All trademarked items in this fanfiction is owned by their respective copyright holders (A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin, Aoki Hagane no Arpeggio by Ark Performance, etc). The ones owned by me are future OCs, plot, and author's thoughts. This fanfiction is made solely for entertainment purposes and not intended for any material gain.

An Arpeggio of Ice on Fire

Chapter 25

"The analysis of the contents of Jug One has been completed," Hyuuga said. The atmosphere in the white room was tense. "I took a liberty to tentatively label the substance nitro-thanatonium, or NT for short."

"That… says a lot," Yamato said, her hands steepled on the table. "A derivative of nitrous oxide?"

"The chemical mixture is more akin to an unholy cocktail of flammable hydrocarbons and nitroglycerin, then enriched with thanatonium… somehow," Hyuuga replied. Hamakaze and Kirishima inhaled sharply. Yamato seemed to curse under her breath. "There's also azides of copper in it, that gives it a characteristic green flame when burned. I can't synthesize NT on the spot, not unless I have my labs back in Home Waters."

"That chemistry doesn't make a lot of sense…" Hamakaze exclaimed.

"Yeah… no less dangerous though," Kirishima grunted. "Damn jug near blew up on me a few times while I transport it out of the hidden cellar before Haruna has the genius idea to purge it of heat."

"As demonstrated by that action, NT stabilizes with the lowering temperature. However, it has a relatively high freezing point of approximately two hundred and eighty-three Kelvin, so thawing became an issue," Hyuuga added. "Also, NT has a nasty tendency to gel up if introduced to organic compounds, further complicating matters."

"If it has thanatonium, then the detonation and combustion could be… partially quantic in nature at least," Yamato said, leaning back into her chair.

"Due to that, NT has the ability to burn through a lot of things… and that includes nanomaterial and composite plating," Hyuuga said, her tone grim.

"…Goodness gracious," Hamakaze whispered. "They invented the perfect incendiary weapon, damn it."

"The good news is, since this thing is partially quantic in nature, our Klein Field repels it more readily," Hyuuga said. Yamato looked a bit more relieved. "As long as we deploy it before NT has the chance to splash our Mental Model body, we should be safe. The rate is also slow enough to make purging a layer one centimeter under it can be used to mitigate damage… handy if NT is ever used for naval warfare against us."

"We have another big problem, however," Kirishima reported. "The jars are stored in an area of space that is spatially-folded so it has more room than it actually is. Sounds good, until you consider that stabilization of a spatially-folded space requires a large investment of energy, something that can only be provided by thanatonium-powered tech. Or… spells, if these Valyrians considered it magic."

"Introduce enough excess quantic energy, and the structure unravels…" Hyuuga said, drawing a sharp breath. "… liberating the energy used in its creation explosively. Plus, the folded space will hold for some time…"

"And this would pretty much amplify the detonation itself… like shrapnel, but with energy," Yamato said, her tone grim. "I can't leave those under there on good faith. Hyuuga, work out a plan with Haruna to strip this room bare of NT. Kirishima, keep a well-monitored perimeter around this particular foldspace and reduce the speed of your manual mapping expansion. Try to redirect foot traffic out of there."

"Yes ma'am," Kirishima affirmed. "I'll set up shop in one of the rooms adjacent to the folded space and let autonomous bots map the adjacent parts of the castle."

"Should I brief Tyrion of this?" Hamakaze asked, having raised her hand.

"…Brief him on your discretion. I think the dissemination of the information must start towards Tywin first instead of Jaime and Cersei, so have him keep it under wraps until Tywin arrives," Yamato replied to the question. "If there's nothing else, girls?"

"Nothing more, Fleet Flagship," Hyuuga said.

"Alrighty then! Time for me to make friends and influence people," Yamato closed the meeting with a clap of her hand.

…

"Tyrion, are you going out?" Hamakaze asked. The short man is indeed donning a rather plain cloak, ready for a day out on the streets. A trusted redcloak guard in plainclothes waits for him nearby. "Let me go with you."

"My lady, this is a… delicate matter," Tyrion said, a little nervousness in his voice. "This has been arranged from quite a while ago and to miss it would mean… missing a lot of resources."

