the sword I Gerold's hand has him drop it hastily and leave himself open for my own thrust into his side. The spray of blood is hot when it splatters across me and I instinctively close my eyes.

"Gerold!" Cries out a shocked Jon from the sidelines, his voice filled with concern for the elder Hightower.

It makes me open my eyes to see a still standing but now profusely bleeding Gerold. "If that's what it takes." He grabs the sword still in his ribs and finishes the job of shoving it into his heart.

The look of betrayal in his eyes would hurt if I was as easily mislead as Oberyn. But after all this death, I find a perverse satisfaction at being the one to end Ser Hightower.

Silence fills the hall when I stand victorious, my own ragged panting the only noise I can hear. "That means I'm innocent, right?"

"You are, yes." Agrees an impressed Benjen Stark. "And your men can leave." He adds after some start to voice concerns.

I breathe out slowly and hope my actions are as positive as my Uncle's single day as King. Give them a ship and enough supplies for a few months at sea." Turning to the only Septon brave enough to remain as a witness for my trial, I smile hesitantly at him. "Would the Faith be willing to accept me as a member?" It's better than the Wall at least.

Benjen interrupts before I can get an answer either way. "Why are we giving our enemy a ship and so many supplies?"

"If they truly want to serve a Targaryen King, the only one left is sailing for the Sorrows now. I think it's only fitting you make sure they suffer as he did for using such madness as a weapon." The look on the Stark man's face immediately becomes one of savage understanding. "But you'll need to treat it like sending them to the Wall. They can still escape and hide in Essos if your men aren't careful."
​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 43: Watchers In The Night
Viserys Ashtar
​

The tension in everyone eases when Barristan and the others from the 'Shalescale' enter the barrier, only to skyrocket at the sight of skeletal figures stalking through the shadows beneath the stone orchard. With arms and legs far longer than a normal person, they seem to skitter across the ground sniffing at the trail only recently used.

I can't get an accurate count of the watchers, losing count each time the glowing green eyes blink. They refuse to come close to the barrier of yellow light and settle down to observe us with only the occasional hooting screech to break to foreboding silence.

"We found some loot, I almost feel like a real pirate now." Barristan is the one man here I still know can handily defeat me and even his eyes shine with child like awe at the sight of the weapons. "Pick whichever one you want… looks like we're going to need them soon."

"Those things came out of the cliffs on the beach and followed us the entire way back." He explains as he starts to test the balance of the different blades, finally nodding with satisfaction at what I recognize as a curved Chinese Dao style.

The tapestries in the tower flash in my mind and I can only guess this was made after some war with Yi Ti. I can't think of anywhere else this kind of sword would be made… so was this one an import or merely a replica?

"From the cliffs?" I notice the odd location and bring it to Barristan's attention. "Not from the water?"

"… Yeah." His eyes widen in understanding.

"We know who left the trail now."

Elyse tries to hide her body behind the triangle shield she claimed for herself and glares at the watchers. "What do they want from us?"

"A sacrifice." Remembering what the Emperor said has my indignation grow. This is my crew and you won't get any of them!

"I'm not going to be able to sleep with all those eyes watching us," Admits Arnold the bard, his knees knocking against each other as he shakes in place.

The strings of the three dragonbone bows we found need to be replaced before being usable, but a few hundred obsidian arrowheads mean I don't need to be stingy with my shooting anymore. I draw it and take careful aim at the closest pair of glowing eyes only to hiss in anger when they close.

"Start cutting branches and get as many arrows made as you can." If I can't rely on careful aim, I'm going to need to treat this like shooting in a storm.

Predict where they'll be with each flash of lightning or in this case blink of the eyes. I exhale and shoot to the left before the creature can react. And fire the moment it goes dark.

A pained howl chills my blood and soon the whole crowd of creatures is shrieking. The cacophony rises from all around the barrier and drowns out even the beating of my own heart.

Any time a pair of eyes are visible for even a second, I let fly another shaft into the gloom. Less than a third impact our stalkers but the frequency does force them to retreat for now.

"I have some spare strings, do any of you know how to shoot a bow?" I won't be able to keep this up forever, no matter how much I'm enjoying the looks of amazement from everyone.

My record is only a little over an hour of constant firing and my fingers bled for days afterwards. My arms just can't last if this is going to be an every night occurrence. The arrows won't last either, not unless we try finding the ones I shot in the morning.

When I get a few men who have at least a skill level I'll call passable, I hand my bow off in exchange for a handful of green olives. No idea how these are still growing fresh but I'm in no position to complain since we left nearly everything edible on the ship.


…


None of us get a restful sleep in the manse and I see everyone has bags under their eyes in the morning. Even after we all decided to sleep in the entrance hall with a rotating watch, it's not enough to make anyone feel safe.

The creatures howl and shriek until the ash in the sky glows orange, signaling a new day has dawned in this hellish terrain once called Valyria. I only catch a glimpse of one creature before it flees and can only compare it to a charred skeleton.

Blackened and blistered skin is stretched across bones grotesquely long, with long jagged claws dragging along the dirt. Only a few strands of wispy white hair are still on his head and I realize he or his ancestors had once been human.

He has an ash grey cloak wrapped around his body that looks like it could be made from some kind of skin. Once he turns his back to the tower, I can barely see the outline of his body ripple with movement.

"If they don't like the light, we need to leave before nightfall." Barristan cracks his neck once it's clear the threat is gone for now. "Unless you think this place is worth dying for?"

"The Emperor will keep looking for us now but he seemed distracted by something. We need to find him first." My words come out with the confidence of a man on the gallows and Barristan nods in agreement. "Make sure we grab all olives and the tapestries in the tower, I doubt we're coming back here again." Sleeping where he knows we are, is just asking for a surprise visit.


…

​

Mya Stone
​

Since being rescued by Lord Baelish and his men, I haven't been allowed outside without an escort. The repeated claim of both pirate and clansmen activity in the Fingers is becoming less believable by the day, as the Menderly ships have finally joined with the Vale fleet in retaking the Three Sisters.

The Dornish girl Nymeria Sand is supposed to keep me company but I haven't been given an answer for why she was here waiting for me yet. I doubt I will, the tension in this tower is growing thicker with each dreary day.

The constant rain beating down on the little rocky peninsula reminds me of Father's tales of the Storm's End. Maybe this just means he's going to come get me himself? Lord Arryn hasn't sent anyone yet and I don't think the Queen would leave me to die.

Lyanna's the one who said I could come to King's Landing if I wanted. I thought my name was enough to keep me safe and said no… but I'm definitely rethinking that choice now. The sky scraping peaks don't seem like a comforting embrace from the Kingdom anymore and instead feel like jagged talons keeping me confined.

"King's Landing has been taken by Aegon's forces…" Lord Baelish growls as he strides into the dining hall with a letter clutched in his grip, knuckles white with tension. "And already been retaken by your Father's army. Aegon has been proven innocent of having any hand in the war and is going to be sent to the Faith once the Reach is safe to travel again."

Nymeria freezes with her spoon halfway to her mouth and lets the crab soup splash back down into her bowl. "What happened to the other instigators?"

Big word for a bastard, one of your parents must be nearly as important as my Father. But of course that thought only reminds me Father makes me a target with no special protection. Queen Lyanna said the Selmy boy was quite the catch and he lives in Father's ancestral home. Maybe I should ask to live with my Uncle Stannis.

"Prince Oberyn was slain in single combat with King Robert Baratheon, though the poison has left him on his deathbed." My rescuer frowns even as his words make my blood freeze. What!

"His brother Stannis will take the throne, while Prince Renly brings Aegon with him to force to enforce the Reach's surrender." Rage flickers in his eyes and I realize he really did care about my father. "I will be bringing you South once the sea is safe. It seems we have a few openings on the Small Council." That kind of emotion can't be faked.

Nymeria looks even more concerned at this and I start to wonder if she's loyal to her Dornish family after all. "But what about the Iron Islands and the Westerlands? And I thought the Golden Company was moving into the Riverlands?"

"Lord Tywin will march through the Riverlands on his way to reclaim Casterly Rock. While the Golden Company will be trapped between him and Lord Tully's armies." Adds Lord Baelish as he starts filling his own bowl. "With his son bringing the entirety of the fleet to hit the West coast and both armies with him afterwards to subdue the Ironborn."

"What about Quentyn Martell and Rhaenys? Aren't they both still missing?" Proving herself faster with all of this political thinking, Nymeria has more emotion laden questions.

Lord Baelish looks a concerned over the idea but does answer eventually. "Pentos will either turn over those responsible… or the real war will be against the Free City next year."

​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 44: Shake On It
Theon Greyjoy
​

Watching Rodrik sail off for the Arbor is a strangely freeing feeling. It's only me left on Pyke now and Father has already insisted I start pulling my own weight. With Maron fallen in the attack on Seaguard and Asha in Oldtown with her new Tyrell husband, I'm going to have to train with Uncle Aeron's crew.

Despite Victarion's claim of the dead rising beyond the Wall, Euron has been sent to reclaim the ships stolen by the craven. Abandoning us for the Basilisk Isles has let the North and Vale purge their lands far too quickly.

The Hightowers have barely managed to secure the Rock and won't have long to enforce the change in Westerland leadership. It's obvious even to me, that our allies on the mainland aren't going to hold out for long against the now able to unite Kingdoms.

"You're old enough to wet your blade on greenlander blood." Smirks Father as he slams his empty mug onto the stained table, his driftwood crown tilting with the weight of a clam shell on the left side. "You'll sail with him and raid the Riverlands before they can deal with the Golden Company."

"He's only ten and two!" Mother tries to raise a complaint but gets shut down immediately.

With a drunken snarl, Father backhands hard enough to split her lip. "Exactly! He's already a year behind his brothers first kill." He growls bitterly as he thinks of Maron. "Theon cant laze about with you like a whore anymore. It's time he learns to be a man."

"Only for a few more moons and then I'll be three and ten." I find myself puffing my chest up when the men in the hall burst into mocking laughter. "I want to go."

"I don't give a damn what you want Boy," Spits my Father with glassy eyes and pink cheeks. "You'll do what your King commands!"

"And what do you command Brother?" Aeron comes to my rescue with a look of pity thrown in my direction.

This question makes Father's smirk grow to an unsettling size. "The Freys are going to need help sacking Riverrun and I want you to bring back the older Targaryen girl. Your brother's children will have a claim on the entire Seven Kingdoms once she bleeds."

"Whatt aboutt Robert's bastard?" Aeron frowns at what seems to be a change in assignment.

"The Frey's lost her and six patrols have been torn apart as if by wild animals so far in the search." Snorting at the idea of animals fighting for some princess like it's a children's tale, Father snatches a fresh mug from the passing wench.

He swallows half the drink in a single breath and belches louder than the storm."Theon will just have to settle for a saltwife for now… If he has the balls to claim one that is."

His men roar with laughter and I feel my face go pink with shame. I'll show you just how brave I am on this raid Father, you won't be able to scorn me like this anymore.


…

​

Jaime Lannister
​

The moment my hand was severed, it felt like all my dreams got tossed overboard with it. Lynesse and her family have locked Kevan and his family in the depths of the Rock. If she births a son… it will be a lot harder for Father and Tyrion to reclaim our home.

The knowledge of how bloody a vengeance they will bring in retaliation is all that allowed me to endure the Ironborn's questioning. I ignore the fact that I can't be damaged in any long term way and what happened to the men I brought with me.

Finally in Oldtown where I am to spend the rest of this ramshackle rebellion, I've only been in he Hightower's deepest dungeon for a few hours before I hear the whispers Lynesse spoke of. The voice sounds wet and hisses with so many of it's fellows I lose track of how many different pitches watch me.

The mocking taunts of how not even Tyrion will have a use for me if I get freed, are the easiest to ignore. When the hisses bring up something only Cersei knows, I start to wonder if Lynesse was speaking the truth.

"Your son will be King once the second Stag dies." The smugness is thick like oil and makes me clamber to my feet. "Aren't you proud of betraying your King?"

"The Baratheon lout, is not my King!" I only serve him because my true King has commanded it.

Cackling from the hallways draws closer to my door and soon saltwater begins to flood in from under it. "But how will you serve Viserys, with only one hand?"

"I'll just need to learn how to fight with my left." I hadn't actually thought that far before now, too lost in my shock for the last few weeks. Not going to let some nightmares declare me useless.

"The ones who lived here before… they broke faith with us." The freezing water is already a foot deep and I'm forced to pull myself into the air with one of the hanging shackles. "They have also taken from you… have they not?" The one speaking now is wheezing more than the first one and has a far raspier voice.

"Are you talking about the Hightowers?"

The first creature hisses again with a very pleased tone. "Yes. And what if I offered you the chance to bring this vengeance in our name?"

"I'm kind of locked up and about to drown if you hadn't noticed." The water is almost at chest height even with the aid of the chain and I know I only have a few minutes left.. "You're also the one who seems to think I'm useless right now. Why are you even speaking with me?"

"Lannisters always pay their debts… this one will be quiet the long term repayment and we won't appreciate a second pact being broken." This time the voice is in the room with me and I can even see a pair of shadows swimming in circles around me. "If you wish to live… just hold out your stump."

I intend to drown and ignore the dark offer but find it growing more tempting by the second. When my lungs begin to burn and my vision grows dark, I lose the will to resist salvation.

My arm thrusts forward and I see a greenish blue claw emerge from the darkness to meet it. It's a scaled limb with six webbed fingers and a thumb on each side of it.

Pressing a black shape to my stump brings pain intense as a lightning bolt coursing through my body. I writhe in pain as disturbing visions flash before my eyes.

I see a sprawling city several times larger than King's Landing lining the both sides of an undersea canyon. The greasy black stone at first looks like shadows on the rock but I can soon make out buildings of impossible angles going all the way down to the black depths.

All of a sudden the occupants of the city look up at me simultaneously, with thousands of orange glimmering eyes filling me with overwhelming fear. I know they wish nothing but pain for any human they can't use and am already regretting my moment of weakness.

Bubbles erupt around me and I'm suddenly in the middle of a howling blizzard. A wave of water hundreds of feet high surges across the landscape and devastates entire forests.

The only reason I'm not washed away with the hundreds of fleeing people below, is the western side of the wave breaking against the foothills of the mountain peak I find myself standing on. The wave crashes into an endless horde of shrieking blue eyed bodies and breaks the army with the sheer mass of water.

When I think the wave will wash the dead out to sea, it suddenly stops in place. The rest of the water slams into the still part at the front, rising what has to be nearly a thousand feet in the air. It doesn't collapse once the movement is gone and I watch the full force of the blizzard slam into the water.

Freezing faster than I can even believe possible, the wave soon looks like the tales of the Wall. The snow still in the air whirls around me and I blink against the stinging cold on my eyes.

After the snow buries me and I fear I'm going to die anyway, I pull myself free with the last of my air.

I struggle to climb free from the snow and blink to clear my vision. Doing so reveals I'm no longer in my cell and I find myself clawing across a sandy beach a few miles outside of Oldtown.

My hands push into the sand still damp from high tide and I nearly collapse in shock. I have two hands!

Where I had a stump the last time I checked, I find my right wrist is bonded with a fist made of oily black stone. It's carved to perfection and reacts as if it was the one I was born with when I try flexing it.

"Give us the Hightowers or we will come for your entire family." I hear the raspy voice echo in my mind and I whirl around to find it nowhere in sight. "We are losing patience with your kind, this is your last chance."​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 45: Feast With Freys
Garlan Tyrell
​

"This is my son Samwell," Randall introduces the shy and chubby seven year old who tries to stand tall for my inspection. "He will serve you dutifully."

"If he's anything like you, I have no doubt he will." My courtesy makes Asha scoff.

"He looks pretty soft to me."

Samwell flushes pink and looks down at his feet and Lord Tarly doesn't see fit to correct her. He's going to need some special attention in the yard it seems. Can't bring him to battle with less than average skill. Not losing another kid in battle.

