It's just... it feels like there's so much darkness and evil in this world, that it is like they don't care."
"There is a good reason for that. Of course, evil has always existed, but the Faith of the Nine withered over the ages. It was nearly destroyed when Baelor ascended to the Iron Throne after the death of the Young Dragon, and he let his fanatical ways take hold of his every decision. As the number of people that remembered the old ways of the Divines dropped, the Daedra were able to take a stronger hold over the world. Free will is a double-edge sword, after all," Valeria explained, her smile becoming brither. "But people are now remembering the Nine once more. Quite fortunate that William Baratheon sparked this revival, after his own revelation of faith. It may have been cause by a troubling event in his childhood, but it did benefit him in the long run."
"The Black Prince..." Daenerys muttered with a frown. "What do you mean by 'troubling event'?"
"That is not my secret to tell. It's better that you ask him yourself, when you meet him," Valeria replied, confusing Daenerys. "After all, you plan to return to Westeros eventually. I am sure you will meet him, in time."
A thought occurred to her, remembering something she had heard weeks before.
"Is... is he capable of using the Thu'um?"
"Yes, he is. To a rather impressive degree, one that men older would struggle with, too."
Daenerys grimaced at hearing the confirmation of what would be the greatest threat to her restoration of the Targaryens to the Iron Throne, and she wondered about how best to handle the Black Prince.
"May I take a turn in making you a few questions, Daenerys?" Valeria asked, bringing Daenerys out of her musings.
"Yes.. yes, of course you can."
"Tell me, why do you want the Iron Throne?"
"My brother thought that he could retake the throne, but he has proved himself unworthy of a crown, so it falls on me to restore the Targaryens' place as rulers of Westeros in his stead," Daenerys answered, but Valeria shook her head.
"But, why do you want the throne? You have not given me a personal reason. Is it because you desire power and authority?"
"I... no..." Daenerys answered, hesitating.
"So, why do you want the throne, then? Are you letting the ambition of others guide your path?"
Daenerys stared blankly into space. Not even once in all this time had she tried to come up with an actual reason for why she wanted the Iron Throne; she only sought the crown because it was what Viserys wanted, and because it had belonged to her family once. After she did, she hesitantly offered an answer.
"I... I want justice for the wrongs that were done to my... to our family."
"But our family has committed many wrongs itself, and what was shown to you was but a minority."
"I know. The revelation about the truth concerning my father is now clear to me. But, there were still wrongs done to our family as well. Elia and her children..."
"Ah, yes. The murder of your deceased brother Rhaegar's family was indeed a horrible deed," Valeria agreed.
"More than that... I want to improve people's lives," Daenerys continued. "I've seen how many people are slaves in Slaver's Bay. I don't know if I can change that from Westeros, but it makes me wish to make it so that no man, woman, or child has to be shackled and serve another against their will. I want to improve the lives of smallfolk. To give them some of the hope that they desperately need and the good lives they deserve."
"A worthy goal to pursue. One that your great-great-grandfather tried to fulfill. You realize that it will never be perfect, correct? Not as long as there are those who choose the path of ambition and greed."
"Even if I can't improve the lives of everyone, I want to at least try;" Daenerys replied with resolve.
Valeria smiled with content at her descendant... before suddenly jerking her head and looking out from the fortress with intensity.
"What is it?" Daenerys asked, following her ancestor's gaze. "Is something wrong?"
"I'm afraid so... which means I must cut our time short."
"But... there are still things I wish to know-"
"You will get your answers before long, child," Valeria cut off Daenerys. "There is still one being that still lives to remember my name and story. The whole story."
"Really? Who?"
"Oh, trust me. You'll know him when you meet him," Valeria answered with a mischievous smirk, before standing up and placing her hands on Daenerys' shoulders. "Listen to me. You found the Amulet of Kings. Be wary of what you do with it. It is an object that symbolizes power, but only those of Septim blood can wear it. The Septim blood is the life force that forms the covenant between mankind and Divine Akatosh. There have been those who have sought to unlawfully claim its symbol of power, and paid the price for their blasphemy."
"What do you mean?" Daenerys asked in confusion.
"The leaders of the Valyrian Freehold desired to make the Freehold the greatest empire the world had ever seen, even greater than the ancient Septim Empire. To do so, they sought the Amulet of Kings, and started a ritual they thought would corrupt it, and make one of their own capable of wearing it. The only family that did not partake in this foolish act was ours, and that was why we were the only ones spared from Akatosh's wrath."
"You mean... the Doom of Valyria?" she asked, and Valeria nodded.
"As I said, the Divines don't openly interfere with the world often. But, when they do, the whole world feels their wrath," Valeria warned. "There is one more thing. You know of the Wall in the North, correct?"
"Yes, I do."
"Then know this. A great evil has returned north of the Wall. A foul enemy that I have fought in the past has returned and he seeks to reclaim the world as his."
"A great evil? What sort of evil?"
"The World Eater," was the only explanation Valeria offered Daenerys. She looked out of the fortress again, and turned back to Daenerys. "You are free to follow your own path, of course. But if you seek to claim the Iron Throne, if you seek war with the Black Prince... you will only strengthen the true enemy.