"We are not married yet, Tyrion," Hamakaze said as she approached, then lowering her face until it's eye level with Tyrion's. "You still have certain liberties… I can understand."

"All the more reason to not get you implicated, my Lady. This is the one final time, I promise you," Tyrion said, askance in his words.

"There have been a situation… Yamato-neesama has authorized me to share the news with you, and by extension House Lannister," Hamakaze said. "But I don't want to cause a panic. This is an upscale inn, but…"

"Would a brothel be any more secure?" Tyrion asked.

"Mayhaps, but certainly not a place to be expected by most people," Hamakaze answered the question.

"I… see," Tyrion relented. "Leo, you take the lady where we were going. I'll take the tunnel."

"Aye milord," Leo said, finally saying a word. "Gunna hafta find 'nother cloak for the lady, tho."

"Take Kasumi with you, at least?" Hamakaze said, motioning to Kasumi trailing her. "If anything, she needs the practice."

"If you insist," Tyrion relented. "Lady Kasumi, I presume you took your prior lesson in blending in seriously?"

"I had," Kasumi said.

"Then I trust you would not try shadowing me from the rooftops," Tyrion said, a hint of amusement in his words.

"I will not," Kasumi replied simply.

Contrary to the earlier suspense, their journeys to where Tyrion's sojourn were to be had ended quite uneventfully. Tyrion emerged from the second floor of the establishment, greeted by the dark-skinned mistress with a smile.

"My lord of lions," the mistress greeted. "You brought female company to Chataya's, a first occurrence."

"Mistress Chataya," Tyrion said, nodding as the mistress fell in step to him. "This one is my guard, and the one who came through the front door is my betrothed."

"How very… adventurous!" Chataya said, her tone amused. "So, the maidenly service of my daughter, as agreed in your last visit?"

"As if I'd miss it for the world," Tyrion said, sounding confident. "However, my betrothed is here on a different, more pressing matter. I trust the walls will not listen?"

"Oh how you wound me, my lord of Lannister," Chataya replied to the question. "My girls are secret-keepers for many a noble of the city. I will guarantee your secrets."

"Excellent," Tyrion said as Chataya directed him to a room.

"A free upgrade of room, my lord. You are entertaining guests after all," Chataya said as she opened the door. The room was more spacious than his usual room; Hamakaze is already inside.

"I thank you, mistress Chataya," Tyrion said as he nodded towards the proprietor. "Have lovely Yaya tarry for another half-hour, we should be done by then. Lady Kasumi, please help yourselves with refreshments they provide. Join Leo, he's well-behaved."

"Very well," Chataya said, "If you would follow me, my lady?"

Kasumi spared another glance into the room, locking eyes with Hamakaze for half a heartbeat before replying Chataya with an affirmative and leaving.

"Hold on, let me ward the room against listeners for a bit," Hamakaze said. Tyrion nodded, just a heartbeat before the walls shimmered. Bluish six-sided tiles coated every surface, even most of the floor.

"Magic…" Tyrion breathed.

"A damper that absorbs sound from the air and prevents them from leaking," Hamakaze said, her eyes a little sad. "Oneesama demands every precaution available."

"Now, what is this urgent matter from Lady Yamato?" Tyrion said.

"Tyrion, I need you to keep this a secret," Hamakaze said after the warding was done. "Please."

"I will," Trion replied.

"Do you swear it upon your honor and House Lannister's name?" Hamakaze pressed.

"… I do swear upon my honor and the Lannister name that I will not divulge this secret," Tyrion replied, his tone serious and slightly annoyed.

"Thank you. Well... how to put it, we of the Fleet of Fog has been infiltrating the Red Keep with an operative. It's done mainly to make a map out of the castle in cases of emergency," Hamakaze said after a relieved sigh, before she pulled out a small box lined with velvet and opened it. The box revealed a small clear vial the size of a pointer finger with a green oily liquid in it. Tyrion felt his heart clench. "While in the process of mapping, she found a room full of this. It is very flammable, explosive, and burned intensely, even capable of eating through iron when exposed for long enough."