"He's young and still just unbaked dough." I give Samwell an encouraging smile and remember how intimidating it was to begin training beside Willas. "We'll decide what you're going to be and you'll turn out as hard as you need to be."

"If anyone can get him to stop flinching away from every blow, it would be you Lord Garlan." The genuine respect Randall has been giving me is hard to adjust to after a lifetime of him scorning my Father. "All I ask is you… bake him into a warrior worth the name Tarly."

Tyrion and I may never be able to be friends but he has shown more than one way the be a capable warrior. "First thing I'm going to do, is find you a good beginner's bow to get your arm strength up. "It worked on Viserys and I see no reason you're going to be any different. It took the Prince a few years before he was decent with a weapon, so we just need to try everything until something works for you."

Forcing a warrior to use a weapon they have no talent for will triple the time it takes to have them battle ready. They will never reach a level beyond decent either and no squire of mine will settle for average.

Maybe I'll start him with a spear… the illusion of distance should help Sam get over his skittishness. The boy finally returns my smile with a cautious grin of his own, assuring me he's no craven and only needs a different style of motivation.

"The Fossoways and Rowans have thrown in with the Baratheons…" Lord Tarly explains with a vein bulging on his brow. "Most of the northern lords are siding with them."

"Bring my forces to the Mander and hold it." Father will have to deal with his own problems right now. I don't really see it going well now that Grandmother has taken Margaery and Loras to the Arbor.

Doesn't look like they'll be sailing for King's Landing anymore… Grandmother must be wroth that her plans are falling apart. "If we're going to lose, I want to make sure we can at least negotiate from a position of strength."

"My brother will crush the Kitten's fleet and do what the boy King failed at." My wife brags and I find it hard to dismiss her claim. Forty long-cogs and a hundred long ships being added to the Redwynnes, is more than enough to outmatch the Royal Fleet in open battle.

"The war has been lost and all we can do is make sure we keep our seats." Randall rolls his eyes and somehow manages not to rudely dismiss Asha's bravado. "The Riverlands inability to see the obvious will hopefully distract the Baratheons ire and let us avoid the Hightower's fate."

We aren't fighting to win this war anymore, only trying to be the faction hated the least everyone. The Ironborn and Golden Company will fight until the end, Randall and I need to make it clear we stand apart from the choices of my father.

Maybe choosing a new sigil would help keep the Tyrell branches separate in the King's mind, it worked for Viserys. "As long as Rodrik can keep Tyrion from crossing the Dornish border, we might just manage to keep our titles."


...

​

Daenerys Tully
​

Once the Freys arrive at the castle, Ser Desmond brings me to the nursery so we can spend the evening with the twins. Ser Jonothor is already in the room and happily giving Bae a 'dragon ride' to the sound of Jae's clapping.

I'm not too big for them anymore, he's just getting old. "Ask Desmond if you really want one, it's your sister's turn next." He notices my scowl and laughs merrily when he switches twins. Grabbing Jae under the shoulders and lifting her into the air to the sound of roars.

"Don't worry Dany, I'm not too old to give you one." Giving me a warm smile, Desmond shows why he's my favorite knight. Viserys doesn't count, he's my brother.

I consider the offer and almost say yes but know I'm not a little girl anymore. I'm almost as old as Viserys was, when he was King of the Seven Kingdoms.

"I need to act my age Ser Desmond. I can't have 'dragon rides' anymore." No matter how much fun they are.

The music from the main hall ends suddenly and I see the two knights exchange worried looks. "What's going on? The feast just started."

"We'll find out once you three are somewhere safe." The Darry knight gives me a reassuring smile that I can see doesn't make it to the eyes. "Now come along Dany, Owell will bring your mother to the rear gate if something is truly wrong."

"Jonothor is right, we're just being cautious old men." Adds Desmond as he grabs my brother carefully. "Now hurry up, you know the way Dany."

We run through the halls as quietly as my siblings allow and nearly get to the boats before I hear the sound of swords clanging. Desmond tells me to cover my ears when the screaming starts but I'm too scared the sounds will get closer.

It's getting hard not to break into tears but I manage somehow. When we reach the water gate I breath out in relief to find Mother already in one of the rowboats.

Ser Oswell is waiting for us with nine panicking men and breathes a sigh of relief when we arrive. "I'm so glad you're safe. The Frey's struck as soon as the poison took affect and I barely managed to get Rhaella from the hall."

"What's wrong with Mother?" She's not moving aside from some shallow breathing.

"I only noticed the effects once she had had a few bites of her meal. She collapsed in my arms halfway here." Oswell explains with an angry look on his face. "People staring falling over and the Frey's drew steel. It was a massacre and I even heard the bastards say the Ironborn are coming."

"Where can we go?" Snarls Desmond as he puts me in the boat with Mother. "We don't have enough people to actually fight back!"

"We follow protocol and split them up." Oswell commands sternly. "You'll bring Baelor to the Stormlands at Harrenhal, Jonothor will bring Jaenaera to her aunt in the Vale. While I bring Danaerys and Rhaella to the Lady Catelyn in the North."

Desmond stops and stares at the Whent knight, his eyes flashing dangerously. "Why are you not going to Lord Brynden and your family at Harrenhal?"

"Because I was wrong and the Riverlands will not be safe once the Inonborn and Golden Company arrive." Shame fills Oswell's voice and I realize he's had some part in all of this. "We cannot let any of them get a hold of the children or Rhaella."

"What happened to Father?" I only now notice he isn't with us and remember the talk of poison. "He's okay… right?"

Oswell doesn't answer and I start to get angry. "You're horrible!" My face gets hot as I scream at the man who swore to protect us. "Get away from us!"

"You heard her." Desmond hands his twin to one of the equally horrified guards and draws his sword. "If you want to make even a shred of what you've caused up… you'll buy us as much time as you can and not tell them which exit we took."

"The plan to take them to the Tully sisters is a good one and I'll ensure the twins get to Lady Lysa safely." The grim faced Jonothor growls. "You just get these two ladies North safe."

I try not to cry as Desmond pushes off with four men as an escort, while my siblings instead go down the other fork in the river. He leans down and turns my gaze away from Oswell and the lone man who decided to ensure he follows through on his promise.

"Don't worry Dany, Lady Catelyn will love you. She even has some girls of her own about your age." His whispers are comforting but I'm scared for the twins, though Desmond of courses knows what''s really bothering me. "And you'll see Bae and Jae again before you even forget how much they annoy you."

We sail forever on the dark river, with only the sound of paddles churning the water making any sound. Frogs croak loudly around us and it makes me giggle when I remember Uncle Brynden saying it means they're looking for a Princess to kiss.

Eventually I while I stop being terrified every second and I'm really just starting to get tired now. Desmond notices me trying to fight off a yawn and wraps his cloak into a bundle for me to lay my head on.

"You can sleep Dany, we'll keep you safe." His words are supposed to be comforting but it only makes me think of how many people are being bad in the Riverlands and want to find us.

"Um…" Bartrim Rivers stops his rowing and points a shaking finger into the night. "I think we have Ironborn coming for us."

A bunch of lantern shine on the river and I start to cry when I realize they're people who want to hurt us. Desmond doesn't hesitate and gives a swift order, getting the boat closer to the riverbank.

"You need to get Rhaella out of here safely… but just in case." He grabs me and leaps onto the shore with one of the guards named Bronn following without a splash. "We'll make sure Daenerys makes it safely. We'll wait for you at the ford but only for one day, so good luck." His words are a hissed goodbye as the three of us dash into the gloomy woods.​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 46: After Her
Viserys Ashtar
​

"How much water do we have left?" I'm starting to realize this might not be as quick a voyage as I first thought and have Elyse double check our stores. "We left with enough for a year but I'm not very good at keeping track of time." After a few hours it all just kind of blends together for me.

"If we don't lose anyone else…" She smirks at me and it want to yank on her braid, though I know that's exactly the kind of response she wants to get out of me. "We can last at least another eight months without rationing." As long as we keep stirring the water twice a day you mean.

The 'Shalescale' goes deeper into the Smoking Sea, with larger chunks of landmass becoming far more common sights rising out of the steam. I can even seen a few dark shapes flaying against the orange glow above us, letting out raspy squawks as they seek shelter from something.

The pillar of light that is our target grows larger in the sky, looking nearly twice the size of the one we sheltered at last night. As the orange glow in the sky begins to fade the eerie green shimmer returns to the mist and keeps us from smashing to pieces on the obsidian spires. They're a lot smaller closer to the core, but the broken off pieces will still tear a hole in our ship.

I feel the vibrations when the oars drag us as far onto the shore as the tide will allow and breathe out in relief. No sea monsters in the day so far, looks like we're starting to figure this place out.

"It's raining fire!" The panicked voice of Spitlick cries out and I only now see the flickering embers… rising from the mist.

"Rain doesn't go up, it's embers!" I start to worry when they get closer and give out the command to wet our cloaks. "Smack them out wherever they land!"

The fist sized embers begin landing on the wood and I realize they are in fact moths. The wings aren't on fire but the powder on the wings ignites above them with each flap.

Sections of the railings and deck start to smoke as the swarm of insects nearly blanket the Shalescale. Even after being soaked in the sea, my cloak is soon blackened with ash and starts to smoke itself.

"Don't let up, we can't lose the ship!" Roars Barristan as he and Arnold finish hauling our rowboat back up from the sea. "Now someone give us a hand with this thing!" His words get two more men to help tip the boat and spill the salt water across the deck.

It drowns most of the moths and scatters the rest on the hull. My relief doesn't last long though as the entire swarm settles on the mast.

"Get them off-" My words die as the ropes ignites as if they had been doused in gas.

The roaring fire races across the cross beam and spreads to the entire mast in just moments. "Never mind, get as much food and water off the ship as we can!"

As the fire spreads I manage to roll four barrels of water off and into the sand. Barristan saves me when I try to rush back for a fifth and heaves me off the ship with those who already abandoned ship.

He throws himself off next and breaks his fall by rolling with far more grace than I had managed in my surprise. "You alright Viserys?" I wheeze on my back and try to force air back into my lungs. "Didn't land on anything I hope?"

"Only what little pride I've managed to scrounge up." Elyse snorts at my comment and soon everyone is chuckling despite our ship aflame in the surf beside us.

"No idea how you still have any of that, we all saw how easily Arianne led you around."

My face heats up and I find no witty response on my tongue. So like all men who find themselves embarrassed… I act incredibly maturely and let it slid off my back. Once I blow her a raspberry of course. She's just lucky we have witnesses or I would be shoving her face in the sand right now.

"He was like a little puppy," Toddrey the slightly slower thinker among my crew blurts out with a lopsided grin on his face. "We know you aren't really scary Viserys, unless someone wants to hurt your family."

The vocal agreement from everyone is enough to drown out the crackling of the wood and I feel a sense of pride fill my bones. "That's each and every one of you now. No one gets to hurt any of you, not while I have the strength left to avenge it." That's why we're looking for the asshole who killed Gerold… I will not let that slide.

"What did we manage to save?" Barristan saves me from having to continue my impromptu declaration and points to the very meager amount of supplies we got overboard in time.

"A couple months worth of water and maybe that much food… if we ration." Grunts Arnold when he rolls the last barrel of salted meat out of the water.

The scream of Marya has all of us whirl about as one, only to see several shadows escaping towards the hills in the distance. In the opposite direction from the pillar of clean air, which makes my mind race with thought.

"Can't go back on my words now." I feel my heart begin pounding as conflict nears. "Get these supplies to the place we're calling home for now. We'll bring Marya back and find out what exactly we're dealing with here." Including six very eager men in my party isn't enough to satisfy Barristan though.

"I should be the one going, not you." He counters with a scowl.

Your skills are needed far more here with everyone else. "Someone needs to teach these people how to swing a sword and we both know I can't do it. Besides, someone died last time we checked a pillar… you really going to let my go in first?" And it's not like I can wait on the ship anymore, so it's time tto deal with me growing up.

"Just bring her back safe, I need someone sane to deal with all your insanity." He finally relents and lets me lead the men after Marya. "And you six better make sure Viserys comes back with you."


…

​

Tyene Sand
​

I barely managed to sneak out of Riverrun before the guests arrived and can only hope the poison kills every Frey and Tully both. Ser Thorne and the Golden Company will be here soon and we can recover the Targaryens safely.

Slipping Rhaella the fever dream poison was almost ruined when she didn't ask for her usual, but a little salacious flirting got that guard to bring me what I needed. Bronn thought he was so charming and yet he never even got to lay a finger on me… the men in the North are so easy.

The 'Loyalists' have shown themselves to be anything but and I'll have to consider this my vengeance on both sides for Father. Alliser at least I can trust to look after the children… he has some honor in his body.

I freeze at the sight of Ironborn long ships sailing towards Riverrun under the cover of darkness and carefully crouch behind some reeds. Of course they brought in the Ironborn, the ones who lost the North and Stepstones will only guarantee victory here.

I can see a rowboat come towards the bank and two men leap towards me, calling out orders to the men left behind. Once the boat is seen by the Ironborn I only have the courage to watch the first men fall to arrows.

I need to go! They're going to start looking for anyone else escaping. Swallowing my fear, I dart into the woods to late to remember which way the other two went.

An arm grabs me around the waist and pulls me to the dirt. A second hand covers my mouth firmly before I can even think of screaming.

"It's just a girl, I think she was running from the attack the same as we are." I recognize that voice! Bronn lets me sit up and even takes his hand of my mouth once he commands me not to yell.

"Aye, it is a girl. I even recognize this lovely lass from the castle and am very glad she got away from the Freys." He winks at me and I swallow the bile I feel at having someone nearly twenty years older do so. "Tasha here still owes me a kiss."\

"We can bring her with us as far as the ford, I'm not risking the chance she's working against us." The other man sighs. "Dany needs somewhere to rest for the night and I'm not going to waste time arguing right now."

Bronn snorts again. "I guess this means the Tully war bonuses aren't coming. Better be getting my gold's worth for bringing the girl so far North."

"I'll knight you myself once we're within sight of Winterfell and Lady Catelyn will ensure her husband rewards you due your station." The less smarmy man answers and it's only now I see the silver hair on the girl sleeping in his arms.

"You got the Princess away safely!" Someone in Riverrun actually did the right thing?

"Curious you call her that…" Bronn realizes something and smirks down at me. "Looks like you're coming all the way now. Something's off about you and I'm not going to chance a Frey army in my arse."​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 47: Deathbed Confession
Aegon Martell
​

"You're serious, aren't you!" The King's bellow of disbelief has me nearly fall off the bench outside his room. "If that's what you want, I've learned not to argue." Whatever the Queen is telling him, it must be something big.

Ser Benjen rolls his eyes in front of the door and the Waters boy doesn't even try hiding his laughter at my expense. "You seemed so impressive in the Sept of Baelor but you aren't the Father in the flesh. You're just some kid." And I really miss my mother. When is she going to get here with Uncle Doran?

"Why would you even think that in the first place?" Aurane's violet eyes blink at my comment and I start to think he might be a Velaryon bastard when I look at his shoulder length silver hair. "That's very specific."

"Everyone's been saying it since your trial, after you turned it into such a scolding for the rebels."

I didn't think it would matter this much, I just wanted to make it clear my family was not involved. "Oh."

For the last few days, Lords have been coming to say farewell and be given final rewards. But with the Queen and Princess back, it's only the three of us and Lord Tywin still waiting.

"Your uncle Viserys showed the Realm the Targaryens didn't all need to die." The Lannister stares at me like he's weighing my soul's worth by sight alone. "And you have now reinforced this idea. I have managed to convince Queen Lyanna to speak on your behalf." What does that even mean?

"But why am I here?" Aurane wilts under Tywin's scowl over being interrupted. Or maybe it's just for having a bastard dare speak to him. He really doesn't seem very nice at all.