Daenerys frowned at hearing this, but Valeria placed a comforting hand on her cheek.
"I wouldn't worry, if I were you. Sometime, our dreams and goals come true in ways we do not expect. Trust your instincts and follow the path you believe you should follow." She smiled and walked away from Daenerys, closer to the balcony's edge, giving Daenerys a last look. "I don't know if we will ever meet again. It all depends on my lord Akatosh's will. So, know this: I'm proud to call you my descendant, Daenerys Stormborn."
She then stepped over and off the balcony, falling out of sight. Daenerys rushed forward, afraid of what had happened to her... only to stumble back as something else soared up in front of her.
A dragon.
Daenerys gasped. It was the most beautiful dragon she thought she would ever seen. She had pure white scales, that shone like starlight or like snow with sunlight bouncing off it. The white dragon hovered above her, before it flew up into the sun. Everything became a bright flash...
… and she opened her eyes.
She was back in the ruined cavern. She felt the pain of having lain on the stone floor for long without moving, but it was still day, so she must have not been there too long. Looking down at her lap, she saw the Amulet of Kings, the thing that had prompted this encounter. After a moment, she stood up, stretched up and began to make her way down the stairs.
"Valeria Targaryen... I hope you are right, and that I will find your true story."
Outskirts of King's Landing
"By the Divines!" General Tullius exclaimed upon seeing the Oblivion Gate. He immediately turned to his officers. "Redirect our archers at the Oblivion gate! Buy some time for the Legions to reorganize!"
The centurions immediately began to shout their orders, and soon enough the Legion's archers let loose a first volley of arrows towards the Gate.
"Tighten formations!" Legate Ralof shouted to his men, the Fifth Legion, which had been the one in the center when the Gate appeared, and now would be the first to face it. "Shield wall! Ready your javelins! Don't let anything through!"
Just then, the arrows began to rain on the Dremora that were already coming out of the Gate. Several of them died, and the rest were temporarily held back, long enough for the Fifth to finish forming the shield wall. However, they could only cover one half of the wall, for the other side was occupied by the West and Reach troops.
In the Legion's camp, Jaime shot to his feet when he saw what had appeared in the battlefield.
"Seven hells, what is that?" he asked, stunned.
"An Oblivion Gate, Ser Jaime, a gate that leads to the domains of the Daedra," Steffen replied, equally stunned.
"Well, are we just going to stand here, or are we going to help with that?"
"Our orders are to guard you, Jaime."
"Then, come with me," Jaime replied, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"So that you can have a chance to escape?"
"I know that saying this is like the Mountain promising to never kill anyone, but I swear upon whatever honor I have left that I will not try to escape. I will fight whatever comes out of there, and I will return to being your prisoner when the battle is done," Jaime vowed, while Steffen gave him a hard look... and a nod.
Tywin Lannister was not a man who was easy to shock. He had been taken by surprise several times, but he had never shown it.
That said, the fact a grim and shocked face remained long enough for everyone around him to notice was worrying enough.
Tywin, of course, had known of his grandson's religious inclinations. He had seen him use the Thu'um – him and Arya Stark, he realized. But never had he expected for something like this, like an Oblivion Gate, to make its appearance here and then, he noticed the monstrosities coming out of the Gate, and how the Legions directed their attention to them.
It was only a split second. For that long, Tywin thought he could use this to his advantage. With the Legion's attention focused on the Gate, they would be vulnerable to his own troops. But he discarded that idea immediately: the creatures needed to be contained, and he would not be the one that would cut his nose to spite his face.
"Form a shield wall! Shield wall around that gate, NOW!" he shouted, before riding along the battle lines to find his brother.
William glared at the Oblivion Gate. He had been this close to winning, and the Mythic Dawn had sent his plans to Oblivion. He turned to Garlan, who was staring as well, stunned.
"Ser Garlan! The situation has changed again. We need the help of the Reach if we are to contain the Gate!"
"Wha-what is that thing?" Loras asked, while his brother remained silent from the shock.
"A gate to Oblivion, the Seven Hells, whatever you want to call it! If we don't work together, we'll all die here!" William yelled, frustrated. Time was of essence now, and every second wasted could lead to more deaths.
Finally, Garlan seemed to shake himself out of his stupor, and nodded to William before turning his horse to meet his father and Lord Tarly: they had to be warned.
The sight of the gate had also stopped the fighting between Stannis' and Kevan's forces, and Stannis knew that they were in great danger, for he remembered what his nephew had mentioned about his religion, and past events.
"Kevan!" Tywin shouted as he finally reached his brother. "Turn your men around and strengthen our numbers, we must help hold off the monsters coming out of the gate!"
"Yes, brother," Kevan said, content to be able of doing something, and he started to give the opportune orders, while Tywin rode towards Stannis.
"Lord Stannis, in light of the new situation, I must ask for a truce and to put aside our differences, at least until this new threat is dealt with."
Stannis coldly glared at Tywin before turning to look over the battlefield, or, rather, to the Legions, whom he could see had already turned their attention to the Gate.
