Chapter 78 (Patreon)
Content
The time had come, the time for war, I would be leading the cavalry, with my entire Khalasar moving as one unit, while Lancelot aka Grey worm attacked the the gates of the city.
Our forces were numerously superior to theirs, but they could still prove to be worthy opponents.
Braavos had hired all the sellsword companies with the exception of two, the golden company and the storm crows. But even with those two out of the picture, they still had managed to amass forty thousand outside soldiers, which put them in a total of sixty thousand soldiers on their side.
But while their army could pose a problem, I knew I could handle things as they came, with my horses, ravens, snakes, bears and other animals my army was nearly unstoppable.
But I wasn’t going to let this thought of near invincibility cloud my judgment, only fools think of victory before it.
“I will lead the first attack with my Khalasar,” I informed my war council.
“And we will lead the navy attack right?” My ironborn inquired, looking at the map.
“Yes,” I nodded, turning to the unsullied, “The unsullied alongside Ser Barristan will push the main gate, while I keep their undivided attention on me,”
“It shall be done,” Lancelot nodded.
“I will do my best,” Ser Barristan bowed.
That was just part A of my plan, with the help of my ravens I would bomb the city with medieval molotovs, setting Braavos and unfortunately it’s people on fire, what I wanted to accomplish with this was to diverse their attention with chaos outside and within the city this would break whatever strategy they had, or at the very least weaken them.
But that just the beginning of my Air Force attack, because Roda would be leading the air assault forces B, where five hundred ravens would be dropping poison bombs within the enemy ranks, disrupting their formations and killing some of their ranks. At first I was reluctant to send my ravens with poison to attack, history has proved they tend to kill themselves with that, but Roda showed me they had evolved to the point where they didn’t, so I approved of his idea.
With this my victory was partly assured, now it was time to execute my plan.
“To war!” I shouted, rallying my men.
“TO WAR!”
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At the battle began, with my ravens being the first ones to attack; my loyal birds fly really high, far from the reach from the enemy's arrow range and begin releasing small metal objects that release a poisonous mist. The Braavosi soldiers soon begin to choke and gag. And not having the antidote I had their throat began to swell and one by one they fell into the ground with heavy thuds.
“Wait for it,” I had my troops on standby, waiting for my ravens to complete their part.
Soon after the next air strike followed, with the other squad of ravens dropping molotovs, that in total equal barrels of flammable liquid Braavos setting the city in flames from the air.
I let this continue for a few minutes, seeing how my feathery friends destroyed their ranks one by one, but them alone would not win this, it was time.
I gallop with my horse with thousands of Dothraki soldiers following me as I yell "Charge!" My troops rush forward with me with loud war cries. I’m in front of the front of the charge, like a Khal should be, and soon enough, my army crashes into the enemy.
I start hacking at the Braavosi soldiers, killing eight with my first swing without getting off my horse. I swing again, slashing another throat leaving a trail of death behind me as I move forward.
Jumping off my horse, mostly because fighting in one is uncomfortable, I rolled in the ground grabbing a war hammer, deciding to try dual wielding this weapon with my sword, I swung the war hammer, shattering someone’s skull with ease.
As I continued with my assault, I duck under a spear that was going for my head in an attempt to kill, with a smile I dropped the war hammer for a second as I grabbed the spear from the still alive enemy disarming him with a swift kick and then jabbed his own weapon through his neck.
Noticing I was about to be surrounded I smiled as I swung my blade killing five guys with a single sweep, taking a deep breath. I keep on dancing through the battlefield, turning and tearing through the Braavosi ranks.
Seeing that around twenty more soldiers were coming my way, I leaped into the air as one spearmen tried to stab me. In the air I grabbed the soldier's neck and with a strong twist broke his neck, doing a one hundred and eighty degree turn.
“Wow, I will call that move the hooterneitor, because hoot damn,” I laughed.
With a dark smile I kept on fighting,slaughtering like the pigs they were while laughing and roaring as blood splattered my armor with each swing, at one point I was head to toe covered in their blood.
And after a few hours of them seeing me slaughter them like pigs with no success in harming me, the Braavosi soldiers started to flee in sheer terror from me and my soldiers, but mostly me. My Dothraki warriors of course wouldn’t let this happen so they chased them down, wiping everyone that tries to escape my herd.
“To the city!” I shouted, mounting my horse, and immediately galloping to Braavos.
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[Ferrego Antaryon POV]
The city was burning, our army was being slaughtered, if this continued we would lose by the end of the day, I was so sure we could hold him down, for years if necessary, but how was I supposed to know he had trained his ravens to drop poison and fire?!
The only option I had was to challenge him to a duel, his champion against mine, the winner takes all.
“Send a Raven to the young bear,” This was my last bet, and the last path to victory we still had, my first sword was sure to win for me this war, for there wasn’t any better swordsman than him.
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[Ronard Mormont POV]
A few hours after the slaughter outside the city walls, a Raven arrived from the Sealord, he wanted to avoid any further Braavosi blood to be spilled and requested we solved this with a duel, his champion against mine, the duel had but one rule, I couldn’t fight.
This was a high risk, high reward situation, if I won, Braavos would be mine faster, and I would lose less, but if my champion lost, I would have to stop invading them.
“Allow me to fight for you,” Ser Barristan said kneeling, “I have fought more duels than any man alive, and I’m still here, let me win this battle for you,”
The old knight was right in one thing, he was my best option, my Dothraki weren’t good at fighting armored knights, and I wasn’t sure Lancelot could win against the first sword.
“Bring me honor, and glory,” I nodded, and I could see as if I had given the man the crown or something, his spirit was fueled with a strong drive to win now.
“I will, my king,” Ser Barristan said, with his tone sounding as if he was stating a fact, the fact that his victory was assured.
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[Brienne of the Kingsguard POV]
I was finally serving the man I loved, I knew I would never be his Queen, but this was more than enough, to be his blade was more than enough.
Today we were preparing for battle, to battle with Stannis's forces the next dawn, and I was guarding him, but a cold and chilling air invaded my very core, fear turning me blind for a second, Immediately I turned around to see a shadow approaching Renly.
“Nooooo!” I shouted rushing to save my king but it was too late
For all I managed to accomplish was seeing my king being slain by the animated shadow, that looked like Stannis.
I had failed, I had failed to protect the man I loved, I failed my duty, but I would avenge him.