Ser Benjen is the one who finally answers after nearly ten whole seconds of frosty silence. "King Robert was very impressed with how you handled yourself on the voyage and I believe he's intending to play matchmaker for you."

That makes no sense, why is the King so interested in a bastard? I've always been told you need a name in the North or you're worth less than nothing. The Seven are the only ones who treat us all the same and even the Faith can't live up to such high standards all the time.

"He's found his rage gone now that my sister is safe." The still half starved Benjen grins at me. "Seven years was a long time for him to cool off and it looks like he's got some regrets to rectify. My Mother did the same thing, made sure all her favorite servants got a nice bonus."

"My wife did the same." Admits Lord Tywin and the startled look in his eyes reveals he's just as surprised to have spoken the words.

We're saved from him silencing us when the door behind Benjen is opened by the bright eyed Princess. Jennelyn sticks her head into the hallway with a confidant smile beneath her curly raven locks.

"Pa says he wants to talk to you." With an arm on each hip she scowls at us as severely as a five year old can. "But he's really sick and getting tired." She lifts one hand to wag a finger in her Lord Tywin's face. "So don't be too loud or I'll have to make you all go away."

"Of course not Jen," The stiffness he was showing Aurane and I, is gone the second he speaks to the commanding little girl. "I will make sure these boys behave to your very reasonable standards."

She considers this for a moment and finally nods slowly. "Okay. But I'm watching you all."

"Let them in sweetness, I really do need to speak with them before I… go to sleep." Croaks King Robert and a wave of foulness washes over me when I enter his room.

The Queen is on the bed at his side and rubbing a damp cloth on his sweaty brow. Once we're all arranged in a line at the foot of the King's bed, Benjen blurts out a snarky comment.

"My niece is insisting we be quiet, but you're the one we heard out in the hall." The Stark knight smirks at his goodbrother playfully. "Must be a sign you're really faking all of this, if you can hollar like that still."

"Lyanna was just telling me a funny story about…" The King only hesitates for a half second, but I'm sure Tywin also saw it. "The Selmy boy she likes to pretend is her nephew. Reminded me of my own girl Mya and how she needs a good future."

This seems to bother Lord Tywin. "Oh?"

"Yeah, Lyanna wants out of this cesspit and I can't say no to her." Thing King struggles to sit up and look less feeble. "So she and Jennelyn are going North with Benjen for protection. Wyman is done with being Master of Whispers and will take them home… but Aurane here will bring Mya and Lord Baelish back here."

For what purpose your Grace?"

"So she and Aegon here can go live with Renly." He looks me straight in the eyes and bows his head just a smidgen. "This whole mess started because I was set on taking the last of the Dragon's land. But Viserys just had to prove himself again keeping my family safe this time."

"Since Renly has been given Griffin's Roost… I think you should have Summerhall." I nearly collapse on my trembling knees. "It'll take a while to rebuild but I'm sure your mother will like being able to live with you. She'll be sailing up for his wedding anyway, Elia can just stay once everyone else goes home."

"I… uh… thank you, your Grace." I stumble over my words and start feeling light headed.

He just chuckles and waves a hand at my gratitude. "Thank Viserys for giving me a worthy name I can give you and my wife for talking to me about this." And Lord Tywin, for instigating the conversation in the first place.

"Stannis can't have you running around as a Targaryen, but we have a shiny new name you can use now." Robert coughs and I see his sheet go pink when he wipes his lips. "So if you want the land… you need to take your Uncle's name.

"But I'm supposed to join the Faith?" I was always told to avoid this massive man and his wrath biut right now he's being incredibly kind.

"So do that and give them the land, I don't care." He starts coughing even harder and it takes a while for him to stop this time. "But you only get it if you take the name Ashtar. No Martells or Targaryens will have a castle in the Stormlands."

"Doran's already put in a request to claim the Stepstones and it's made me think of what should be done with the Reach and Iron Isles… but then I remembered you and Stannis can worry about that now."


…

​

Duncan Selmy
​

"Hey, come back here!" I've had to send White-eyes and his pack on ahead while we get within sight of Riverrun but the smell of smoke has spooked my horse. Bella clings to the horse and I dash after them.

Bonnifer and a few of his men are quick the follow, with their own horses easily outpacing me. Once the pass me, I know I should just walk back and wait with Sandor. But I've been getting so restless just sitting in a saddle, that I decide to 'help' get Bella back instead.

The river is slower here and lots of dead fall has collected along the reed covered bank. It's not until I see an overturned rowboat that I start to get worried by the now visible smoke coming from the castle.

"Over here!" Calling out my location, I walk closer to the water's edge.

A body is under the boat and another one is covered by some branches. Who are you? I pull the debris off the body and gasp at the sight of a silver haired woman.

Her gown is soggy after so long in the water and her skin has gone pale and clammy. I don't hear anyone approach, so lost in shock at the sight.

"Rhaella Tully." Sandor growls low as he walks into the river, carefully lifting the dead woman in his arms. "Which means we aren't going to Riverrun anymore. Looks like I'm taking you to Winterfell after all you little brat."

He lays Rhaella down on the grass and Melisandre pushes her way past the somber Sandor. She kneels beside the woman who was once Queen and places a kiss on her lips after whisper a prayer. Melisandre starts to stand only for one of Rhaella's hands to suddenly wrap around her wrist.

"Where are my children?" The voice is raspy and filled with the promise of violence if the answer given is not to her satisfaction.
​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 48: Two For One
Viserys Ashtar
​

I slow my sprint to a job as the sand gives way to acres of red clay and create a ridge of jagged hills. Tunnels dot the sharpened landscape like pockmarks, with a group of shadows skittering into one just as we reach the base of the hill.

"Don't let them get away!" Marya lets out a scream that echoes of the baked tunnel and giving me even more motivation.

"Last chance to go back…" I let the offer hang for a moment and smile when no one even twitches. "Let's do this fast then shall we? Everyone kneel, I'm knighting you all at once."

It's not like it means anything now that we're in Valyria, but it might make them fight a little bit harder against whatever we face. "In the name of the Seven, I charge you to kill the damn monsters!" I tap them on the shoulder in pairs of two and roar once I'm finished. "Now let's go save Marya!"

We charge through the tunnel and soon it narrows into a smooth round tube barely big enough for us to go single file.

The roof and walls are glistening and moist with some kind of clear slime and yet the ground is covered in deep scratches. At least it's giving us some traction.

Chittering hisses make my skin crawl as we reach the end of the entrance way. It opens up into a series of terraces descending downwards in ever smaller rings. Eleven floors below us and I think four above. Looks like this might not be as simple as I thought..

Dozens… maybe hundreds of the clawed humanoids interact. The society seems only a bit beyond what I remember from chimpanzees but they do seem to be communicating with a language of some sort.

Spitlick sees someone with pale and skin unblemished with oozing blisters, pointing out the altar of glitter green obsidian she's being held down on. Not going to have time to plan this one out and I don't have nearly enough arrows on hand to kill an entire village worth of monsters.

"Go and get her!" My hiss sends the six of them charging down the terraces and I string my bow as fast as I can.

I have no wind to worry about and the lichen is giving off enough of a glow to give me a great outline of each creature. Cracking my neck to relieve some tension, I take quick aim at the altar.

Fourteen shots in a minute is still my best, but it leaves a ring of screeching creatures writhing on the ground. I glance at my knights and smirk at how even they seem to be far more trained than these troglodytes.

These things must be used to overwhelming with numbers and shock, because none of them know how to do more than wildly swing those claws. Durrick goes down first when a trio of creatures leap onto his back, his long sword clattering out of his grip.

I find myself with only eight arrows left and snarl when I'm too slow, Manfred Storm falling when a set of claws tear open his throat. My last arrow saves Spitlick from being the next brave memory as he slings Marya over his should.

They won't make it back up here! The realization burns but I shoulder my bow and charge out of my hiding spot. I need to meet them at one of the lower tunnels or we're all dying in here.

"I'll meet you outside!" My roar draws both my allies and the swarm of creatures' attention. "Don't wait for me and get the Seven Hells out of here!"

Drawing my axes I don't slow down at all as I swing for the first creature to get in my way. The one with the blue haft slices through the emaciated figure at the waist, sending the top half to the ground before the legs even start to fall.

I didn't think Valyrian steel was going to be such a game changer, but I think even I could learn to use a sword made from this stuff. It doesn't consciously sink in that the swarm has become more cautious in it's approach until I find myself at a tunnel near the one everyone else took.

"Stay away from my people or I'll be back to finish you damn cretins off!" My savage roar seems to do the trick and none follow me as I dash out the tunnel.

I can hear scrapping on the clay but far enough behind me I can slow down to a manageable pace. This tunnel winds down and to the left, taking me farther and farther from where I think the others will emerge.

Hope I was enough of a distraction. The images of Durrick and Manfred flash in my mind and I force the thought of everyone else being dead from my head.

Can't think like that… this is clearly some kind of Lovecraftian horror show and means I need to keep positive thoughts in my mind. Think of Arianne naked and not Marya being devoured alive.

The mental image works a little bit and I keep the willpower to trudge all the way out of the tunnel. The four surviving knights are waiting nervously with Marya just at the edge of the steam line.

"Well it looks like we're going to have a real whopper of a tale when we get to the others." Bartrim sees me first and roars with laughter. "You look like you painted yourself black with their blood."

I reach up to my cheek and wipe away a thick ichorous substance that is indeed a tarry black color. "Well this isn't washing out of my hair for a long time."

…

​

Robert Baratheon
​

"I'm sorry Lyanna but I don't think I'm going to be able to make it until Stannis gets here." My ribs ache from all the coughing and I don't even have the strength to get up and piss anymore.

"You say this all started when you tried to give Renly Summerhall but we both know this goes back even farther." She looks as beautiful as the day I first saw her and I know Jen will be just as precious one day. "I played my own part in this and you forgive me."

"Besides… you're the only reason I gave Ned a chance to explain himself." She laughs softly so as not to wake our daughter curled up under my arm. "To think it was the 'Warrior' himself, who recommended I use my words and not my fists."

"I can't believe you really thought he was off in the Vale trying to sell you off for a castle." Why didn't she just talk to her brother before running off with Rhaegar? I snort as old frustrations try to rear their ugly heads and force them back into the bowels of my mind.

When she wipes my hot and sweaty brow like the darling she is, I thank the Seven for giving me such a perfect best friend. "He was just bragging about how impressive his family was because he didn't think he had anything about himself he could."

"I know that now you oaf, but I was a confused maiden who's father really didn't care what kind of husband I ended up with." She lays her head on my shoulder so I can't see her eyes water. "I'm really going to miss you, you know. I still wish I was just honest from the beginning, we could have lot more fun together and a whole lot less responsibility."

"Jenny doesn't have to wed unless you decide it." Stannis will do a fine job as King and doesn't actually need to bind his son to my little girl. "Maybe we can avoid all this trouble from happening again when Jen is ten and five."

"She can marry if and who she wants." Lyanna answers simply and I close my heavy eyes in relief.

She and her brothers will look after Jen and Gendry, while Renly looks after not so little anymore Mya for me. Even Lyanna's first child survived and I can't even blame her for hiding it from me. I know exactly how angry I used to get before Edric was born.

Thinking of my son brings a surge of pain to my heart and I don't even have the strength to say more than a single sentence. "I love you both, never forget that."

"And you have been a better husband than I had any right to hope for. I do love you in my own special way Robert." Her words wash over me with warmth and I focus on the last time all four of us had been together.

I'm so sorry we failed you Edric but I'll be with you soon. I'll have all the time in the world to play with you now, I'll never be too busy for you ever again.
​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 49: Gone Fishing
Theon Greyjoy
​

Finding Riverrun with only a single Tully inside and already dead left Uncle Aeron enraged. All of our long ships have been sent out the find the Targarens, but I can already see pillars of smoke rising all around me.

Most of our men have already moved on to raiding the villages instead of some pointless search. But of course my crew will report back if I try to do the same. How am I supposed to make a name for myself, if I'm stuck looking for children?

The river starts to pick up speed, with a series of rapids making me groan at the idea of rowing back up them later. A lone rowboat with several men inside appears and grows larger as we gain on them.

"Search the boat!" My crew doesn't need my command and comes right alongside the four men frantically paddling.

They manage to get close enough to shore that running becomes an option, with everyone on board leaping for the riverbank. Two of them have no weapon in hand and instead cradle a pair of blanket wrapped bundles.

The twins. "Don't let them get away!" This time my command does seem to be what prompts my thirty men to action and soon we're beaching on the shore. "You four stay with the 'Rusty Ax'." I snarl when I nearly stumble on my landing, skidding a few feet forward before I manage to catch myself.

The woods are filled with long shadows and thick with bushes to hide in. My eyes scan for movement in the brush as I run past but nothing stands out to me. Where did they go?

We fan out and eventually I find half of a boot print in the damp dirt. With adrenaline coursing through me, I decide not to call out my find. No reason to mention it until I know it's not a false alarm… and it gives me all the glory if I find them myself.

It's only four old men and two of them can't even fight back. I can do this all on my own… finally show everyone Rodrik isn't so impressive.

More tracks reveal themselves and I draw my sword in preparation. One man leaps from behind an oak tree when I race past and swings for my face with his mace.

I only barely avoid having the splintering bark be my skull and thrust my blade up through the ginger's jaw. He dies almost instantly and I freeze with him still on my blade. Rodrik's mockery of never being a real man echoes in my mind and I finally realize how full of shit he's always been.

Killing people is scarily easy. I didn't even think about it and this man is dead. Staying alive is what really takes skill.

"Over here you lack wits! I already got my blade wet on one of them." Now where did the rest of ou run off to?

My shout alerts more than just my crew and I find myself running into slightly more than a dozen armed men. The men I had been chasing are safely at the rear of this new group of knights.

"You got something alright…" Growls the man in filthy clothes but who is still clearly in charge of the group. "A damn death wish for thinking I'd let Ironborn sack my family home. Going after my niece and nephew here, is just going to make sure I don't go easy on yo-"

His threat is interrupted by my crew roaring out of the bushes, facing the shocked soldiers with two-to-one odds. My eyes lock onto the babes and the men holding them, as they race away with only a paltry escort.

This time I'm not alone in my chase and several of my men beat me to the punch. Three of them dash after our targets and soon it's just me and the snarling Blackfish.

The men with the babes are dead and dying, which means this legend is all that stands in the way of becoming my own. "You're better of coming quietly. My men will be here soon and I'm not going down easily."

I'm not dumb enough to think I can face this man on my own and try stalling for time. He sees right through my attempt and spits in my face.

"You may have more iron," He thrusts at me with far more speed than I expected and pain blossoms on my thigh. "But steel is worth far more and we seem to have the advantage in that!"

I'm stabbed in the should and slashed across my cheek before I manage to even think about defending myself. When he kicks me in the chest and I land in the mud, he looks down at me with only contempt on his face.

"You are right about how many Ironborn I've seen and I don't have Alliser to use as a distraction anymore." He kicks me hard in the ribs and growls dangerously. "You're coming with me so I can make your boys back off. If they don't, you're just dead weight I'll need to cut loose."


…

​

Renly Baratheon
​

"You better not be going off to die," Arianne growls when I make my goodbyes before leaving with my army. "And you better make the Tyrells pay for being a part of this madness."

"I need to link up with Lord Selmy before I can lead the assault upon the Reach." Finally get a chance to hit these flower pickers back and I'm going to savor every second of it. "The Daynes have very eagerly given word they will join us before we besiege Highgarden. That will put us over thirty thousand fresh soldiers."

However the Sea Lion managed to convince them I'll always wonder, the Daynes seemed fully intent on sitting this war out before Tyrion arrived a Starfall.

"With Tyrion keeping the 'Greywynne' Fleet distracted, I can rip the Roses right out of the garden." The Florents and Rowans have sent word they will side with us and they only want the Tyrells removed from power.