"Ony because it looks as though his Grace is focusing there. I'll keep my troops behind yours, to make sure you don't get any treacherous ideas," he replied, his disdain for Lord Lannister obvious. Tywin decided to ignore that and rode off again, to meet with the Tyrells.
"By all the gods, this can't be..." Mace Tyrell gasped, as he saw the strange creatures coming out of the structure.
"Father!" Garlan yelled as he managed to arrive. "We need to help the Legions and the Lannisters surround that Gate! It's the only way we'll all survive this night!"
"What?" Mace asked, still in shock and so distracted that he had barely paid attention to what his son had said. Thankfully, Randyll Tarly had rapidly recognized the new situation, and was already ordering the troops to realign themselves, pointing their weapons at the gate and preparing themselves for battle, as monsters born out of nightmares ran to them.
The most numerous of the group was the Scamps, deformed humanoid beings, small and weak, which made them rather easy to kill, but still they were capable of throwing fireballs and could use their claws to attack.
Another creature, which the old Septim Empire would have called clannfears, resembled a large lizard, but bore a bony crest on their head and had a beak and sharp claws capable of killing a grown man.
Yet another was the Daedroths, lizard-lion-like abominations that walked upright, with powerful jaws that could rip a person's arm without much problem.
And, finally, the most dangerous creatures of the group were the most human-like of them: the Xivilai. Those who had suffered the attack in Storm's End saw their resemblance to the Dremora Lords that had formed part of that fight, and, although they were less armored, they carried heavy swords and maces as they crossed the Gate.
The number of creatures coming out slowly increased: first it was only a handful of them, but that became two handfuls, double that, and it was only a few moments before at least a hundred creatures were prowling out of the gate.
However, this fight would not be as easy as others, for the armies of men had quickly formed around the Gate, so such numbers would not easily overwhelm them. Being similar to a funnel, the Gate severely limited how many could cross it, but until it was closed, they would be coming in non-stop, pushing forward and allowing even more of their kind into the mortal realm.
Both Tywin and William soon arrived near the gate where the Tyrells were present.
"William, do you have any idea how to close this gate? If you can use the Thu'um, then you must know something that can help close this gate," Tywin quickly inquired.
"I've only briefly read about the Gates when I was younger," William replied. "I know that the Gate needs some sort of magical anchor to be summoned to the mortal realm."
"The Black Prince is right. The last time this happened was during the Oblivion Crisis, I've studied the many records about the Gates that us Blades have managed to find," Delphine stated. "This must have been summoned by a mage, one from Mythic Dawn, but they must remain in eyesight at all time. If we find them, then the spell can be broken."
Garlan grimaced when she said that.
"Within eyesight? That means he could be anywhere in miles around, hidden in the dark! For all we know, he could be in the city, and that would take too long to search, even if we restrict ourelves to the highest towers and the Red Keep!"
"Is there any other choice? We must find this mage," Randyll Tarly replied.
"There is another choice," William spoke up. "The Gate needs an anchor on both ends... which means there is a way to close it from the other side."
Everyone went silent as they realized what William meant. Mace Tyrell was the first to speak up.
"You mean... go through that Gate, fight whatever many of those creatures you find on your path, and somehow break the connection?"
"That's insane," Loras breathed.
"Insane times sometimes need insane plans, Ser Loras. And it's not just our armies that are being threatened: if the Gate remains open even after that, King's Landing will be under threat," William replied with resolve. "If you are afraid, you are more than welcome to search for the summoner on this end. I'll try the other option."
William turned Shadow towards the Gate under everyone's gaping expression, but Delphine quickly reacted by having her own horse trot to him.
"You are in no condition to try and enter Oblivion, my Prince. Let me and the Blades handle it!" Delphine insisted.
"William! This is foolish!" Tywin shouted. "Our men will hold off those monsters and find this Mythic Dawn mage. There is no need for you to risk your life!"
"Sorry, grandfather, but we both have different ways of handling things, and the way I see it, my life is no more important than anyone else's. If you wish to come with me, Delphine, it is your choice, but I will never order anyone to enter a hell like Oblivion, much less while I remain here."
Delphine shook her head.
Stubborn boy. Always reminding me why I made my choice.
"That is why I serve you, my Prince," she told him with a smile. "Shall we?"
With a smirk on his lips,William urged Shadow forward, while the rest of the Blades joined him, forming a wedge around him, rapidly galloping towards the Oblivion Gate.
As they did, Garlan could not help but stare in amazement at the Black Prince. He was barely an adult, so tired that he could barely stay upright on his saddle... and there he was, putting his every strength and will to run into a mission that could get him killed for a chance to save not just his family, but his enemies and an entire city.
That... that is how a knight is supposed to act, Garlan thought. William has not been knighted, and there he goes, while I stay here, doing nothing... No. I am a knight. I swore a vow, to defend the innocent, to protect the weak! Regardless of the cost!
With a determined look in his eye, Garlan urged his horse forward, and soon he was galloping behind the Black Prince and the Blades.
"Brother! No!" Loras said, chasing after his brother, but whether to stop him or join him, he knew not.
