On the training grounds of Firegrass Manor, The Red Viper and Gendry were both lightly equipped, wearing leather armor and using blunt weapons. The Red Viper bore the sigil of a Longspear piercing the sun, while Gendry had a pack of wolves in full sprint.
The Red Viper's daily routine at Firegrass Manor involved observing the structure of the Free Army and the Wolf Pack Company, and how this small kingdom operated.
"Watch out, Commander-in-Chief!" The Red Viper's Longspear truly was like a viper, at times thrusting, at times evading. The Longspear darted up and down around Gendry, like a viper's forked tongue. The Red Viper combined feints and fierce attacks, strong in both speed and power. Seemingly aiming for the upper body, The Red Viper's Longspear suddenly shifted, striking towards Gendry's groin and shield. The Red Viper spun, jabbed, and quickly retreated.
The Red Viper prided himself on his speed and cunning, but his opponent was no pushover. Gendry's heavy hammer was also lightning-fast, and the force of each blow was just right.
"Black hair, blue eyes, tall, and strong!" The Red Viper noticed Gendry's charcoal-black short hair and deep blue eyes, and his increasingly ferocious and wild power as the fight progressed. This scene felt somewhat familiar. However, The Red Viper didn't dwell on it, as even among commoners, there had been monstrous freaks like The Mountain and masters like Duncan the Tall, though the probability was much lower than among noble lords.
"A fierce young man, I didn't expect him to be so troublesome. This fighting style, why does it somewhat resemble that of Northerners and the Stormlands?" The most outstanding warriors of the Stormlands and the North were renowned for their wild ferocity. Gendry's fighting style fit this description. However, The Red Viper considered the origins of the Wolf Pack Company, thinking they might also be Northerners.
"He truly lives up to his reputation!" Gendry thought. Dorne's foremost warrior, The Red Viper, was no illusion. Gendry had previously sparred with Longspears and Morningstars, but in terms of spear mastery and combat experience, The Red Viper was clearly superior.
The Red Viper's Longspear clashed left and right, appearing unpredictably from time to time. Even though the Longspear had been blunted, the impact of the blunt weapon's offensive momentum still caused considerable pain. But Gendry's blood seemed to ignite, a surging storm.
The Red Viper's Longspear continuously jabbed at the oak shield until it pierced Gendry's oak shield. But before the Longspear could be pulled out of the oak shield, Gendry's blunt hammer also came crashing down. The Red Viper quickly pulled back, barely avoiding the attack. The Red Viper also felt the impact when struck; a formidable power seemed hidden within the young man's physique, and there was a tremor and pain when their weapons clashed.
The Red Viper spun like a nimble cat, rushing towards his opponent. A Longspear seemed to come alive in his hand. In a sense, the mace did have a sense of distance stagnation, while the Longspear was more fierce and insidious.
The Red Viper's Longspear aimed for Gendry's heart, but Gendry dodged, even with immense pain. Gendry roared, narrowly avoiding the shaft of the Longspear. Gendry endured the pain and swung his hammer at The Red Viper.
"If you endure this pain and choose to attack, I must raise my estimation of you!" The Red Viper looked at Gendry's figure, quickly retrieved his Longspear, and then pointed the white Longspear at Gendry. The Red Viper used the Longspear shaft to pin Gendry's body; this heavy hammer blow did not land. The Red Viper continued to retreat, but the Longspear shaft could have been aimed at Gendry's throat. However, The Red Viper did not attack, leaving the outcome of this battle uncertain.
"I lost, Prince!" Gendry said. On the surface, it was a draw, but The Red Viper had many more tricks up his sleeve beyond mere combat, such as dark magic and poisons. The Red Viper, being proficient in these, posed a greater danger in battle than a typical knight.
"You didn't lose, kid! Your courage and strength are both exceptional; what you lack is just a bit more combat experience. After all, I've lived many more years than you!" The Red Viper smiled. "A Longspear is, after all, the most agile and vicious weapon."
The spectators, including Steel Fist, Longspear, and the Unsullied, all applauded. After all, it was the Commander-in-Chief of the Wolf Pack Company and one of the strongest knights of the age fighting to this point.
"How long has the Commander-in-Chief been training?" The Red Viper asked.
"A few years, I suppose!" Gendry answered The Red Viper's question. In truth, not many years, as the previous years were spent blacksmithing. But with his natural strength, fighting was indeed very effective.
"Incredible! Incredible!" The Red Viper couldn't help but praise him. "Your talent is truly rare." The Red Viper also wondered in his heart, with such formidable skill, if he were from a renowned family, he would have made a name for himself long ago. Why would he come Across the Narrow Sea to make a living? Perhaps there was only one possibility: he was a commoner from Westeros, unable to rise in status.
The Red Viper looked at Gendry's physique, compared it in his mind, and then thought, "A bit shorter, a bit thinner. In terms of strength, he's certainly of the powerful and heavy-hitting type. This kid's strength far exceeds his build. But because the Butter-King is a bit smaller in stature, his speed has also kept up. Given time, he might even surpass me and The Mountain."
"The Commander-in-Chief's skills are truly impressive; I haven't had such a satisfying fight in a long time! If the Commander-in-Chief doesn't mind the trouble, I hope we can have a few more matches."
"It would be my honor, Prince."
"It seems we truly might have a chance to cooperate after all!"
"Then, to our friendship in advance!"
... The Red Viper and Gendry walked on the low hills of Firegrass Manor. After the gunpowder herb was harvested, new gunpowder herb had already been planted, lush and green.
"When I walk alongside the young Commander-in-Chief, I can't help but confront the fact that I'm getting old!" Oberyn sighed.
"Prince, you are in the prime of your life; why say such a thing!"
"The Commander-in-Chief needn't comfort me. I already have white hairs on my head. The most painful thing isn't getting old, but that my wish has not yet been fulfilled!"
Gendry naturally knew The Red Viper's wish: to kill The Mountain, and to kill the one who commanded The Mountain. But this task was indeed incredibly difficult, especially now that the power of House Lannister was at its zenith.
"People are always like this, constrained by various desires," Gendry said.
"When I was young, I used to love traveling. One of my happiest trips was when my mother, her man, my sister Elia, and others visited Casterly Rock together. Because my sister was frail and sickly from a young age, she rarely traveled and found everything new and exciting. As a boy, I was a monster; I mocked my sister's suitors. I really should have cut off my venomous tongue!" The Red Viper looked lost in thought. "After my sister's death, I deeply regretted my youth."
"I've waited year after year, and it seems there's no end. I just feel old age slowly creeping up on me! Especially when I see young talents like you," The Red Viper praised Gendry.
"If the old gods and new gods are above, may they protect you to achieve your wish soon, Prince."
"Hahaha, I no longer believe in the Seven Gods. I only believe in myself. If the Seven Gods truly existed, then I should be the elder son, to avenge my sister, not Doran."
"By the way, Commander-in-Chief, won't you discuss some past events with me?" The Red Viper asked.
"Those are distant memories. I had no father. I used to be a blacksmith until I joined the Wolf Pack Company and was trained by the Wolf Pack's Instructors."
"It seems heroes can also rise from Flea Bottom, though this is not without precedent, such as Duncan the Tall of the former dynasty."
"But all that is in the past. I only want to grasp the present and make my wish come true!" Oberyn mused. "What I need is perhaps a variable. Doran has told me many times that the variable is in the future, but I've waited too long without it coming to fruition."
"Now it seems, you are that variable!" The Red Viper Oberyn looked at Gendry, his gaze burning.
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