Of course that means they both want to be the ones who claim the titles… but who says the Warden of the South and Lord Paramount of the Reach must be the same family? She rolls her eyes at my bravado for the men and crosses her arms like a scolding sister.

Or at least what Galladon says they're like every time he goes home for a visit. Brienne sounds like quite the little spitfire, maybe I should see about her coming to ward once Mya 'Baratheon' arrives with Aegon. It was nice having so many boys around my own age and I don't see why girls would be any different.

"We may have gotten a rushed marriage to make things official, but Father and Elia will insist on planning for a proper celebration once this war is over." She smirks at me playfully and I find this arrangement oddly freeing.

I always thought I'd have to go to great lengths to hide who I really was but now Arianne and I can simply coexist. Having someone who knows and doesn't care in the slightest has given me an intense sense of protectiveness over her. Cersei found that out the hard way last time she got a little too cranky.

"Leave some for me," I do not whine. "I want some hand in choosing the colors at least." I pout like a Prince and press a kiss to the back of her hand for appearances sake. Though in a few weeks it's really going to show. "I'm only getting one wedding feast you know."

"You better only be planning one, my Targaryen blood is a hundred years old. Polygamy isn't really going to work for me." At least not how Westeros would accept the form we would both prefer.

"I promise no more charging headlong into danger," I finally concede to her stern glare and crossed arms. "Learned my lesson at Summerhall."

This seems to convince her and she relaxes her stance. "Good. Because I'm not going to be able to do this without you."

The double meaning of her words isn't lost on me and thankfully our audience takes it as a lovers farewell. I ride off and only hope things stay calm in the Stormlands until I can return. I worked hard to keep us from being ravaged like the Riverlands and can only spare eight thousand to maintain our coastline.

Knowing when I return it will be as Lord Paramount of the Stormlands is still hard to wrap my head around. The idea of Robert being killed in battle, even with poison is not something I had even believed possible. Edric's fate is a horror I can only hope gets avenged with the same viciousness.

Stannis will be King and I can finally be free of that yowling lioness. Going to need to make sure Patchface goes with them, he was Father's gift to Stannis after all.​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 50: Rising From The Flames
Sandor Houndsworth
​

When Rhaella jerks upright and speaks, Duncan just freezes in place. Not that I blame the boy, this is not something you can prepare for. A dead woman walking around and demanding we find her children is a few steps beyond the more obedient than believable animals Duncan keeps finding.

Since everyone including the annoying woman in scarlet responsible for the whole mess is unable to find their words… I draw Rhaella's attention to myself. "You might want to look at yourself in the river… you've definitely looked better Lady Tully."

She examines me closely and an unnerving smile grows on her pallid face. "Ser Sandor. My son's guardian..." Her eyes grow sharp and her voice promises violence. "Where is Viserys?"

"You know what happened." I refuse to let such a slight, if unsettling woman frighten me.

"I do and you failed him." The stare bores into me and I feel a bead of sweat build on my brow despite my best efforts. Okay… she's scaring me now.

"Sandor did his best!" Duncan finally finds his voice and blurts out words in my defense. "But he can't fight a disease with a sword, you're not being fair!"

"They call you Duncan Selmy… correct?" Her milky eyes dart down to my squire and she raises a hand to brush the bangs out of his eyes.

Despite his fear, Duncan manages to answer with only minimal stuttering. "That's what we're trying to find out. No one will tell me who I really am."

"You don't look like a Dayne…" Rhaella's smile loses it's edge and seems genuine.. "I don't know why it took me so many visits to notice my son's smile. But you really do have your mother's eyes."

Don't let her pull Duncan into this, keep her focused on me. "You know who his parents are? Want to save us a pointless journey and just give us the truth."

"He's my grandson of course." The words shock me but Duncan is so overwhelmed he faints.

"How are you alive?" Melisandre finally speaks as I check on the boy and find his eyes even whiter than the dead woman's.

Glancing down at her reflection one more time, Rhaella "I don't believe I am. I think you just gave me enough time to say a proper goodbye."

"What did you do to Duncan?" He's growling and snarling like one of his coyotes in my arms.

"It seems you did not fail Viserys… he just gave you what he saw as the more important task." She's making a leap in logic I choose not to correct. The creepy smile is a far sight better than her death stare.

The sound of hooves approaching has me look over my shoulder, Bonnifer and his men are back safely with Bella. His face goes from one of smarmy pride to horror when he sees Rhaella.

"What happened to you Ella?" His voice sounds like a boy who just had a nightmare. "You don't look well."

She raises a hand to her chest and pulls her gown to the side, revealing the broken arrow that goes right through one of her lungs. "I think I died. But I'm glad you're here, the Mother brought you all to me today."

"The light of R'hllor brought us to you, not some false idols." finding her fire, a scowling Melisandre is quick to correct Rhaella. "He is the one who brought you back."

"It was Duncan's friends who brought us here." Bella snorts at the Red Woman and clambers down to help me with the boy. "You and Sandor argued with them every mile. Was funny seeing a grown man and woman lose so many arguments to some wild animals."

"What do we do with your guards?" It's Bonnifer who remembers the three bodies in the river. "They deserve a proper send off after giving their lives for you.


...

​

Duncan Selmy
​

When Lady Rhaella says she's my grandmother, the shock sends me reeling. That isn't what sends me to the ground.

One of my friends is trying to get my attention but somehow the howling is only in my head. I try to reach out and assure him I'm fine, only for everything to change.

My vision dims and the colors around me grow faded, with some shades simply no longer existing. The lose of color isn't as hard to deal with as I first started to panic over.

The trade off for my new sense of smell has me nearly overwhelmed by how much of the world I was missing before. I can hear voices clearly that would have been muffled whispers moments ago.

I'm lower to the ground as I lope forward and it takes a few seconds to realize I'm doing so on all fours. It doesn't feel uncomfortable and in fact seems like the most natural way I could move.

Running all around me are my coyote friends who are leading me towards something. We exit the treeline and find another a wide shallow ford in the river.

Two men with drawn blades are protecting a pair of girls. One girl is about my age and has a head full of strawberry pink hair, while the other is closer to Viserys' own. Their words are worried at first but grow resigned when my entire pack shows themselves.

"They don't look hungry. I think they want to help us." The youngest girl declares when I lock eyes with her, the scent of strawberry nearly overwhelming me as she strides forward confidently. "See. He's a good boy."

I let her scratch behind my ear and feel my brain explode with the sensation of pleasure. I swear I'm petting each of you every day now, can't believe this feels so good. No wonder dogs are man's best friend, I'd do anything for her to keep doing this forever.


….


I sit up and groan, my head roaring with pain. "What's going on?"

Bella hears me and is first by my side. "Lady Rhaella is making us give her men a proper goodbye. So Ser Bonnifer has his men looking for tinder and dry wood."

We watch as the rowboat is emptied of water and turned back upright. The three men are lain in the boat and offered a few words of prayer.

"You can ride with me Ella," Offers the Bonnifer and I can hear longing in his voice. "We'll find your children." That look in your eyes makes it obvious you wish they had been yours as well. How do you know my Grandmother?

"I saw some people…" I realize how crazy my words will sound and almost decide not to say anything. "The pack is bringing them here."

Sandor snarls in frustration like he does whenever I throw a new surprise his way. "What are you talking abo-" His words cut off when the sound of a branch snapping has him reaching for his sword.

White-eyes struts ahead of three terrified people and one confident little girl. "See. I told you they wanted us to follow them."

"Dany…" Gasps Grandmother in disbelief and I take a closer look at the girl.

Her hair is indeed pink but I can clearly see some berry bits revealing it was only a hasty dye job. "Mother!" Her eyes light up in glee when she sees Rhaella and throws herself into her arms. "Your alright. I was so worried about you."

"As was I." One of the men with my aunt agrees with an awkward chuckle, seeming to understand things aren't exactly fine. I have an aunt and I know who she is!

"I'm glad you're here Darling. Lady Melisandre was able to give me a chance to say goodbye to you properly." Rhaella strokes the pink hair gently and smiles sadly. "I need you to find your brother and sister for me."

"We can find them together." Argues my aunt with as much determination as I have ever seen Viserys show. That means Viserys is my uncle too!

"No Dear, we can't. The longer I exist, the more I want to hurt the people responsible." Grandmother explains with a darkness leaking into her voice. "Ser Sandor will keep you safe as he did your brother and is doing for your nephew now. But I refuse to crave violence like my brother Aerys… so this must be goodbye."

She smiles at me and gives a whispered goodbye to Ser Bonnifer. A voice echoes in my mind and I move as if someone else is guiding my actions. While Grandmother climbs onto the rowboat pyre, I start digging in Sandor's bag.

One of the men sends a flaming arrow into the boat, spreading flames roaring to life. Put them on the pyre. I can't explain the purpose but I also can't resist.

With a single motion I heave the cloth wrapped bundle onto the boat. Sandor roars at me with more anger directed at me than I can ever remember seeing but I ignore it when I hear the sounds of chirping.

​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 51: Answers At Last
Viserys Ashtar
​

When we trudge through the gloom with far more pride than I would have imagined, I start to listen to Arnold brag about his 'amazing' kills. Spitlick doesn't remind him that we can all see the piss staining his breeches and instead shares his own best moves.

No knee high mushrooms grow on this island, instead the ones here stretch nearly a dozen feet above my head. The massive caps create a shaded path slick with the dripping red fluid that leaks from each bone white fungus.

We pass several dozen loose piles of scorched black stone and I can almost imagine the homes once standing. The ash grass here is nearly all gone, with only a few patches of it undisturbed over the centuries. So this island either has more activity or more wind.

Yennet the fisherman uses his dragon bone spear with a gleaming smokey tip as a walking stick and leads us to the pillar of fresh air maybe half a mile across. This one should be big enough we can actually set up base for a while.

As soon as we cross the barrier of shimmering amber light, the overgrown garden fills my vision. Nearly concealed from view in the middle of the vegetation is a single rounded roof. The masonry is the standard fused black stone, but the glass of the curved skylight seems more like glittering ruby instead of simple blasted sand.

What was once a cultivated grove of cherry, orange, birch, and maple trees, is in a ring around what had to have once been a stunning garden. The plants have grown wild and soaked up the ambient magic in the environment, with tomatoes nearly as big as my head on display.

Keeping the garden from reaching the round building in the middle, is a moat of crystal clear water flowing enough to keep it from stagnating. Lily pads and bull rushes grow massive like the vegetables, nearly concealing dog sized goldfish from view.

"Get in here, you'll never guess what we found!" Stevron the butcher catches sight of our approach and laughs when we're forced to climb over a watermelon as large as an ox.

He's not scared and seems to be able to contain his excitement, so that narrows it down quite a bit. "Gold or knowledge?"

"You're no fun." A pout grows on the father of fives face and he really doesn't seem like a man of fifty and three. "How did you guess so fast?" His chubbiness keeps a youthful cheer to his cheeks and he has more energy than most of the crew.

"You don't seem to believe me when I say each weapon we found is worth more than a castle, so gold and jewels is what I've heard you lot whining about for days." The terror of the unknown is growing in all of us and I know a few answers would give everyone some confidence in surviving.

He doesn't even look chagrined at my words and just shrugs. "Barri thinks this was some Magistrate's workshop."

"I told you not to call me that," Chides Barristan as we're led inside the single domed room. Inside I find the floor covered in little round nuggets of brown and here a soft squeaking sound.

"Whoa…" I look up and see dozens of fox sized rabbits lining rows of shelves. Each shelf has nests of dried grass and leaves from the garden but it's the little rack of deer antlers on each one that makes me snort. "Jackalopes, I thought them just a legend." And one from my first life at that.

Elyse isn't happy when I name the beasts and whines so I know."Aw. I wanted to call them Stabbits."

"Looks like whoever lived here was experimenting with crossbreeding species." Explains Barristan before the arguing devolves into needless name calling. "The stairs go down into a workshop filled with bones and pots of different colored blood. A few bookshelves may have some answers but none of us can make out more than a few words."

"I'll give them a look." I can muddle my way through them over the next few weeks. It's not like I have anything better to do. "Rest of you may as well start cutting down the birch trees, it's going to take us a while to get a barge we can float. And hammer a nail into each of the maple trees, with a container under them to collect the sap."

Barristan sends some people out to do just that and stares at my head of sticky black hair with a growing smirk. "With the tan you've put on sailing over here, the new look actually works for you."

My hair has grown out to just below my ears after Arianne's encouragement to do so and my reflection on the polished silver mirror is striking. Now jet black, my locks seem to absorb any light that strikes me.

Itching even after trying to wash as much blood out in the sea as I could, my scalp is starting to grow red with an angry rash. I ignore the sensation for now and start directing people to set up camp.

"Let's see what the mad scientist in charge of this place thought was light reading."

"What's a scientist?" Barristan frowns at the strange word and rolls it around in his mouth experimentally. "Some kind of sorcerer?"

Growing used to deflecting my far looser tongue as the voyage has continued, I give my confused crew a fast answer that makes them all lose interest. "Valyrian version of Maesters."


…


A week later and we've nearly gotten the garden under control. Having fresh meat and eggs from the jackalopes has been a great motivator for everyone and the variety of fresh produce has even cut through my near total lack of taste.

The layer of grit on my tongue isn't a good sign and I've noticed all my patches of grey are spreading visibly each day. Bathing in mutant blood wasn't good for my long term health after all.

The first few tomes I looked through with incredible care for the age of the pages, had very little relevant information. One was filled with recipes that all require ingredients I can't even recognize by name, while another only contained notes of blackmail on the neighboring Dragonlords.

While learning of how the Targaryens always being the 'hillbillies' of the Valyrians was amusing, it doesn't really do more than explain the Doctrine of Exceptionalism was only because of my ancestors perversion. 'Pure' blood only needs to be five generations removed from a dragon rider to retain the gift.

With only nine Kingdoms in Westeros, my family could have intermarried with the ruling families of each Kingdom and still kept the magic needed to control our dragons. We didn't even leave Valyria because of some dream… we got chased out for diddling or siblings.

Interbreeding too much only causes mutations in the minute amounts of… dragon genes grafted to us. When the Empire of the Dawn fell, most settled in Yi Ti where they created the Storm Dragons. Or as I know them, the Quilin.

Another group settled in Valyria and used the magic of the Fourteen Flames to imbue the eggs with a new element. Dragons of fire grew larger and far more powerful than the ones our Yi Ti cousins commanded, though also far more difficult to control.

Some more settled on the Thousand Isles and created an ice variety but the flames of Valyria melted their cities and flooded the islands. The survivors fled West and eventually rumors of an aquatic variant reached Valyria.

Our only Emperor was known as the Bloodstone, first to bond a dragon and defeat Yi Ti after decades of war. Binding the dragons blood to the forty families gave us control of everything west of the Bone Mountains.

As interesting as learning the origin of my lands is, it doesn't actually help me now. I nearly give up hope of learning anything more until the last tome gives me some answers I can actually use now.

Hatching my egg should be far simpler than I had considered. A willing sacrifice of the bloodline that will bond with the dragon, a surge of magic the hatching can feed on, and a natural element to shape the dragon's growth.

With volcanoes so rare, it left nearly all the dragons of Westeros lacking a key element. No willing sacrifices stopped anymore eggs from hatching and the few that somehow managed… withered and died.

Once the Shalescale starts spreading to my brain, I can use myself as the bloodline binder. My first and last command can be to kill the Emperor. Which means I can use the last of my time finding my crew a cure. They should still have a few years before it becomes irreversible.


​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 52: Trouble At Home
Margaery Tyrell
​

Watching Grandmother read the letters is concerning, especially when she sends Loras and my friend Sarella from the room. The solar she's taken control of while we wait in the Arbor suddenly feels far too small for the both of us.

Her frustration begins boiling over into actual anger, making me shift uncomfortably in my velvet armchair. "It seems we won't be bringing you and Loras to King's Landing anymore."