"Garlan! Loras! Come back! Come back now!" Mace Tyrerll yelled in vain, as around twenty or so Knights of the Reach, those who had served alongside Garlan and Loras as close friends and companions, quickly followed after the two Tyrell knights.
Forewarned by calls, the Legions rapidly opened a hole for the Blades and Knights to get through. The dremora thought they had finally managed to open a point where they could continue to kill, but the last thing those who tried saw was a large number of horses, the edge of some of the finest swords ever made in the world and the furious face of humans intent on destroying them: they had not expected a horsemen charge, and it showed as the Blades managed to open their way through, and as the Knights decapitated and trampled those dremora who had managed to avoid the wedge.
Their charge got the entire group through the lines of dremora and in front of the gate... but the horses, save for Shadow, who seemed to have no fear, stopped short of entering, letting out screeches and refusing to get any closer to the gate.
"Dismount! We'll have to go on foot!" Delphine ordered, and the group rapidly dismounted.
William hopped off of Shadow, stumbling and falling to one knee. He was still dead tired from summoning the storm, but he pushed himself up, intent on carrying out his mission. Shadow butted him with his nose urging him to get back on.
"No, my friend. You're not going in there," William said. Shadow pawed at the ground with his hooves and huffed, but William shook his head as he moved towards the gate. "Not today, my friend. Take care of the other horses for us."
Just as he talked, a group of dremora made their way out of the Gate, but taking a step into the mortal world was the last thing they did, for their passage required the payment of a fee, which the edge of several katanas gleefully took in blood and limbs.
"Enter now! While we still have a chance!" Delphine yelled.
William summoned his resolve and charged at the gate, Delphine and several Blades running right besides him, ready to protect him, and the rest behind. He reached out with his hand as he stepped into the gate...
Deadlands, Plane of Oblivion
… and emerged into a place deserving of the word hell.
William stumbled as he stepped away from the gate, with only Delphine managing to grab him on time preventing his fall. As she helped him stand upright again, he took a moment to look around him.
The world around was barren, nary a piece of vegetation around, and a jagged land where the only things that stood out were the lava lakes... and the towers. Towers made of dark, twisted metal and rock, in forms alien to them, that shone with strange energies. The sky was hazy and orange in color, but even this took undertones of something... evil lying around here. And, as they took in the cruel land that now surrounded them, the Blades fanned out to form a defensive circle, in case any threat came.
But, much to their surprise, there was nothing waiting for them. No horde of dremora planning to tear them apart... and this made William very worried.
"By the Seven..." came a voice from behind him, and William turned to see it was Ser Loras, who stood next to his brother and several knights of the Reach as they crossed the Gate.
"You shouldn't have followed," William said. "You shouldn't be here."
"None of us should, actually, but we have to," Garlan replied as he stared over the twisted landscape and stepped up next to William. "There were hordes of those – Dremora, is that what you call them? - coming through the Gate just a moment ago, where are they now?"
"There's multiple gates here, in this part of Oblivion. See?" Delphine answered as she pointed at over a dozen similar portals that were perfectly visible from their elevated position. And around all of those gates, endless dremora waited for their chance to go through. "Every gate will be able to connect to the one out of King's Landing, so they'll be able to send wave after wave."
"Our forces will be able to hold a good defensive line, since the attack is only coming from one point, but with endless waves coming through, they will eventually be overwhelmed," William noted. "We don't have much time, we need to hurry."
"If there's multiple gates, do we need to close them all?" Garlan asked.
"Luckily for us, no. See the lines of energy attached to the top of the gates? They are all linked to that tower," Delphine indicated, pointing to their own gate and then the large tower that stood before them. "The records indicate that there should be something called a Sigil Stone that acts as an anchor, standing at the top, or near the top, of that tower, in a special pedestal. Should we remove or destroy the Stone, all of the gates will be closed."
"Let's not waste any more time, then," Garlan replied.
"But, why weren't there any dremora here? Why is this place empty?" Loras asked.
"Because they expected us," William grimaced, marching towards the tower. "Be on your guard at all times."
The heterogeneous group marched up the pathway towards the tower, surrounded by an eerie silence, only broken by the sounds of rumbling volcanos and bubbling lava in the distance. A sense of dread permeated the air, a feeling they all shared, that none of them belonged to this world at all. Still, they persevered, for the destiny of thousands of lives rested on their shoulders.
It was as they finally reached the tower when the nature of this situation became clear. As Delphine went to open the door, one of the knights at the back yelled out a warning.
"Behind us! A horde of dremora approaches!"
"Damn," one of the other Blades muttered as they turned and saw an assortment of dremora charging uphill towards them.
"Looks like our presence has been finally noted," William remarked as he held up Dragonbane.
"No, William, we will hold the door," Garlan interrupted. "You and your Blades are the ones that know how to close those Gates. This is for us to do."
William nodded at them, thankful, before turning to follow Delphine into the tower, leaving the two dozen Reachmen behind, and, as the dremora drew closer, the Knights of the Reach readied their weapons.
"Garlan."
"Yes, Loras?"
"Do you think this is our time to die?"
"Perhaps. You ready?"
"I thought I would be... but now, I'm not so sure," Loras admitted.