"…Wildfire? You found wildfire under the Red Keep?" Tyrion said in an exasperated tone, before he half-mumbled the rest of his words. "Seven damn you Aerys…"

"A large storage cache has been found so far," Hamakaze went on with the explanation. "And it's hidden under a spell, so searches conducted by people not knowing might not find it easily."

"I can say with some certainty that this is the work of the Pyromancers, under the auspices of the last Targaryen king, Aerys second-of-his-name. He is notorious for his… abhorrent love of burning people with the substance," Tyrion replied, taking a seat on a chair.

"What sort of madman does that, by the gods…" Hamakaze said, face a little pale.

"The sort who has far too much power and far too little sanity," Tyrion replied before a sigh. "How much substance are there? And how could it be put under a spell?"

"A lot. Our operative risked her life to get a jar out, and it contained about a hundred of this vial's worth of liquid, give or take," Hamakaze answered the question. "She reported a room stacked floor-to-ceiling with it, although if it's any consolation the room aren't too wide and does not have a very tall ceiling. As for how it got into a bespelled space, Your guess is as good as mine."

"Seven give us strength…" Tyrion breathed his words. "Why don't we go to the king with this?"

"The substance contains an element we need to power our engines, so we want to extract it. Hyuuga is bringing her ship in secret," Hamakaze said. "If the king is involved, there will be more moving parts to the plan. What they don't know won't hurt them."

"I… don't like it, but I can see the point…" Tyrion relented, rubbing his temples. "Your house possibly has the Red Keep by the bollocks right now, finding the folly of Aerys right under it."

"We take no joy in it," Hamakaze said, mirthless. "We are taking inventory of it right now, but it will take time. The mapping team started today, and extraction can hopefully be completed within… two, maybe three weeks."

"Then how can House Lannister… no, how can I help?" Tyrion asked, locking eyes with Hamakaze.

"Well… not much, aside from maybe pulling a few men you can truly trust to establish a security cordon around the extraction route..." Hamakaze said, her tone wondering. "Actual extraction of the jars is very dangerous work, and a mishap could mean the whole building will go up in flames. Hyuuga and our operative are currently tackling how to best settle that matter."

"That can work," Tyrion said. "There's the matter of the Master of Whisperers, however."

"The king's… spymaster, is it not?" Hamakaze replied with a question. "I think his name is… Varys?"

"Yes. He has agents who fed him information from across the realm, some of them doubtless using the underbelly of the Red Keep to deliver their trade to him while unseen," Tyrion explained. "Tell me, has your agent discovered any of them while doing his trade?"

"She's under orders to avoid any human contact while mapping the secret corridors, but I'll have to ask…" Hamakaze answered the question.

"I see… Well, I suppose we will have to tackle this matter as it surfaces," Tyrion replied as Hamakaze dismissed the ward on the walls. "Shall we get to selecting men after my… session is done, then?"

"That is fine," Hamakaze said, making no move to exit the room.

"I'll take the room beside this then…" Tyrion replied, opening the door to the room.

"Why not… here?" Hamakaze asked, a shadow of a giggle in her tone. "Do you perform inadequately under pressure, my lord?"

"Why you cheeky sea-lass," Tyrion grumbled in a faux offended note as a dark-skinned young girl stepped inside, around Tyrion's body blocking the entryway.

"Greetings, milord… and lady," the dark-skinned girl said.

"Alayaya, I presume?" Tyrion said.

"I am her," Alayaya answered Tyrion's question, her words colored with a hue of confusion. "I… didn't know that you'd bring company, milord."

"She's my betrothed," Tyrion half-grumbled as he shut the door.

"I like to watch," Hamakaze said in a sing-song voice.

…

"Ser Oakheart," Barristan said, looking up from his food on the table.

"Lord-Commander," Arys replied, before sitting down across his commander. A serving boy set down today's supper before him, and Arys thanked the boy.

"How was Ser Jaime?" the Lord-Commander said after Arys swallowed a few bites of bread.

"Almost like a boy in love?" the kingsguard replied after a chuckle. "If he's not guarding the younger royals, he would practice as much as his condition allows him to… or see our guests practicing on the grounds if it's their day. Sometimes he would take Tommen to the practices if he can get away with it."