I blink in surprise when she crumples the letter and just tosses it over her shoulder instead of laying it with the other two on the desk. She steeples her fingers and scowls at me as her mind whirls to come up with a new plan for whatever is going wrong.

"Aegon seems to have been inspired by his uncle Viserys. He gave the crown back to the Baratheons willingly." Why would both of them just give up being King?

I've always been told that was the ultimate goal of every family, but two of them now have just given it all away. Garlan and Willas have both claimed Viserys thinks the Iron Throne is cursed… maybe they know something we don't.

The Baratheons seem to have suffered horribly since ascending to royalty and my history lessons say the Targaryens rarely went more than a decade without some tragedy occurring.

"Your Father's lords have hung him out to dry, allowing Prince Renly to ride straight to Highgarden unimpeded." Grandmother continues with a pinched look to her eyes and I feel my blood run cold in worry for everyone.

"But Garlan and his forces will save them…" He's the greatest knight in the land now that Ser Jaime has been defeated. "They must have arrived by now."

She dashes me hopes with a grim shake of her head. "Your brother has been led astray by the combined efforts of his new wife and Lord Tarly. His reinforcements have stopped at the Mander and show no intention of relieving the siege."

"They have enough food to last three years though," I try to argue against the facts being thrown in my face.

"But with men who are turning traitor by the day as the army between them and Renly's." One of her feet starts to tap the floor in frustration, a clear sign she's close to yelling.

With that hope dashed I try to convince myself Garlan is still going to save our family. "Garlan isn't really going to leave our home to burn."

"He doesn't seem to consider it his anymore, I've even been told not to return once the Imps fleet departs, seems to think he doesn't need proper guidance now that he's a man." Grandmother snorts ungraciously at the idea. "But we both know your brother's head is filled with dreams of battle and not these conniving plans."

"You and Loras will need to be the ones to guide him back to the garden, you can even bring Oberyn's bastard with you… since it seems Sarella is our responsibility now." Learning of her father's death was shocking but the rage left Sarella once she learned the King will soon be dead.

With my last argument I try a final time to change the reality of the world. "We need to send some of the fleet to Highgarden and save them ourselves."

"If we do, Lord Tyrion will be able to overpower our blockade." She meets me tear stained gaze with a stern one of her own and reaches a hand up to wipe away my tears. "Don't worry Margaery, we can just try again with this Prince Joffrey. You will be Queen one day, I promise you."

But what if I don't want to be Queen anymore? As soon as we tried to put me with Aegon, it seems like the same curse has now spread to my own family.

Garlan who was once the most loyal and dependable brother one could ask for, has now left our parents and Willas to die. Willas' leg was injured during Grandmother's first attempt years ago… will it be Loras or myself who is next to suffer some horrible fate?


…

​

Tyrion Lannister
​

"Who does he think he is?" I snarl to my drinking companion each night since my arrival here at Starfall. "He's not King yet and he's already decided to just steal the seat Viserys gave me!"

Gerold Dayne waves for another round of Dornish Red, that arrives just as I finish my glass. "Technically with Rhaenys gone you can't fulfill the terms lain out. You should be ecstatic he's letting you have the Stepstones."

I can see the envy in his eyes and I decide it might be a good time to start making my own friends. Not like I can rely on Viserys to get people to 'forget' how tall I really am anymore.

"It's only so the Martells can't have it and he can keep my father from being insulted." But I know this is indeed a punishment being thrust on me. It was impossible to completely cover up my soldiers' actions and Stannis was very displeased that I carried them out in his name.

"Arthur's plan to usurp Starfall and bring our forces against the Yronwoods would have succeeded if you had not been so brutal. You say seven islands surrendered without need of battle and you only had to devastate two for that to be achieved." His reminder sours my mood and I take a long swig of my wine. "Sounds great but we still have to beat the Reach before that's possible. And the Westerlands seem to be in a spot of trouble if I recall correctly."

"You do and the Hightowers better enjoy living so well, Father and I will be making sure they suffer for betraying our kindness." I clench my hands so tightly my nails leaves bloody lines in my palms.

With confusion in his hazy eyes, Gerold pus his own now empty glass down. "But you said they gave your family half the wealth they escaped with. How was that a kindness?"

"That's just semantics my friend." Trying to pat him on the arm fails and I end up stroking the hairy arm of some passing by. "We could have just taken it all and left them as exiles." I miss Gerold glaring the man away and wave for another drink in my own growing stupor.

"You're a free man now…" Thanks for reminding me my best prospect is now Lolys Stokeworth. "Have you given any thought to who you'll marry now?"

"Whoever will say yes and not piss my father off with the match." That maid of Jaime's he saved a few years back always stirred an excitement in me. Maybe Tysha is still working for Lynesse in the Rock and I can have some fun once I take my home back.

A calculating smirk crosses his face. "With Lord Dayne dead and Lady Ashara acting as regent for little Gulian… why don't you speak to her about Lady Allyria? Asharra knows you to be Viserys' friend and you are now a war hero."

"I'm not giving up on saving Rhaenys from Ser Arthur's clutches." She must be so scared with only Quentyn with her.

"I can't wait to show the world it's only his sword that gives my cousin his legend." Gerold's eyes flicker with venom as he slams a fist onto the table, shocking those nearby into silence. "Once Dawn is mine, the legend can pass to the worthy Dayne."

"Well if such a miracle could occur… why don't you come and rule Grey Gallows for me?" He gets a gleam of satisfaction in his eyes and he eagerly accepts my offer. "I'll need lords I can trust while I figure out what to do with such undeveloped rocks."


…

​

Jaime Lannister
​

Each night the whispers remind me of my pact and drive me North. It was difficult to slip unseen past the forces gathering along the Mander river but eventually I managed to find a gap in patrols.

The large group of Florent forces outside Highgarden are far easier to avoid as they only seem focused on threats coming from the East. It takes weeks of only daring to travel at night before I finally cross into the foothills of the Westerlands.

Almost home. The thought fills me with enough energy to keep going even as I become aware of the troubles now facing my people.

Houses who have thrown in with the Hightowers are flying banners over the lands stolen from the ones in my fleet and it forces me to avoid any settlements on my journey. The Crakehalls, Plumms, and Allgoods leave a rage inducing trail of captured keeps on my march home.

Even Lannisport has been taken and it means I'll have no help until I manage to get inside. Tysha will do anything for me after letting her work in the castle. Combined with the fact Father made me oversee the reconstruction of our sewers… I can do this.

He'd never shown such rage at me when I told him I wouldn't marry Lynesse but I think he's regretting his own choice in the matter now. Though I'm going to be forever grateful I can never be locked out of my home.

Lann the clever took the Rock from the Casterly's and I'm now one of three people alive who knows how he did it. The only part I need to decide now, is if I bring in rats or a mountain lion.

​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 53: Death Row Determination
Viserys Ashtar
​

"This thing is never going to make it across." Grunts Arnold Goodear as the eight of us roll the flat bottom boat along logs down to the beach. "I'm not even sure it's going to float."

"We've dried out the wood and sealed it all with sap," I remind him needlessly as we finally reach the high tide line. "If this doesn't work, nothing will."

Which means we'll be spending the rest of our lives here, so I'm going by myself if need be. I'm making sure I can send you all home… even if it has to be without me.

I refuse to let Marya die here and leave Davos to fumble through life on his own. Yenneck will be able to see his girls get married and Elyse can finally say something to Dale. Barristan is going to tell Duncan which Stark he comes from once he gets home to Ashara and the kids.

Arnold will finally have the coin to go to the Citadel and Simon Rogers will be able to rub his very earned knighthood in his brothers' faces. Even Spitlick Saltspray – as he's decided his new house will be called – is going to be able to make life a lot easier on his sister's family.

"If anyone found a cure for this nightmare it was the Valyrians." They faced the worst of it right after conquering the Rhoynar but that first outbreak seems to have been the only major one suffered. "So I'm going to search for it until I start speaking gibberish. You all know what to do when it gets to that point." Someone found a cure and we just need to pray it's in one of the safe zones.

"And none of us like the idea of burning you alive." Growls Elyse as she makes sure her gear is secured firmly. "Not even if you say it will hatch a dragon. I really don't think becoming a blood crew and shaking bloody palms will be enough for any of us to bond it."

I don't have any better ideas and this way I can at least keep protecting them in spirit. "Well I'd rather die than lose my mind permanently. My family has kind of a bad history with madness and I really don't want to find out what horrors I'll inflict on you." My Shalescale is spreading so fast, I probably wont even last the rest of the month.

"Tides coming in." Barristan brings my attention the rising water that's already under half of the twelve foot boat. "Time to find out how many people this thing can carry."

He makes sure to be the first one to step on board and cautiously take a seat. Being forced to sit out Marya's rescue has been bothering him for weeks now and he's not going to let it happen again today.

"Alright, let's try two more of you now." Arnold and I climb in next and feel the barge sink a few inches. "We're going to need to keep the crew light, Elyse and Kennet next." He signals for the only two people lighter than myself, since even Marya outweighs me with her armor on.

We end up only being able to bring three more men before it gets to close for comfort and I make Yenneck get off. "Looks like we'll be able to bring about four hundred pounds back with us." As long as I manage to keep you all alive this time.

"That doesn't sound like very much." Herbert Gower grumbles from the relative safety of the shore. "You sure this is worth the risk?"

"Only way we can leave the Doom is with a cure. Does playing it safe really matter anymore?" I'm running out of time to be useful to any of you.

My fingers are already to stiff to play my flute anymore, I'm starting to feel it spread to my knees, and I'm getting worried I won't even be able to turn my neck soon. Doesn't seem like this 'dragon' is going to be waking from the stone.

"Taking chances is one thing… but that doesn't mean you just throw yourself headfirst into each possible danger." Yenneck agrees with the middle aged Gower knight standing beside him. "You just said madness was a bad sign and we're watching you for any suicidal tendencies." Aw… you guys.

"Marya says your acting weirder than usual." Not bothered in the slightest at being outed, Elyse makes sure I'm not going to be angry with anyone on the beach over this. "We know know she's the only one you still listen to so can you maybe try this time, for her? Marya's one of the only people who could accurately judge my behavior… so maybe I am being a little reckless.

"Good luck and hopefully we see you tomorrow." Yenneck is the one to say good bye as the tide finally gets high enough for us to leave.

The section of the Smoking Sea we're trying to cross is only a few hundred feet but we know very well what kind of dangers await us. The pillar of clear air is far smaller than our current shelter but so is the island it's on. Hopefully that means we don't have to deal with nearly as many of the mutants.

The seven of us row with our make shift oars in tense silence, with everyone's eyes watching the water for any sign of motion. I see a few black shapes slither deeper into the water when we disturb the steam cover but whatever they are don't seem hostile right now.

"Is that a ship?" A large shadow reveals itself as we approach and it is indeed a galleon. It's an older style for sure and only the tattered remnants of red sails still hang from the mast.

Barristan seems to agree with me and notices something I failed to. "It's a Westerosi design and that really narrows down the candidates. Only a few fleets had both the time and courage to enter this place."

"Tommen Lannister's ship?" He nods at my question as we reach the same rocky shore it's been beached on. "Doesn't look like it would be to hard to fix once low tide drains the hull." A gouge has torn through three boards leaving the lower deck flooded with sea water.

"May as well check for anything useful before we go inland." Arnold is starting to get worried about approaching the smoke belching into the air.

It's near this islands safe zone and on the other side of what looks to be a very narrow canyon in the jagged cliffs. Maybe wide enough for three men to walk abreast of each other if they have narrow shoulders.

"Since I'm apparently taking all the risks, I'll keep lookout this time." I smirk at the other six and motion to the ship with my chin. "You can decide which three of you check it out."

It's amusing when Barristan insists on going and Elyse yanks on Arnold's ear when he tries to take her spot. In the end they find nothing more than an empty boat and we hustle towards the cliffs to make up for the wasted twenty minutes.

When we enter the canyon it begins to wind back and forth through the jagged cliffs that must be nearly a hundred feet tall. A feeling of paranoia rises in me and I know we're being watched.

"Something's spotted us." The hissing chirps are nearly drowned out under the growing sound of stones clattering against each other.

Is it a landslide? My gaze darts across the ledges above us but I don't see any thing but rocks. And none of them are falling right now.

"What the in the Seven Hells is that thing!" Roars a horrified Kennet as he barely rolls out of the way before he's turned into paste.

What looked at first to just be a section of jagged stones that had fallen strangely clustered in a nine or so foot line, rears up and lunges forward. The centipede's carapace looks like obsidian pieces overlapping like scales once it starts to move and the gnashing mandibles look like they can shear through rocks.

Elyse gets her shield up in time to avoid being torn in half but is sent rolling across the ground with an audible snap from her arm. Barristan moves before my rage can even inspire me to act.

While the creature is distracted he races up it's back and leaves rends right through the stony carapace.. Barristan's swings leaves an orange ichor leaking from each wound and the beast screeching in pain.

"We need to get out of this canyon or the rest are going to devour us!" In the brief time the fight has taken, four more of the centipedes have gotten close enough to lunge. So not fair that they can climb on the walls, they can just get above us and fall.

I grab Elyse as I dash past and drag her with me as we flee, her shield being grabbed by Arnold only a few paces behind me. The pillar of clean air is getting closer with each step and I try ignoring the clattering catching up to us.

Kennet's screams chill me to the bone but I can't go back until I know Elyse is going to be okay. I can't save everyone and need to commit to my decisions or everyone will die.

A shadow passes over us and blankets the canyon in darkness for several seconds. The creatures roar booms over the island and instantly the clattering stops. We don't have that luxury and emerge into an open valley with our target less than half a mile away.

"Don't even think of slowing down!" Snarls Elyse right when my lungs begin to burn and we throw ourselves towards the golden barrier. The shadow roars and a stream of violet fire splits around our shelter.

"That's a big fucking dragon." I pant from my back as I finally see the dragon and it's approaching the size Balerion's skull suggests that monster was.​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 54: Playing Nice
Rhaenys Martell
​

"Try the other door," I hiss to Quentyn as he finds the servants door going from the kitchen to outside locked.

Barred windows and dozens of doors that we can't open… how are we going to get out of here? Illyrio and Arthur's meeting with the Ironborn will be over soon!

"None of them are budging," He growls back and removes his bent hair pins from the door. "And your pins are gold, way to soft to be useful."

"At least I managed to find something we could try, you just spend all your time with the Blackfyre." My frustration towards him has been growing for the last few days and I can't stop my biting comment.

Quentyn rolls his eyes and doesn't let my anger draw him into bickering. "Daemon isn't that bad, he didn't even know we had been kidnapped."


"How can you believe him?" Wanting to reunite our families could have been done with Daenerys and a proper betrothal. All this did was recreate the events that sparked Robert's Rebellion.

"Because he thinks we're all working together… he's kind of sheltered if you hadn't noticed." I try not to pay him any more mind than I have to, this is only a temporary prison. "Viserys made sure you didn't get blamed for your father's actions. Why are you blaming Daemon?"

I manage not to scream and give my cousin a firm glare. "We had to separate ourselves from the mad ones in our family. He's going right along with their plans!" Okay that last part was a little loud.

"And didn't you say Viserys acted like a spoiled brat until he had to act?" I may vaguely recall him and his constant teasing before he suddenly began acting like a grown up. "Daemon is locked up in here with us… maybe we should ask him if he wants to sneak out and explore Pentos. We can get away from him a lot easier than we can everyone here in the manse."

"He's not going to believe I suddenly want to spend time with him." Admitting that I may have made our escape more difficult is difficult to do and only made more so by Quentyn's cocky smirk.

"Daemon is lonely and he thinks you two will wed one day. Just tell him you're mad at Oberyn and want to finally give him a chance." I don't want to though and I've never been very good at lying. "He'll jump at the chance to finally spend some time with you."

