Sandor Clegane stood like a mountain of charred meat and cold steel. His yellow eyes didn't see a hero or a savior. He saw a nuisance. Heavy steel left his scabbard with a sound like grinding teeth. The Hound didn't care for laws or ledgers. He cared for the weight of his sword and the smell of fear.
[Status Alert: Boss Encounter - Sandor Clegane]
[Status: Mental Fatigue Critical - Reload Disabled]
"Leave the boy," Sandor rasped. "Lord Stark can go inside. He can drink his wine and wait for his execution. But the squire stays with me."
Ned Stark stepped forward, his hand white on the hilt of his dagger. "I am the Hand of the King, Clegane. Step aside or I will have your head."
"You and what army, little Lord?" Sandor laughed. It was a hollow, ugly sound. "The Gold Cloaks are busy. The Kingsguard are sleeping. It's just us in this dark little corner."
Link felt the world tilting. The [Mental Fatigue] was no longer a dull ache. It was a screaming siren inside his skull. The System wouldn't let him turn back time again. If he died here, the loop ended.
"Ned, go," Link said. His voice was steady despite the trembling in his hands.
"I will not leave you to face this beast alone," Ned replied.
"You aren't leaving me," Link said, stepping into the space between Ned and the Hound. "You are delivering the justice you promised. Get Lancel to the King. If Cersei gets him back, we all die. Go!"
Ned looked at Link. For a moment, the honor of the North warred with the necessity of the moment. He grabbed Lancel by the collar and sprinted toward the side door of the Tower.
Sandor moved to intercept, his massive blade swinging in a horizontal arc that would have cut Ned in two. Link didn't think. He threw himself forward, his blackened short sword catching the flat of the Hound's blade.
The impact felt like being hit by a galloping horse. Link's boots skidded across the wet cobbles. His shoulder screamed as the bone nearly popped from its socket.
[Warning: Health Low]
[Status: Bone Fracture - Left Shoulder]
"Small dog has teeth," Sandor said, turning his full attention to Link.
Link didn't stay still. He knew he couldn't match the Hound's strength. He moved like a shadow, staying close to the stone walls. He grabbed a torch from its bracket, the fire dancing inches from his face.
Sandor flinched. The raw terror of the flame flickered in his eyes for a split second. The burn scars on his face seemed to tighten.
"Burn me, will you?" Sandor roared. Rage replaced his fear. He swung again, a vertical strike that shattered the stone where Link had been standing a heartbeat before.
Link didn't attack. He threw the torch at the Hound's feet, creating a barrier of fire and smoke. Under the cover of the sparks, Link lunged. He didn't aim for a kill. He aimed for the straps of Sandor's leg guards.
Steel bit into leather. Link twisted away just as a heavy boot slammed into his ribs, sending him flying into a pile of wooden crates.
[Status Alert: Severe Internal Bruising]
Link coughed, the taste of copper filling his mouth. He looked up. Ned and Lancel were gone. The heavy oak door of the Tower had slammed shut.
Sandor stood over the fire, his breathing heavy. He looked at his cut armor and then at the closed door. He could have broken the door down, but the bells of the Sept began to toll. The city was waking up.
"You're a dead man, rat," Sandor said, spitting on the ground. He didn't pursue. He knew the Queen would want this handled with more than just a sword in a dark alley.
Link collapsed against the crates, his vision swimming. He had done it. The evidence was inside.
[Quest Updated: The King's Justice]
[Status: Collapsed]
.….
Author Note
Hi guys! Thank you for reading my fanfiction. I'll be realising 4 Chapters a day.
Also I'll be still releasing bonus chapters for Power Stones. Here are the goals:
50 Power Stones: 1 Bonus Chapters
75 Power Stones: 2 Bonus Chapters
100 Power Stones: 2 Bonus Chapters
Thanks for the support!