"That's alright, little brother. I feel the same way," Garland replied.
The knights kept their stances, their hearts beating hard as the dremora, with the clannfears in the lead running on all fours, finally crossed the line where confrontation was unavoidable.
"For Highgarden!" Garlan and Loras shouted.
"FOR HIGHGARDEN!" the knights of the Reach answered.
And their particular battle for their lives commenced.
Skewering one of the creatures with a rapid stab, Loras pulled the sword and then dropped to one knee as a clannfear jumped at him: with his shield, he sent it tumbling over him, giving him enough time to turn and stab the clannfear in its exposed belly. Without pause, he turned back and parried a Daedroth's paw, its claws leaving scraps on his shield, before slashing and beheading the monster.
Next to him, one of his companions managed to knock another clannfear on its back, stabbing its throat with a spear and putting an end to it. However, this opened him for another clannfear, which managed to leap onto him and latch its beak to his throat, ripping it and killing him.
Meanwhile, another knight was getting torn apart by a daedroth that had got through his defenses. The knight had the last laugh, though, for in his death throes he managed to pull out a dagger from his belt and stabbed the monster in an eye, blinding it and allowing a fellow to stab it through the back of its head.
Slightly further, one knight was unlucky enough to find himself surrounded by Xivilai. Twirling, he was able to keep them off, and even kill one, but then one of them was lucky enough to find a kink in his armor and pierced his back, which paralyzed the knight and allowed another Xivilai to smash his head with a mace.
Garlan's shield was suddenly ripped out of his hands by a daedroth's mouth, but that did not mean he was helpless, and he proved so by disemboweling the beast with one strike. Not having the time to get his shield back, as three Xivilai were charging at him, Garlan swooped low and grabbed the sword from a fallen knight close to him. With rapid swipes, he deflected their attacks, and then set out to prove why he was one of the greatest knights in the Reach.
A rapid twist to his right caught them by surprise, and the Xivilai in that direction barely had the time to do an imprecise attack before Garlan's right sword parried it and his left found its way through its gut. Ducking, he avoided the other two Xivilai's attacks, which found their way into their fellow's body, and while they tried to pull, Garlan managed to get the sword out and shift it into a reverse grip, which, when he spun, meant that the swords stabbed both Xivilai, dropping them dead at the same time. A fourth Xivilai thought he had Garlan dead to rights, but the second Tyrell son showed otherwise when his swords scissored at its neck, decapitating it.
Outskirts of King's Landing
On a hill a mile and a half northwest from the battlefield, hidden from view, two people stood observing the fight. Or, rather, one of them observed the fight, while the other kept his gaze trained on the Oblivion Gate. The former was obviously distressed about something, and she turned.
"How are they doing this?" Ruma Camoran asked, astonished. "They should be getting slaughtered, like the Dothraki were when you unleashed an Oblivion Gate on them!"
Mankar Camoran kept his focus on channeling the spell that kept the Gate open, but it did not prevent him from speaking with his daughter.
"The Dothraki were distracted when the Gate opened, and even then several were able of giving our Lord's servants a good fight. I admit it, I am surprised that those armies that had been fighting each other would stop doing so and then focus on the Gate... but it won't last. Their defenses will wither down, and their destruction is assured. It's merely a matter of patience."
Tywin observed as the temporarily allied armies continued to fight off the creatures coming out of the Gate. Spears stabbing into the monsters and a shield wall well affixed, they were more than capable of holding off and killing any dremora that got too close. Now that it was not fighting against him, he could admire the moves made by his grandson's Legions, how they relieved their partners in timed intervals to give everyone a chance to rest, how the archers were precise when shooting their arrows, how the men in front coordinated their moves to strike the enemy.
His observation of the ongoing battle was cut short when a group of horsemen charged the Oblivion Gate, much like William, the Blades and the Knights of the Reach had done earlier. This time, though, the group was formed by more Blades and... and someone he could easily recognize.
Deadlands, Planes of Oblivion
William's breath was coming out in gasps as he and the Blades managed to reach the tower's center, where a large spiraling staircase traveled up through the tower all the way up: Delphine knew this had to lead to the Sigil Stone. However, when they reached the bottom of the stairs, several Mythic Dawn cultists and dremora came out from adjoining corridors and attacked the group.
"Up and kick, now!" Delphine yelled as she lead the way. The group followed right behind her, running as fast as they could while two Knight-Sisters fought off the enemy that tried to follow. With a coordinated move, one parried the leading cultist's weapon, the other cut off his arm and the two of them kicked him into the others, tripping them all and freeing them to follow.
Delphine found herself facing even more dremora that tried to kill her, but she had not reached the position of Grandmaster by collecting wine corks, and she demonstrated by gutting the first two Xivilais that got too close, sending the third over the railing to his death, literally disarming a fourth before impaling him in the back and setting up a fifth for a fellow Blade to finish it off before it could even understand what was going on.
It was like this that the group managed to reach what was obviously the second-to-last floor, and they made out a second staircase that led to the top of the tower. Unfortunately, this time the floor did not only have regular dremora among them: at least a baker's dozen Dremora Lords were waiting for them to arrive, and were already raising their weapons, while the Blades readied themselves.