Voices in the hallway make us dash to the platter of cheese we've already prepared and nearly walk right into a frowning Arthur Dayne. "What are you two doing back here?" His frown softens when I hold up the cheese we've carefully made look has been picked over for a while. "You're going to spoil your appetite."

"So you don't want some?" A smirk grows as I pull the platter away.

"Now I didn't say that…" He grabs a handful before it's out of reach and pats me on the head. "It just looks like you've had more than enough. I'll put the rest of this away while you go clean up for supper."

Quentyn is right and I need to do everything I can to escape. "Is Daemon busy? I've realized I've been unfair to him and would like to apologize."

A flicker of disbelief can be seen in Arthur's eyes and he narrows them in thought. "You aren't one to just give up. What changed?" And this is why I try not to lie, I'm horrible at it.

Come on, think! What will convince him I'm being genuine?

"I've been blaming all of you for Viserys getting sick," Like I will for the rest of my life. "But he was only doing what he did in King's Landing. Keeping people safe." From you! Somehow I keep the hate from my face and my voice calm.

Arthur smiles wide and seems to believe me. "It's good of you to forgive those who had no hand in Viserys' plight." Luckily for me I can keep on hating you and Illyrio. "You're really growing up and will be both a wise and beautiful Queen one day." Wait… What?

"What are you talking about, Aegon is the 'King'?"

"He has chosen to join the Faith and it now falls to you and Daemon to rule in his stead." His frown is back with a vengeance. "It will be some time before we are able to make a second attempt."

Aegon has taken to Mother's love for the Seven like a duck to water and I can actually imagine him being happy with such a life. Good for you little brother, you didn't let them win. Now I just have to escape and the whole plot loses any legitimacy.

"Will the Ironborn be joining us again in our second attempt?" I try to get any extra information but Arthur just shakes his head.

"No. The Ironborn have proven how poor of allies they are." His stiffening gait is a sign that he's trying not to curse in front of us. "One brother dead, one has fled, and a third has lost his head. Euron is madder than Aerys if he expects his crew to sail into the Doom."

As shocked as I am, Quentyn is faster with his question. "Why would anyone do something so insane? No one has ever come back from that place… even Uncle Oberyn said it was only the destination of the suicidal."

"He wouldn't say but I will glad to be rid of such a monster." You're the ones who made the alliance, you're just as to blame for anything they did in Aegon's name.


…

​

Jaime Lannister
​

Once I manage to worm my way inside the Rock, I find the castle barely has enough men to create the illusion of a full staff. None of the guards are ones I can recognize which means the thirty are all Hightower men. Don't need to hold back on any of them.

Instead of trying to take the castle myself, I go for the dungeon first. About a third of the servants have been locked up for being too loyal to my family and that means I can trust everyone once I get them armed.

The always squeaky door doesn't even make a sound with my gloved hand on it and the pair of dicing guards are unaware of my entrance. My dagger slams into the temple of one and I slam my stony fist against his partner's skull.

His head cracks before he hits the floor, which makes me realize I broke the bone with my punch. This hand is incredible.

"Lord Jaime?" Gasps a very relieved Tysha as everyone else realizes who is unlocking the cells. "But they said you had been captured."

"I escaped and may have had to sneak past a few armies on the way home…" Pride surges in me as the servants look at me with awe. "Was going to take back the castle myself but figured such loyal folk as you would like a chance to fight."

"Damn straight we do!" One of the butchers roars his agreement before remembering himself. "Er… I mean yes my Lord."

Good, I need that kind of enthusiasm. "We need to take the armory before they know what we're doing and make sure the Hightowers are all taken alive." I'm not forgetting my bargain, my wife and her family will be thrown into the sea before this day is done.

"Lord Kevan and any of the knights worth a ransom are locked in the guest quarters." Adds Tysha with a wince drawing my gaze to a purple patch on her jawline. None of them are uninjured but it seems to mostly be scraps and bruises.

"That's in the opposite direction." Weapons and armor will be more useful in retaking my home. "We'll have to get them after we arm ourselves."

She shares a conniving look with the butcher. "But the kitchens are right beneath them… send a few of us and we can take knives on the way."

"Only volunteers, I'm not ordering anyone to do what I can't." I get eight before my breath is finished and Tysha leads them away with a fury in each step.

Going to need to knight each man who lives through this and push some bastards into marrying the girls. I don't think I could do this on my own and I will pay my debt to each of those who survive. Father will understand, we raised the Cleganes and they've proven very useful.

​

​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 55: What Big Teeth You Have
Viserys Ashtar
​

Our safe space only has a single black stone building about three stories tall. It has an expansive patio supported by columns of more fused stone and I'm pretty sure even the enormous dragon still circling us could land with no issue.

Three rows of graves are marked with a bloody stone lining the path to the building, with me counting sixty eight in total. Walking inside shows some more of the lifelike tapestries, only these ones show a conflict with archers along a river.

It's about the Rhoynish wars based on the three dragons shown falling from the sky and the river boiling the defending army with the flames of hundreds of dragons. Nothing else aside from a few emptied crates and tattered bedrolls are in the room so we climb the first flight of stairs.

The second floor resembles a large raven rookery. No eggs or thankfully living dragons are in the room but it's clear this place was once home to at least a dozen hatchlings.

"Was that thing born in here?" Grumbles Elyse when another ear piercing screech cuts through the tense silence.

"Couldn't have been, they only live a little over two hundred years." But Barney's parents might very well have been based on the size. "It must just nest nearby and hunt the centipedes to get by. It just saw us and got excited to try something new."

Balerion was barely able to fly three laps around King's Landing in the end of his life, so this beast isn't going to be able to keep up it's flying for much longer. "We're going to need to be ready to move once it tires itself out. Everyone eat something and make sure your boots are double knotted."

Climbing the final flight of stairs brings us to the balcony and we get an incredible view of the bowl shaped valley. The jagged cliffs surrounding us look like knifes made of the very stone itself and are fighting each other for the right to be called the tallest.

A pedestal is at the end of the walkway and at it's base rests a single charred corpse. The preservation magic would make it hard to determine the bodies age but the Valyrian steel long sword has a very unique lion pommel.

"Looks like we found King Tommen." Held in the black charcoal fingers is a yellow-white dragon horn bound with engraved bronze. "I guess he tried to control whatever dragons kept his own crew trapped here."

"Did it work?" Spitlick asks for everyone and even risks poking at the armor turned into a golden slag that seals the corpse to the stone.

Either the horn had a different purpose or the blower lacked something. "If it did, don't you think he would have flown home?"

"Not if he was anything like you," Snorts Barristan as I blush a light pink. "You wouldn't leave us to die and this is the only body not buried."

A surge of idiotic thought fills my mind and I can't shake it. What if this is the reason the dragon is sticking around? Maybe it knows something that could control it is in here.

Dragons are about as smart as a crow according to the books and show. I think the only way we're getting out of here is if I take a chance.

"I've got an idea…" Grabbing the nearly six foot horn from King Tommen, I wince when his fingers crumble to ash. "But if it doesn't work, I want you all ready to run for it. Those bugs will be back once the dragon is gone and you'll need to get through the canyon fast."

"You mean we need to run." With a knowing look in his eyes, Barristan blocks the stairs with his body.

"No. I mean I'm using the horn and I'd like it if this wasn't everyone's last image of me." Everyone flinches when I point at the blackened body melted to the building. "Only one of us even has a chance of blowing this thing."

No one is happy with my plan but nobody is keen on being eaten either, with all of them eventually heading back to the entrance. I follow to the ground floor but make promises entrenched in denial that I will see them all again soon.

"Barristan, one thing before you go." I stop him and realize this will likely be my last chance to ever know for sure.

"Yes?"

It's not really fair to ask him this in front of everyone but i'm running out of time judging on the slowing of the shadow's laps. "Duncan… who's his father?"

"Your brother Rhaegar." His words are spoken clearly and nothing is wrong with my ears but it takes a few seconds to actually register.

"How many woman was he screwing around on Elia with?" Of course I still come to the wrong conclusion even when I'm being spoon fed the answer.

Barristan laughs and is quick to clear up my confusion. "Queen Lyanna wanted her son to grow up free like she never had the chance to do. She and Rhaegar had agreed she would give him a third child and he would help her flee to Essos."

The rest of his explanation makes sense and I finally understand why Lyanna would give as much attention to Duncan as she did to Joffrey. She never thought of herself as his mother but more of as his secret aunt.

"If we're allowed to ask the questions we're still wondering about…" Arnold has a very serious look on his face. "Are you really a wizard?"

"I keep telling you, it's magnetism and not magic." I roll my eyes as everyone mutters agreement with him.

"It's just some invisible force you say goes all over the world and only you seem to know the strange things it can do." Even Barristan is doubtful of my claims it would seem. "If the maesters knew, every ship in Westeros would have one of these 'compasses'."

"Well you better tell them about it when you get back home. Maybe think of a better name, something cool like 'Dragon's Fang'." It never really came up when I was only allowed to sail within sight of Storm's End, but maybe I should have considered sharing some of my knowledge before we left.

Barristan grabs my shoulder and pulls me into a firm hug, with the others piling on once he does. "I'm so proud of you and wish you had a chance to show the world who you would have become. Something tells me we wont be seeing your ilk again for a long while."

"Thanks for coming to look after me even though I dismissed you all. I couldn't have done all of this without everything you taught me." I don't bother keeping the emotion from my voice. "I'm so grateful to have known all of you. Now you all need to go, before I chicken out."

They depart for one side of the barrier while I cross the clearing to exit on the far side. The dragon horn held above my head like a mocking taunt for Barney the Dragon to see.

It does and the shadow stops circling the safe zone and starts growing as it lands. It's indeed a giant for it's species, with scales of dark royal purple and pale violet horns. Time to find out if my madness has any method.

I swallow my fear and shout through the barrier, my voice coming out once again in perfect High Valyrian. "You hatched wild and free but this will always be a danger to you!" I'm banking on how long the Emperor has been active and how likely it is he's tried to control any dragons he finds. "Let my crew go free and I will end this threat to your freedom forever!"

Barney's eyes widen and I'm certain she understands my intent if not my words. "I just want them to be safe… they're my hatchlings." That seems to have triggered something in the dragon and her aggressiveness seems to fade.

"I'm going to come out and break the horn. You decide what happens next." I've already bought the crew enough time to reach the canyon and only need to keep Barney distracted for a little bit longer. "I really hope you decide not to eat me. I probably taste pretty dirty you know." Shalescale probably isn't going to be the most palatable meat.

Stepping through the golden barrier of light doesn't end with me being set aflame or being devoured and so I follow through with my words. I slam the horn against a section of black stone beneath my feet and hear the horn splinter along it's entire length.

"Alright, no one ever gets to control you now. Still want to eat me?" I tighten Brightroar's sheathe on my waist and spread my arms wide. "I'm not running anymore, my knees hurt too much. So let's get this over with."

She seems to understand my frustration and snorts a blast of hot sticky breath over me. I manage not to close my eyes when her mouth opens wide and barely even flinch when her jaws snap towards me.​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 56: In Some Hot Water
Bella Rivers
​

When a series of high pitched chirps comes from the flaming rowboat, I hesitate for only a few seconds longer than Duncan and the pink haired girl. Duncan is first in the water but the girl is clearly from the Riverlands, passing him only moments after she starts swimming.

Squawking lizards throw themselves from the boat as soon as they emerge from their shells. Duncan is nearly drowned when a pair land on him. A scarlet one lands in the bridge of his back but it's dandelion yellow one that forces his head below the water.

A third one with scales the same color as a robin egg is barely caught by the other girl. I wait for the fourth one to jump, knowing Duncan bragged about how many eggs they had. But this one's chirping has started much later than it's siblings. It's not going to get out of the shell in time!

I splash water on the edge of the boat and try to pull myself inside, but my hands sear with pain and force me to let go. My panic rises when I hear the wood start to fall apart, the chirping sounds replaced by the sound of thrashing water.

"It fell in the water!" I don't know why I care so much about some darn lizard but my blood sings to me as it's danger grows. Not going to let you drown, can't let Duncan and his new 'friend' have all the glory.

Diving under Lady Tully's pyre reveals an orange glow along the riverbed, a churning cloud of bubbles rises from the muddy brown egg laying in the silt. It's still moving!

I'm coming girl, don't worry! My legs send my surging downwards with each kick and this time I don't even feel the heat when I clutch the hatching egg to my chest.

My lungs ache for air as I try to swim back to the surface but my vision gets spotty far too soon. You're a heavy girl, aren't you? With the last of my strength I try to push the egg above the river and feel strong arms grab my wrists.

A cloud of steam envelopes me and my rescuer and as I lay gasping in Ser Sandor's arms, a lithe brown dragon lays itself on my chest. She's longer than the other three I've already seen and her talons are joined by webbing like a frog's.

She hiccups out a gout of brown steam, scalding the good side of Sandor's face an angry red. "Damn lizard is trying to boil me alive!" He nearly drops me when he howls in pain but tightens his hold on me at the last second..

"That's not possible Sandor." Duncan's voice doesn't very sure of itself as he chides the knight. "Dragons breathe fire, not hot water."

"Well tell that to my face!" He does put me down but with care not to drop me or startle the dragon any further than his yelling has. "Because it sure feels like it's been steamed like Viserys used to do with his veggies!"

"I miss his cooking, you just boil everything into a bland stew."

The gruffness leaves Sandor's voice as he agrees. "I do to Dunc, but wishing ain't going to make my cooking taste any better. So you can take over the rest of the trip, thanks for volunteering like that."

"But I wasn't!" Duncan whines as his two more squat and larger winged companions wrestle for the right to sit on his head of nearly black hair.

"Oh, so you still want to dig our waste pit each night?" It's so incredible how Ser Sandor isn't even flinching from the pain anymore and can just tease his squire. He's a true knight if one really exists in Westeros.

Ser Bonnifer shakes of his grief to snarl out a command. "Get on your horses and get the hells out of here!" He starts barking commands to his men and climbs onto his own steed. "Ironborn are on the way. Must have seen the pyre's smoke."

"But we can out run them, can't we?" My heart starts hammering in my chest as the sight of the invaders is revealed charging from the woods.

"Not all of us and it's a knights duty to see the innocent kept safe." He draws his blade and shares a long look with Ser Sandor, no words being exchanged before they both nod firmly. "Ser Sandor and Daenerys' protectors shall see you safely to Winterfell."

"My friends think you need some help." Snarls a suddenly rage filled Duncan. His pack of smaller Dornish wolves he says are called coyotes, has been adding the local wolves by the day and now numbers nearly a hundred.

Ser Bonnifer gives my friend a sad smile and his thanks. "You have your grandmother's good heart and I hope you find someone better than she did, who you can share it with."

"Why does every adult who thinks they're going to die say that?" Grumbles my friend even as Sandor lifts him onto the horse we've been sharing.

Except this time when I wait for him to lift me in front of Duncan, he instead places the new girl in my spot. "What about me?" Oops, I didn't mean to say that out loud.

"You'll have to ride with me." Sandor lifts me onto Stranger's back and climbs up behind me. I guess this is alright… no more pretending to laugh at Duncan's dumb japes. "Just make sure your beast keeps it's breath to itself. It's damn hot."

"She will be good, I promise." Though I have no idea how I'm going to keep it or name her. Maybe I should see what Duncan calls his first… just so I make sure not to embarrass him with how much better mine will be of course.


…

​

Renly Baratheon
​

When Garlan Tyrell's army remains firmly entrenched along the Mander it becomes clear why my siege isn't splitting the fleet. Olenna Tyrell must have convinced her grandson to make a play of his own.

If Garlan keeps his forces fresh and maintains control of the fleet, she may very well get her wish. We can't finish this until the Ironborn are dealt with and Lord Tyrion's fleet is still stuck in a stalemate right now.

Florents and Rowans will be unhappy to lose out if I just give Garlan everything. As I try to figure out a way to keep the Kingdom with the largest fieldable army unbalanced after their surrender, a smirk grows on my face. Oh this might work and the Tyrells have already created a rift for me to exploit.