"My Prince, as soon as you see an opening, make a break for the stairs. The Oblivion Gate must be closed, no matter the cost."
"I know, Delphine," William replied as the dremora roared and charged.
Delphine roared back and counter-charged, going straight for one of the Dremora Lords, knowing they were the most dangerous opponents they had to face. With the dremora distracted, William was capable of skirting around the edge of the room, making his way towards the stairs and wishing he could join in and use Dragonbane against them.
Down at the tower entrance, Loras finished off a daedroth and fell to one knee, placing his hand over the standing one, which had several gashes on it from a daedroth's claws. As a Xivilai charged him, he tried to stand, but the pain was too much: thinking he was going to die, he closed his eyes, but Garlan managed to place his sword in the middle, stopping the Xivilai from killing his brother.
However, Garlan was injured as well, and his struggle against his opponent ended with his sword knocked out of his hand. The Xivilai raised his weapon while shouting in triumph, but his shouting was cut short when a sword burst out of its chest, ripping through its innards and killing him painfully. As the creature fell, Garlan saw his savior, and became stunned.
"Ser..."
"No time to talk, where's my nephew?" Jaime, dressed in his white Kingsguard armor and carrying his sword, asked, while Captain Steffen and his Blades finished off the rest of the dremora.
William's struggle to reach the last set of stairs was noticed by one of the clannfears, which immediately leaped at him. He raised Dragonbane to defend himself, but it was not enough to stop the charge, which sent William on his back, with the creature on top of him. Much to William's luck, the clannfear made the grievous mistake of trying to bite him with its beak, instead catching Dragonbane in its mouth. Immediately, the power within Dragonbane flared up, and lightning coursed through the blade as it sliced through its head like a hot knife through butter. The top half of its head fell off, and William managed to push the rest off him before stumbling towards the last stairs.
Finally, William thought as he saw the Sigil Stone keeping the Oblivion Gate on the other side of the room, sitting on a pedestal, behind which the room opened up to a balcony with a large view of Oblivion. Tiredly walking to his objective, he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye and brought Dragonbane up, blocking a scimitar strike.
"Hello again, Viserys," William told the Targaryen scion.
"This time, you will die, Black Prince," Viserys growled as he continued to attack, using both the scimitar and Mehrunes' razor like in their previous encounter, but this time he wore Mythic Dawn armor over his robes.
William was forced to give ground as he tried to defend himself against Viserys' furious attacks. In a different situation, William would have been able to deal with the Targaryen: while he had improved somewhat since their last encounter, Viserys was still unwieldy and wild in his movements, which made him easy to predict.
However, William was still tired, which slowed him down and prevented him from taking advantage of Viserys' continuous mistakes: defending himself was hard enough. Viserys' speed allowed him to land three blows into him, but none of them got past the defense of William's ebony armor, which nonetheless started to show cracks on its surface due to the Razor's magical effect. In the end, though, William's tiredness won out against his determination, and after deflecting Viserys' scimitar he fell to his knee with heavy breaths, while Viserys stood before him, with his sword pointed at William.
On the floor below, Delphine had managed to strike down the first Dremora Lord and was now engaging a second one, trying to kill it fast enough to aid her friends. However, this left her unaware of another Dremora Lord approaching her from behind, and it raised its weapon in what could be a deadly strike. Before it could attack, a longsword sliced its side, making him stumble and turn to face the new threat.
"Now, now, it's not nice to attack someone when they are not looking," Jaime said sarcastically, smirking at his enemy before jumping into the fight.
Jaime and the Dremora Lord traded several blows back and forth, trying to measure their enemy. A strike made them lock blades, and the Dremora tried to take advantage by sending a fist into Jaime's face. Jaime, however, was fast enough to roll with the blow and brought up his sword to parry the Dremora Lord's next strike, counter-attacking with a fast swipe that bit deeply into the Dremora's leg. Doubling in pain, the Dremora Lord nonetheless swung again at Jaime, who parried, laid his sword at the Dremora's throat and split it open. Then, choosing the side of caution, he brought his sword back and sent the Dremora's head flying.
"Steffen! Why did you bring Jaime Lannister here?" Delphine demanded as she struck down a Xivilai.
"A hunch, and a gamble, Grandmaster," Captain Steffen replied as his sword digged into a clannfear's skull.
"At last," Viserys said, grinning at William, his sword still pointed at him. "I finally have you on your knees before me, Black Prince. I've been dreaming of this moment for so long."
"This is the second time you have attacked me when I was unprepared to fight properly. What makes you believe it is going to be any different this time? We both know how pathetic you are at fighting," William retorted, trying to draw the white-haired man into an argument to buy time.
"I'm not the one on his knees, Black Prince! You better watch what you say to the Dragon!" Viserys warned. "Not that it will save your life, of course. After I kill you, I will enjoy watching the armies of Mehrunes Dagon crush those who dare deny me my rightful throne!"
"Dragon?" William snorted. "You are no dragon. You are just an unbearably entitled idiot with delusions of grandeur, like my brother Joffrey. Especially if you think Mehrunes Dagon actually plans to help you at all. You probably don't even rank as a rabble piece in his eyes."
"And you are nothing, Black Prince. You are just an obstacle for me to remove. I've been waiting to kill you enough."
"Waiting, huh? Well, you waited for the wrong moment," William casually said with a grin, causing Viserys to pause. "You shouldn't have given me the chance to recover."
"Recover?" Viserys asked before laughing. "You cannot even stand to fight me!"
"Oh, I didn't meant that. I mean this," William explained... and then he drew a large breath. "FUS RO DAH!"
So short was the distance between them, Viserys could barely show surprise before the Shout slammed into him. For a second, it seemed like he would fall off a window, but instead he crashed into the wall, landing on the ground unconscious and bleeding.
William dropped to the ground as well, as the last of his strength left him. Using the Thu'um had been a gamble, and while he had managed to save himself in the short term, now he did not even have the strength to reach out to the stone.
Damn, this armor is now too heavy, William thought, before he heard footsteps approaching him. Targaryen's still able to move?
With a struggle, William managed to turn so he could look up to whoever was coming for him, and he blinked in surprise.
"You look like shit, nephew," Jaime noted with a half-grin.
"What... in the name... of Talos... are you doing here?" William asked between gasps.
"Apparently, today is the day I save the day," Jaime replied, his grin becoming full. William groaned, both at the pain he suffered and the bad pun, and pointed to the pedestal.
"The Sigil Stone... remove it, please."
Jaime nodded and headed for the pedestal. He barely spared a glance at the unconscious Viserys, deciding he was not an immediate threat. The strange sight of the Sigil Stone made him hesitate for a second, but he reached out, grasped the Sigil Stone and pulled it free from its socket.
Immediately, the energy streams connecting the pedestal to the outside of the tower started to sputter and fade away. Within seconds, the Oblivion Gates that surrounded the tower started to fade.
Outskirts of King's Landing
The battlefield was suddenly filled with a cracking sound, and those who were looking towards the Gate saw as the orange and reddish energy swirling within the arch slowly faded away. With a scream of defiance, the soldiers attacked the dremora, which had started to run away, trying to get back into the Gate before it disappeared. Only a few managed to do it, before the energy fully banished and the stone arch cracked and partially crumbled away.
"What? No! What happened?" Ruma Camoran yelled.
"Impossible! They have managed to break the connection!" Mankar exclaimed as he saw his plan falling apart like the arch.
As the stone arch finished crumbling, men held their breath for a split second before they started to cheer, and with renewed strength rushed to finish off the still living dremora, who were trying to find a way to escape, without success.
"The gate is gone, Tywin! It's over!" Kevan breathed in relief. Tywin, however, frowned.
"What happened to those who entered the Gate?" Tywin asked, causing Kevan to blink at him and then turn back to where the Oblivion Gate used to be in fear.
Deadlands, Planes of Oblivion
"Now, then, if I may make a suggestion, perhaps we should gather everyone and leave," Jaime suggested as Delphine and Steffen slung William's arms over their shoulders to help him stand.
"What do we do with the Targaryen?" Steffen said, nodding at the still unconscious form of Viserys Targaryen.
Before William could make a decision, though...
... rumble...
… the tower began to shake as what seemed like an earthquake sent tremors through the damned land. William, Jaime and the two Blades looked towards the open balcony in shock as a massive, four-armed giant, just as tall as the tower, appeared before it.
"Oh, great, Mehrunes Dagon..." William said under his breath.
"YOU MORTALS DARE INTERFERE WITH MY AFFAIRS! YOU SHALL PAY FOR YOUR TRANSGRESSION!" the Daedric Prince of Destruction roared, walking towards the tower with the obvious intention of destroying it and all the mortals within and around.
Before the Daedric Prince could unleash his wrath, though, a burst of white light suddenly exploded, forcing even Mehrunes Dagon to shield their eyes to avoid going blind.
After the flash disappeared, they were all stunned to see a magnificent, beautiful white dragon hovering right between the tower and Dagon, which glared at the dragon.
"You shall not harm anyone else today, Daedra!" the dragon yelled, a voice that clearly denoted it was a female, as her light pushed back the darkness.
"YOU DARE, VALERIA!" Mehrunes Dagon roared in fury.
For all answer, the dragon Shouted, and the power behind her voice sent the Daedric Prince stumbling back, before she swooped towards the tower, her wings spreading like rays of light around the tower. All the mortals within felt themselves being raised up...
Outskirts of King's Landing
A bright flash of light appeared where the remains of the Oblivion Gate stood, causing men to quickly raise their weapons, in fear that the Gate would return. Instead, the light faded away to reveal the survivors of those that had entered the Gate, and their fallen companions.
"It's the Black Prince!" a Legionary yelled, and immediately soldiers moved forward to give aid to those who had been injured. Much to William's relief, Steffen and Delphine were still supporting him: at least, he would not be sprawled on the ground, unable to stand.
"Garlan! Loras!" Mace Tyrell exclaimed as he spotted his sons, hurrying forward and hugging them both as best as he could. "Thank the Seven you are back!"