Stannis said I have complete control of the Reach campaign, he actually admitted to being impressed by my forethought. The Florents have a maiden of marrying age and the Rowans have an heir with no wife. Let the new branch of both take the Gardener name since they both have a claim and boot the stewards from Highgarden.

Garlan even drew the border himself. He and Lord Tarly can have from the Mander's mouth to Horn Hill, all the way down to the Arbor. He decide what to call his tenth Kingdom, while the Rowans and Florents try to gain influence over their children and the much smaller Reach.

"I've decided on terms of surrender, have Lords Rowan and Florent meet me at my horse." I can't give them more time than the ride to Highgarden's gate to come up with any arguments.

"Lord Tyrell will be going to the Wall and his heir the Citadel so he can replace the aging Maester Aemon." It's pointless sending a cripple to such a hot conflict zone as a warrior. "They want to serve with a Targaryen, he's he only one left with the name. But Mace's wife and younger two children can go live with Lord Garlan." If he will have them.

"If Garlan will land his fleet until the Iron Isles are subdued… he can have the Southern half of the Reach and submit the region's name to my brother." Politics are boring but planning battles is exhilarating. Stannis is boring, so he can do those bits.

"We still need to meet Lord Tywin in the Westerlands and I know he intends to show everyone his claws haven't dulled." Who would have thought Tyrion would be the one to challenge his reputation.

'Scouring of the Stepstones' has already made the rounds in the Stormlands and it seems like Tywin intends to have another song written of his conquest against the 'Fools Golden Company'. I know both of them are racing to the Isles so they can free Jaime and I intend to join them.​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 57: Going Out With A Bang
Viserys Ashtar
​

Fangs the size of my thigh gnash closed only inches from my face and I'm nearly bowled over by the surge of wind. Barney isn't finished testing me, the massive tongue drenching me in hot sticky drool.

She seems to get annoyed at the rocky taste and her pumice like tongue goes to work rubbing my skin raw. It doesn't actually seem to accomplish much beyond making me smell even worse but Barney seems satisfied only when I have no dry flesh left.

"Yeah I know it's gross, that's why I came here. My hatchlings are sick and I need to find them a cure." I try and keep my words simple and without any hidden subtext. "You know any places that smell like we do?" It's a long shot but she must have a pretty big territory, maybe she can point me the right direction.

Her eyes aren't the slits I assumed and look more hawk like than snake. The amber orbs are big enough I could easily curl up inside of one and the whir with very human intent. A hiss is my only warning before my entire body is snatched with her fore talon.

Barney rises into the sky with my body frozen stiff in her very careful grip and she rises above the jagged cliffs with powerful wing beats. I catch sight of the crew trying to drag the barge down the beach as more of the centipedes scurry after them, only to dash away to safety when she lets out a roar.

We glide over the steaming ocean and the thermals let Barney coast for miles at a time. We pass over a fleet of Ironborn ships facing off against the Kraken and I feel immense satisfaction at how many long ships are only debris.

Before we can be noticed by the reavers, Barney brings us to a series of incredibly high precipices. Each one has the remains of a nest big enough only for a dragon this size and all are now overrun with the clawed mutants.

"Did you lose your hatchlings?" Maybe she can smell my egg? Of course she can't actually answer and continues on her tour of the Doom once we leave the eleventh such nest.

She avoids going near any pillars of light but I can see nearly a hundred of various sizes spread throughout the ruins. We angle down towards one of the fourteen pillars of blackish-green ash rising into the air and my eyes nearly burst from my skull in horror.

Thousands of the mutant men are carving trenches in the stone and guiding magma into the sea. A bridge reaches almost halfway across the Smoking Sea and only has another mile before reaching the mainland.

A screech cuts through the air and is followed by several more from above us. Several smaller dragons begin dropping out of the orange smoke and diving towards us with roars that sound very hungry. Their much more nimble than my enormous friend but in a straight line begin to fall behind.

My last sight of the work site is a large skull shaped castle on the lip of the crater. It's made of fused black stone and smoke billows from the entrance in the shape of a snarling mouth.

"Well if I had any doubts the Emperor is evil, his castle would convince me. No one nice builds a skull shaped place to live." My words disappear in the whistling wind as we descend to a plateau sheltered from aerial view.

Barney's bulk slams onto the baked clay beside a marble building. She breathes heavy from the exertion and her eyes begin blinking closed.

"Alright, I'll just check this place out I guess." I pat her heaving flank with gratitude and walk towards the long rectangular shrine. "Sweet dreams, I'll just go and see if I can find something to eat." I'd still prefer not to be dinner.

Blackened bones and bits of charred meat litter the bare section of baked clay I'm currently stuck on. The marble columns holding up the domed roof are cracked, with three of them laying in pieces on the ground. Hope this place is stable.

Stepping inside causes torches lining the walls to ignite with blue fire. The warm blue blow illuminates the corroded copper ceiling and obsidian barrels stacked beside a half rotted table.

In the middle of the room is a just over ten foot tall sculpture made of silver and gold. The eyes of the sphinx are glowing topazes, that look like they're watching me approach with a sudden intensity I can't really explain.

A few books crumble to dust when I try to pick them up and I nearly hack up a lung. Shards of broken glass crunch under my boots as I stumble backwards in the moldy haze.

Not learning anything that way, may as well see what's inside the barrels. My muscles strain with effort as I barely manage to lift one lid part of the way off.

A cloud of blue steam rises into the air and the temperature rises a few degrees almost instantly. Inside is a slurry of cobalt blue oil that bubbles and churns with magic.

No idea how it's still active, but it looks kind of like a more refined version of wildfire. Let's just hope this Valyrian Fire is more stable than the green stuff. If this is even half as explosive as the wildfire from the show, I think I can take the Emperor out with me.


…


It takes three days for Barney to fully recover from her flight and the entire time she's awake, I can feel her observing me. Sometimes with her eyes and ears, but mostly I'm just aware of her sniffing the air every few minutes to confirm I'm still in the area.

She snaps up nearly all the remaining bits of cooked insect scattered across the plateau and I work through my own supplies by the end of day two. The waiting time only gives me a chance to worry about the long ships I saw and the invasion that looked to be only a few years away from completion.

"If any of those little dragons are yours, I think you want revenge even more than I do." Barney tilts her head forward enough to make it clear she's trying to replicate my nodding. "Last chance to tell me this is a stupid plan." She's the one in control and I know I can't do anything without her willing help.

Barney doesn't give any sign of complaint and I actually see a gleam of excitement in her eyes. Once I climb onto her neck and settle myself just behind her horns, she starts to lift herself into the air with incredible force.

She makes a single figure eight to get used to my weight before scooping up an obsidian barrel in each claw. A fierce roar echoes across the shattered landscape shrouded in steam below us and Barney surges through the sky.

I manage to convince her to make a pass over the island my crew was on but let out a growl when I see a pair of surviving Ironborn long ships beaching themselves. Only Ironborn I know of who's as crazy as I am, is Euron.

We can spare one barrel to make things a little easier on my crew. One final parting gift can be our test run... find out if these things will actually still go boom.

The smell of kraken blood on the boats is enough for Barney to let out a rumbling growl. "Dive down and drop one of the barrels. We need to find out how big the blast will be before we toss the others in an active volcano!"

Her shadow causes panic to break out on one of the ships down below and I grin when it explodes with blue fire. Shrapnel and bodies are sent flying through the air as the long ship is torn into pieces from the magical blast.

We keep flying and I have to hope that was loud enough to warn somebody of the Ironborn danger. Maybe even piss off the mutants and set the hive loose on Euron's survivors.

I can't worry about them once the shrieking of the controlled dragons fills the air, with my eyes spotting at least eight coming towards us. Barney roars in defiance but doesn't return any of the jets of multi colored fire that she only narrowly avoids.

Definitely her children if she's being this delicate with them. The realization doesn't actually change anything because I did my best to explain to Barney the likelihood we'll die. She's the one flying, I'm just the madman who came up with the plan.

As she dives towards the lake of bubbling magma, a voice screams in my mind. It takes me a second to realize it's the last shred of Viserys inside me and another to realize he's screaming his defiance aloud.

"Is this good enough for you Father, we're going to burn them all!"

Barney lets go of all three remaining barrels and pulls up with as much agility as she can manage. It's barely enough for us to reach the top of the crater before the explosions begin.

Pillars of molten rock shoots hundreds of feet into the air and begin raining down on the army building the bridge. I wince when a silver dragon is just… gone, after it's engulfed in one such magma blast.

Barney nearly reaches the coastline when the entire volcano erupts with a wave of indigo. The castle falls into the roiling magma and all I hear is the cut off shriek of the Emperor when his home melts away.

I start to think we might make it until a horse sized ball of magma tears through Barney's right wing. She tumbles from the air with no hope of righting herself and I'm thrown off her head from the spinning.

She crashes into the Smoking Sea only a second before me and my chest nearly caves in when I follow her into the waves. Black shapes that only vaguely resemble humans begin clawing at Barney but my shattered arm makes it impossible to do anything.

I can't even struggle against the waves created by the force of Barney slamming into the sea. Soon I find myself being carried farther and farther away from the bloody water and find myself relaxing once the panic passes.​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 58: All Roads Lead home
Theon Greyjoy
​

The first few days of travel at sword point isn't too bad. But when we cross the Green Fork and begin the climb into the foothills of the Vale, my hastily treated stab wounds start grow infected.

My entire body aches in the damp chilly air as we climb higher. Before we're even within sight of the Fingers, the Blackfish takes his niece and binds her to his chest beside Baelor the Bawler.

"Why won't he shut up?" Even though my bones are on fire, my skin is shivering like it's a winter storm. "He's going to get us killed with all that wailing." You're the one who said the Vale clans are only biding their time and no one is mad enough at them to finish routing them.

"Baelor's just warning the savages to stay away from his sister, he's being a brave boy." The old man starts to coo at the toddlers and pull his wine skin from his hip. "He's just teething and even half dragons have their fangs come in sharp. Dany nearly took my finger off when she was his age."

He rubs some of the Arbor Red onto the boy's gums and I try to ignore how dry my own mouth is. Wasting all the wine on a babe, you stupid old Trout.

"We're not to far off now, you'll see the tower soon." Brynden manages to stop himself from snarling at me and I feel my face flush when I can see sympathy in his eyes. "As long it's not coming down too hard on the coast that is. I think it rains here more than the Stormlands and it really cuts down on visibility."

I know that, it's why my had so long to get the Three Sisters under our control. That's not what I actually say though and instead focus on how the Lord of Harrenhal doesn't seem aware that Lord Baelish is working for my Father and King Aegon.

"And you're sure this… Lord Baelish will shelter us?" I don't know if he's working for us by choice or by force, he may make me disappear or help me escape.

"Petyr may hate my brother but I can't find it in me to blame the man for Hoster's very unclear living arrangements." Snorts the Blackfish with a warm smile as Jaenaera the Jolly lets out a squeal of laughter. "All Hoster had to do was make it clear he was not ever going to be a match for either of my nieces and Petyr never would have gotten the ideas in his head that he did."

The last few hours along the winding trail take nearly all of my energy and I collapse just in front of the rusted iron gate. "Get your Maester! He's too valuable a hostage to just let him die Petyr."


…

​

Tyrion Lannister
​

I'm not sure how Prince Renly managed to dismantle the blockade but the Ironborn are fled once facing both my fleet and the Redwynne one. Gerold will need to tell me how Renly forced such a fast surrender from Highgarden. If it can be replicated at the Rock, I'll have no issue handing over control of my forces to the Prince.

The Stormland army is marching North along the Ocean Road and will reclaim any lands flying Hightower colors. Leaving my ships with the task of retaking Lannisport and initiating the siege before reinforcements can arrive from Castamere.

Hopefully I can convince Father not to flood the place again. It took nearly two years to drain the mines. Maybe Gerion will stick around if Father forces a title on him and presses to have little Joy legitimized.

We have more than a few debts that we can call in from King Stannis. We should use a few of them making sure the Westerlands are secured with loyal lords… who better than family?

"Isn't Lord Tywin still finishing of the Golden Company?" Growls Lord Clegane as he towers beside me. "Or has your song already made it's way back home?"

"I'm not so naive as to hope for that." If it's not Father somehow magically crossing Westeros when no one was looking, I can only hope Uncle Kevan has managed to hold the city.

"Well I'm not happy we have no one to kill now." His grunt is thick with frustration and I have to resist the urge to flinch away from him. "And neither will my men."

Managing to keep the same stern command in my voice that Father effortlessly maintains, I snarl up at him. "You'll be able to pillage to your hearts content once we hit the Iron Isles. I hear they have salt wives aplenty for you all." It gets easier to remove his leash each time, the effect of my growing reputation very hard to resist.

"We better." Gregor is able to contain his rage for now and follows me onto the docks.

A patrol of Lannister men are waiting with a score of fresh horses for me and my officers. "What's going on? Who controls Lannisport now?" The knight in charge grins wide and salutes me once I'm on a striking black stallion.

"Lord Kevan holds the city and your brother the Rock."

"What?" How is that possible, the Ironborn have mocked us over his and Tygett's capture. They and the Reach revealed themselves as traitors last year and sent us Jaime's hand as proof.

He has awe in his eyes and I realize my status as a war hero is meaningless in the face of my brother achieving the impossible. Of course the Ironborn lied about having him, probably sent some random thralls hand.

I wouldn't be shocked if it's revealed Jaime swam all the way from Fair Isle. He's already done the impossible taking Casterly Rock by himself and now he can't even let me be the Sea Lion. What's one measly ocean against my perfect brother?


…

​

Robb Stark
​

Riding beside my Uncle Benjen along the gentle slope from White Harbor is a dream come true. Father said he and Lyanna are finally coming home to Winterfell with us.

He's a kingsguard, he can teach me how to beat Dominic. My friends recent growth spurt has given him the advantage in reach and muscle both. I haven't gotten a proper win against him for weeks now, not since our Father's returned from the Wall.

Whatever new tricks Lord Bolton taught his son will be nothing against my unbreakable uncle's. Jennelyn is somber riding behind Aunt Lyanna with tears in her eyes whenever I check on her. Not that I can blame her for being so quiet, I have no idea how I'd behave if Father died.

A strange tickling sensation builds just behind my eyes and it becomes a general sense of a threat approaching. My eyes dart South only for the King's Road to remain empty of anyone besides a lone shepherd.

The feeling doesn't go away and I stop my horse as my gut tells me to. "No Wildlings would attack a party this large right?"

"Any group bigger than twenty gets found in only a few weeks so we should be safe with sixty riders." Father gives me a soft chuckle as he and my Aunt come back to watch the road with me.

"You feel it to, right Robb?" Edith blurts out with a hint of worry in her voice as the whole party idles behind me.

I'm not sure what I feel exactly and only now my blood is screaming at me to go check. It's almost like the feeling I get when Sansa screams about spiders… only my none of my family is farther South than I am now.

"I can hear it." Something changes and for a moment it's like I'm hearing though another set of ears. "People are being attacked!"

Father trusts my claim and sends men to investigate… or at least stop me from charging into danger alone. A score of riders race past with my Uncle Benjen, while Lyanna brings her chestnut mare in front of my own horse. She really is half horse, I have no idea how she caught up to my head start.

"What do you think your doing young man?" She scowls at me with a hand on each hip. "You don't have armor on or even a weapon."

Blushing pink at how reckless I was being, I watch the guards chase off the Wildlings. Only one of the cowards falls before the rest of his savage friends flee into the woods.

I don't recognize the sigil bearing a three headed red hound on a field of black but it seems my aunt does based on her gasp. "What is he doing here?"

At first I think it's the large knight on the massive black stallion Lyanna is talking about. But soon I can see it's the boy who looks an awful lot like Father her eyes are watching. Is this the bastard he refuses to tell us anything about?​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 59: Boldness Is It's Own Reward
Barristan Selmy
​

The explosion of blue fire lights up the night sky and not to long after, it's followed by a series a rumbles that actually knock me off my feet. Red paints the sky to the North as even from here I can see lances of magma stabbing up at the clouds.

It lasts for an intense ten minutes, globs of molten stone being sent raining down all over the nearby islands. One the size of a house slams against the barrier and stretches around it before becoming a slowly hardening ring.

Dripping down like honey, the glowing orange magma begins cooling when a few tendrils reach the ground. When it finally stops giving off anymore heat, we only have a few places big enough for a person to enter.

As I wait for more vibrations with baited breath, Creb darts through one of the cracks in the porous red rock. Where are the others? I sent four of them to watch the hive.

"We got Ironborn on the way!" His words bring panic to everyone else but Simon Rogers and I share a resolute nod.

Monsters and dragons is the stuff of stories, not something I found easy to wrap my head around. But killing Ironborn is something I understand just fine.

"How many boats?" A standard long ship has forty slaves to row and twenty five raiders. We're as good as dead if it's more than one crew.

He looks up with a confused look in his eyes. "Was a pair of them… but that dragon dropped something and one was all of a sudden on fire."

"The giant purple dragon just decided to fly by and save us?" A surge of hope blossoms in me. "Where did it go after that?"

"Flew in the direction of the volcano." Shrugs the scraggly haired man, his many times broken nose giving him the appearance of a jumpy bird. "Right before it went bang."

Whatever you did with the horn must have worked. "Viserys isn't dead yet and we need a ship to find him. Wasn't it nice of the Ironborn to bring us one?"

"But they don't even know we're here." Arnold hasn't realized my intention and frowns. "Why would they bring us a boat?"

"We're going to steal it while they're dealing with the hive." As long as we stay off the hills, they've been leaving us alone. But both times someone was careless, we got chased all the way back here.

"I'll meet with Yenneck and the other two and rile up the hive, the rest of you will need to take the eastern ridge so you aren't seen." We're outnumbered but that can change once we get on the long ship. All depends on how well the captain conditioned his thralls.

Elyse shepherds her strangely obedient Stabbits outside the barrier with everyone else and I shake off my stiffness as I find myself alone. Can't order me away from this one Viserys. You're not the only one who'd rather avoid insanity with a heroic death.

I just need to be bold one more time and then I can finally rest. Maybe I'll meet you on that beach you always talked about.

Charging back into the nightmare that is the Doom, I find it even hotter than it was before the eruption. I can barely keep up a jog as the hive draws closer, the hanging mist reheated back into a scalding steam.

It's only luck that allows me to avoid the incoming Ironborn. The break my age forces me to take for breath comes right before the pirates in all but name run into me.

Pressed motionless against an outcropping of green obsidian, I wait for the rowdy crowd to pass without a breath to disturb the steam. When the last of them runs by panting, I can finally start inhaling again.

No need for stealth now. "You Ironborn scum will never get my Valyrian Steel!" My words echo in the valley and immediately the footsteps pause. Only for a moment though, with whoever is in charge roaring out a command to catch me.

"Hope you cowards don't get lost chasing after me!" I roar at the returning reavers and resume my charge for the hive. "It gets scary here once the sun sets!"

It's harder to keep the Ironborn in earshot and out of clear visual range than I had first thought. My stamina is still better than these weaklings who use thralls to row and I'm gotten a fair bit of practice finding my footing in the mist.

"If I knew Ironborn were this pathetic, I'd have take your islands instead of coming here for treasure!" My mocking roar infuriates the men chasing me and I have to hold in laughter. "Would have been a whole lot easier than everything I've gone through! Those rabbits nearly took my finger off!"

Reaching the closest hill makes me smirk and I race up the side with heavy stomping. I know it will piss off the hive of burned people and am really looking forward to introducing them to the Ironborn.

By the time I'm halfway down the other side of the hill, I can hear the swarm of clawed people skittering out of the tunnels. When they find the Ironborn and start to tear into them, I actually do let out a grim chuckle.

Now I just need to hope the others got the long ship ready to sail. Don't really want to face whichever side wins this battle.

My lungs burn by the time I reach the black sand beach and throw myself onto the ship. "Is everyone here?" I get a startled yes from Ser Herbert Gower as I get helped back to my feet by Elyse. "Good, now raise sails and get us out of here before the Ironborn get back!"

A searing pain spreads from the palm of my left hand and courses through my body like a roaring inferno. My sweat turns to steam and when I gasp my saliva comes out like a cloud of dragon breath.

Just when I think I'm going to spontaneously ignite, the scorching heat in my body fades away. When I try patting myself for any sign of damage, a grey dust comes off on my fingers.

The patches of Shalescale grow itchier than I can bear and I drop back to the blood red deck. I'm not along as I wriggle and writhe under the black sails and soon everyone is coughing inside a cloud of dust.

I stare at Marya's fresh patches of pink skin on her face and start to giggle in ecstatic glee. "He did it… Viserys cured us." I was only humoring him but he seems to have pulled another miracle out of his blessed ass.

"… What do we do now?" Arnold hesitates before he takes the helm and waits for my command.

"We could go home now." I let the suggestion hang in the air and grin with pride as it's ignored. "Or we could go find Viserys if you'd all prefer. Volcano that blew wasn't that far away."


…

​

Viserys Ashtar
​

Everything is dark as the inside of my own coffin but I can still sense myself being observed. The silent judgment grows unbearable and quickly eats away at the sense of serenity that had filled me when awareness first set in.

I try to scream defiance at whoever is mocking me but my words are swallowed by the black void all around me. "Do I still not get any answers? I did my best and it still wasn't enough to even make it to the Others' return."

"You better try again and maybe choose someone a little bit more impressive this time." I can hear a gurgling sound that sounds uncomfortably like a drowning man's last gasp for air. "It's probably not a good idea if you stick them in a kid this time. You're running out of time to get people to work together."

Heat surrounds me and a glowing orange light fills my vision. The sensation of lips firmly pressed against my own is strange but I don't resist. A surge of life giving energy fills me and I start coughing up a bucket's worth of saltwater.

As soon as I start, a man starts screaming in shock right above my face. A red headed man with a thick bushy beard stumbles backwards and falls onto the rocky shore. His soaked robes are deep crimson and I can vaguely recognize him from Robert's farewell visit.

"What in the hell is Thoros of Myr, doing in Valyria?" My left arm is on fire with pain and is bent wrong just above the wrist.

That's not going to be fun to heal. At least six weeks before I can even think of using it for anything and I think it's going to need to be set properly first.

"I should be asking Ser Viserys Ashtar the very same thing." He grins back at me and sounds far more sober than I would have imagined. "We all thought you'd be in the Sorrows by now."

"Wanted to go out with a bang and find a cure to our Shalescale." My words make his eyes widen again in impressed shock. "Only seem to have done one of those things right though."

Thoros waits for a good five seconds before motioning for me to continue eagerly. "… So what is the cure?"

"What do you mean? I didn't get that far… couldn't even blow myself up properly." The look of confusion on his face makes my heart beat just a little bit faster, hope filling my entire body slowly.

"You look fine to me and I had to strip you out of damn near all your clothes." He shrugs with no shame as I pat myself down with my good arm. "I'm not a very good swimmer but my eyes work fine. You look as fresh as a newly flowered maiden."

I've answered his question and now I need to know if I'm just hallucinating him beside me. "And how did a priest of R'hllor make his way here? Did the fire say I'd be here?"

"Got captured by Euron in our first skirmish in the Riverlands. He's the one who brought us into this hellhole." Thoros snorts and his eyes light up. "But when that dragon blew up the other ship, I made a break for it and swam for the far shore. None of the Ironborn can handle a little hot water."

"So Euron Greyjoy is looking for you right now?" I ask with growing dread. "And that's the Silence sailing towards… isn't it?"

"Yes to both." He agrees with a resigned sigh, only to blink in confusion at the chirping sound coming from my pile of smoldering clothes. "What's making that noise?"

"My egg!" I dash towards the soggy clothes blackened with the volcanoes ash.

I can even see where some globs of magma melted clean through my armor and wince at the memory of my flesh sizzling underwater. A river of molten rock pouring into the sea only a few dozen feet from me. How the hell did I escape that in one piece?

Is the cure to Shalescale having a lava bath? Because I don't think it's going to catch on as well as my sauna idea did.

The green dragon that pulls himself from the bundle has the same hue as tarnished copper and seems to be nearly half again the size that I remember Drogon being when he hatched.

He burps and stretches on his nest, revealing an under layer of the standard red copper scales and wing membrane. A cloud of hot black ash covers both of us and I can hear Thoros hiss in pain nearby.

"Well if the Ironborn didn't know someone was here already…" I know he's right but sight of my hatchling trying to roar at the approaching Silence is too adorable to look away from. Not like I'm really going to fight my way free from Euron in this condition anyway.​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 60: Summer Homes
Duncan Selmy
​

When Lord Stark sees the dragons his face goes pale like ice and he leads us in near silence the rest of the way to Winterfell. He converses with Ser Benjen and my… mother. The Dowager Queen manages to keep her smiles towards me discreet and my anticipation only builds with each mile traveled.

My cousin Robb watches me with an odd look in his eyes and only gives a brief hello when I try introducing my companions. My aunt already seems to know everyone and is welcomed by the girls Edith and Sansa warmly, leaving me to flounder without Bella.

Roberta didn't like leaving the Neck and so Bella decided to stay in Greywater Watch with the Reeds. It makes us look more official as well, no longer having an escort of whores being brought to Winterfell.

Lady Reed knew we would be arriving and had a lovely banner made for Sandor. It's the Targaryen colors to honor my Uncle Viserys but a gallant three headed hound instead. He really is worth three of his brother and six of any other man.

Princess Jenn doesn't do more than give me a sad wave and I try not to be upset. Her Father died and she's not even really the Princess anymore, her whole life changed in just a few days.

Wait a second. If Bella was King Robert's daughter… that means Jenn is her sister! "I need to talk to Lyanna."

"Can't it wait till we're inside?" Grumbles Sandor as he can finally enjoy having his horse to himself, with Dany giggling at Sandor's face from her spot in front of me. "I can already see Winterfell and you know your new pets don't like the chilly air in the morning."

"And you know they aren't pets Ser Sandor." Dany gives him a stern scolding as she keeps a firm grip on the squirming bundle of cloth. "They are our friends."

She's only repeating what I said about the pack before they sacrificed themselves for us but it makes me frown. Everyone's always protecting me… I need to be able to look after myself so Sandor can finally go home.

"You don't have to keep me as your squire you know. I know I tricked you into it." He shakes his head and chuckles at my offer.

"And leave you to Bronn's tender guidance?" Sandor snorts and slaps his thigh. "I think not. He'll have you back at Greywater Watch before I'm halfway home."

We pass through the slate grey walls and dark iron gate, entering into a bustling courtyard. It's not like Storm's End and feels like an entire city has been nestled inside the walls.

In the distance beyond a crumbling tower, I can see a grove that takes up a few acres. Some of the muddy areas are even steaming with the hot springs I know are beneath us and I hope the dragons like the caves.

Viserys wanted his family away from the crown. He was very insistent whenever he was asked… it's what made his family go crazy. Dany and I will respect that as long as the Baratheon's rule. Viserys chose them himself.

"I need to speak with our guests in my Solar. Can you two please ask your mother to join us?." Lord Stark asks his daughters as we all dismount and they dash off for the Sept giggling their agreement.

He gives a final command to his men and leads us inside. "Like when I went to Dorne, I expect you all to honor my family with your silence."

Sandor takes the bundle of dragons from Dany and allows Ser Desmond to lift her down. I leap down myself before he can offer and march behind Robb with my chest puffed out. He's my cousin, will he hate me as much as Renly did Viserys?

I attempt not to let the thought take root in my mind and speak with the Stark boy again. "You got over the hill first when your men saved us. You must be as good of a rider as Lyanna."

"Queen Lyanna, my aunt…" He gives me a hard stare. "She's still far better than I am. But I guess it's true that old people are hard of hearing." A wry smirk crosses his lips. "None of them could hear you lot screaming, it was like I was right beside you all though."

"Don't worry about Duncan using my proper title Robb. We go way back…" Lyanna winks at me as she pats Robb's curly red hair. "I nursed him when he was a babe you know."

"Really?" That seems to have taken the edge off of Robb's voice and he gives me a second look that's far kinder. "But everyone said he's Father's bastard!" He hisses the words and the adults freeze nearly as one. "Isn't it an insult to my mother, for Duncan to be here?"

Is that why he doesn't like me? I guess I hadn't thought about it when I went looking for Lord Stark. But if he was my father… he might have had a good reason for not acknowledging me. Just showing up on his doorstep might not have been as welcome a surprise as I hoped.

"Just get inside, your mother will be here soon." Lord Stark sighs heavily and opens the door to his solar. The still recovering Benjen and Lyanna get the two soft armchairs across from him, while the rest of us stand awkwardly. "May as well let them get some air."

With his permission Sandor unties the bundle, letting the three primary colored dragons explore the desk. I look over at Jenn and see her eyes go wide with shock. A sense of wonder shines and I know what has to be done.

"I think you should have this one Jennelyn." I push the soft yellow one towards her and smile at my sister. "Dany named hers and I named mine, but I can't think of anyone besides my sister that I'd give a dragon to." Don't think about Edric right now or I'll start crying too.

"What did you name yours?" She asks with her voice barely above a whisper, the shock nearly overwhelming her.

My aunt blurts her answer out with pride and strokes the scarlet dragon. "I named mine after my brother. This is Viserion."

"And I named mine for the woman who gave her life to hatch these beauties." This miracle never would have happened without my grandmother Rhaella. "This is Rhellagar."

"Then for my brother…" Jenn brushes her noses against the gentlest of the three dragons we brought. "I shall name you Edriggon. So he can be with me forever."

Lord Stark speaks up as my mother grabs Jenn in a tight hug. "They can't breath fire yet I trust?"

His interruption makes me realize he's not secretly my father but my uncle instead… just not by Brandon as had been Viserys' belief. I guess he isn't always right.

"What is going on in here!" Lady Catelyn enters the solar and gasps at the dragons on display.

"Father was always faithful to you!" My cousin Robb seems to know exactly what to say and it works.

The Lady of Winterfell's anger vanishes and giddy relief fills her face. "How do you know this? He hasn't told anyone what happened."

"Well he wasn't the only one present." Lyanna smirks at Lord Stark who grins with his own relief at never actually having revealed anything. "Ned here is sch a darn good brother, he made it seem like my son was his own secret bastard."

"With an extra layer of cover by having everyone think you cover for Brandon's dishonoring of Ashara." The glee in Catelyn's voice is palpable and the look being thrown at her husband makes me think another Stark is on the way. "You've always been true."

"I never wanted to lie to you. It was easier to simply never speak of things I couldn't change." Ned admits with a sigh. "I'm not a man who likes dwelling on the past but it's where my mind always goes. It will be a relief no longer having this secret to keep from my family."

His sister interrupts with a stern look. "We should ask Duncan what he wants to do before we tell anyone else. He might be a runner like I was."

"Damn straight he is. Boy will probably wind up living with bears this time." Sandor mutters under his breath while the Lady of Winterfell scowls at his language. "If you spook him, it's up to you to find him." His sideways glance at me is reassuring and I know he won't really leave me wild in the woods.

With a deep breath I take charge of my life. "I only ever wanted to know who my family was and now I do. Doesn't matter to me if the world knows, it's full of idiots anyway."

"Cersei will not like knowing we have dragons. We can't stay here for very long." Lyanna groans as she considers who's now in charge. "What have you decided to do with Skagos? it's completely empty, isn't it?"

"That might work." Lord Stark considers it carefully. "The stone structures are all standing and we're supposed to have a long summer. I can put out word for willing people to go with you and send Starfall a raven so they know you're alright."​