"Father," Garlan said, still stunned at the fact that he had fought creatures that seemed to come straight out of the Seven Hells and survived. "Loras is hurt, he needs help.
"I'll be fine, father," Loras tried to insist, but his bleached face and his reddened armor said otherwise. Much to their relief, a maester had already arrived and started to staunch Loras' biggest injury.
"My Prince, are you well," General Tullius asked, worried, as he reached William.
"I don't suppose you brought me a bed to sleep in, right General?" William wearily asked, causing men and women around to chuckle. Tullius smiled at his liege, and nodded at the Blades, silently thanking them.
"Help the Prince back to camp for some rest. He, and everyone else, has certainly earned it."
As William was helped back on Shadow – who had managed to kill his share of dremora this night, while helping protect the horses – Tullius turned to find himself facing Tywin Lannister. Men and women noticed this, and all of a sudden, the distended atmosphere became tense. They had been able to put their differences aside with the appearance of the Oblivion Gate, but now that it was gone... would the fight resume?
Tullius and Tywin continued their staring contest only a few more seconds, before Tullius stepped forward and raised his left hand.
"Lord Tywin, considering the situation, I believe it would not be amiss to call for a ceasefire, and retire both armies from the battlefield. I daresay, enough blood has been spilled this day."
Lord Tywin looked around himself, noting the faces of everyone looking at him, as he weighed the pros and cons of all potential choices he could make, and made a decision.
"I have no problem with your suggestion. We'll return to the city, and you can return to your camp."
"Both sides will be allowed to tend to their wounded and dead, unmolested?"
"Agreed, General."
Tywin and Tullius shook hands, and everyone let out a breath of relief.
"Kevan, have our men return to the city, form detachments to help the wounded, start taking account of our dead," Tywin asked his brother.
"Legions! Back to the camps!" Tullius ordered, and all soldiers began to march back to their fortifications. Jaime Lannister looked at everything around and sighed, turning to go with the Legions, absent-mindedly playing with the Sigil Stone he had taken earlier.
"Jaime," Tywin said, just loud enough for his son to hear. Jaime looked at his father, seeing that he expected him to take this chance to slip away, back with his family. But when he glanced at where Captain Steffen stood, carrying the Black Prince back, the Blades Captain glanced back, sending him a look of wonder about what Jaime would do. The Kingslayer shook his head as he turned to his father.
"I'm sorry, father. I made a vow... and this is one vow I have to fulfill," Jaime said as he turned to follow the Legions. Tywin watched him go, and groaned and shook his head in frustration before making his own way towards King's Landing.
As the armies went their separate ways, the first rays of sunlight began to appear in the sky, marking the end of the night and the end of the battle.
William's Camp
"I'll go find Colette, my Prince," a Blade spoke before heading off to find the healer.
"I don't think she'll be needed, I just need to sleep it off," William said.
"We're almost to your tent, my Prince."
"Good. I don't think anything can keep me awake much longer," William said with a weary sigh.
"WILL!"
William froze. He knew that voice.
"Arya?" William breathed. He let one of his arms free from Delphine's support and turned towards the voice. Upon seeing her, he felt his breath go away, and it had nothing to do with how tired he was.
Arya had definitely grown up since the last time they had seen each other. Her hair was shorter, way shorter than normal, but he found out that he actually liked it this way. He also could not help but notice how much more mature looking she was... which made him blush as he tried to reach out to her.
"Ary-AARGH!" William yelped as Arya tackled him, sending them both to the ground with Arya lying on top of him.
"By Talos, why did you have to do that?" William wheezed.
"Why didn't you take the city?" Arya retorted.
"Seriously? That's the first thing you say? In case you didn't notice, I had a fucking Oblivion Gate to deal with-" William said, but was interrupted when Arya put her hands on the sides of his head.
"I saw that. Here's your reward," she said before bringing her mouth down to William's.
William's eyes widened for a second, before he melted into the kiss, bringing his arms around Arya's lithe body. All around them, both Blades and Legionaries, who knew quite well about the two of them and their reluctance to do anything about what they felt for each other, started to laugh, whistle and cheer at the sight. Neither William nor Arya paid attention: as their first kiss deepened, the only thing that existed in the world was each other.
In the end, nature won, and they had to break up as they gasped for air, looking into each other's eyes.
"Oblivion, I should have done that sooner," Arya remarked. William stared at her before he started to laugh, bringing her closer to him.
"I've missed you so much, wolf girl."
"I missed you too, silly stag," Arya replied before she stood up, frowning when William didn't. "What's wrong?"
"The storm and the fight took out a lot out of me. Can't get up by myself."
"What? Why didn't you say so, earlier?"
"I would have, but you didn't give me a chance!"
The Blades started laughing, and Delphine and Steffen once again helped William to his feet, carrying him to his tent, and between the two of them they managed to help him remove his heavy armor, placing apart what had suffered from the battle for Fultheim to fix as soon as he could.
Arya had also walked into the tent, and watched as her betroth was helped into his bed, being sorely tempted to join him, which left her unaware of the figure that had just entered the tent and stepped right behind her. The person's hand proceeded to raise and slap the back of Arya's head hard enough to make her stumble a step forward.