"Oh, that foolish boy," Barristan said, sharing the light mood. "Getting injured and plotting revenge already. Sometimes I wonder where Gerold and I got it wrong… though I heard you have been socializing with them yourself."

"I was simply curious of women practicing arms at first," the younger man professed. "Then I saw them in mock combat… and by The Seven, if goldcloaks are half as proficient as them King's Landing will be devoid of miscreants by the year's end."

"One of them killed Euron Greyjoy, Varys had said," Barristan said. "His head is on a pike beside Casterly Rock's gate, and when I asked Jaime he confirmed it."

"Dangerous girls indeed…" Arys agreed. "Which one of them?"

"Varys didn't say, and I didn't ask Jaime," Barristan replied to the question. "Though it can't be Lady Hamakaze, since she's busy in Casterly Rock until they departed."

"Busy?" Arys asked.

"Apparently as an apprentice to Tywin Lannister himself?" Barristan said. "Both Jaime and Varys isn't wholly sure of the nature of the arrangement, other than the betrothal."

"Tutelage of statecraft from the Old Lion himself… sers and lords will trample each other in a rush to offer their firstborn for such an arrangement," Arys said. "They are surprisingly savvy in the game of thrones."

"Quite so," Barristan said before he sipped on his drink.

"Do you think they will try and enter this next tournament, Lord-Commander?" Arys asked. "The Imp's betrothed is a skilled bowman, definitely able to win an archery contest barring practice injuries, the odd master huntsman joining, and luck. Lady Kasumi has her quirks, but she's a strong fighter though her methods are… questionable at times."

"Plausibly, if they can get past the enrollment process," Barristan said after a sip of mulled wine. "Disguise themselves as hedge knights with armor, perhaps get a few trusted Lannister men as squires… maybe borrow their squires otherwise."

"A distinct probability, I see… but nay, that would be impossible with lady Hamakaze," Arys replied with a pause. "She has the most ample… tracts of land. Her height made it look even more massive."

"Ser Oakheart!" Barristan said with a faux scandalized tone. "Leering on the betrothed of a highlord's heir? Shame on you!"

"Peace, Lord-Commander, peace!" Arys said after a bout of laughter.

…

As with everything in the Deep North, the watch atop The Wall was cold. Summer or winter, snow is always a reliable friend. When the elevator creaked, the Lord-Commander of the Night's Watch turned. It would be another cold day, despite the summer the rest of the continent was enjoying.

"Yarwyck," the Lord-Commander greeted as the man called Yarwyck stepped out of the elevator. "Pretty early for you to be here."

"I have to check that collapsed shelter now if I am to fix it by sundown, Lord-Commander Mormont," Yarwyck replied. "The cold always gets to your bones, isn't it."

"Aye," Mormont replied. "Stay a little more for daybreak, Othell. It is a clear day and surely you need the full daylight anyway."

"Of course, Jeor," Yarwyck replied.

Things were quiet for a few moments as the sun came out of the horizon and lower-ranked watchmen mill about finishing the night shift patrols.

"Lord-Commander, there are movement in the trees," one of the watchmen said, pointing to a direction on the treeline. Mormont went to the northern crenellation, beside said watchman.

"Wildlings? Mighty brave of them," Yarwyck commented.

"Normally I'd prefer wildlings I can see, but this is odd…" Mormont said. "There hasn't been any fires nearby throughout the night."

"The snows has been fairly mild for the last quarterly," Yarwyck replied. "Maybe they don't really need it that much?"

"You try that few miles outside The Wall's vicinity, Yarwyck, and I'd bet my sword you'd come back with gangrenous bollocks after three days," Mormont grumbled.

The men atop the wall watched with fascination as more and more movement became visible, wildlings who marched in a disorderly manner out of the treeline, halting just a few paces out from it as if forming a battle line. Fascination turned to horror as some black dots became mixed with the sea of ratty furs, the watchmen knowing well that no sane ex-watchmen would willingly wear their signature black amongst wildlings. The presence of rotting skulls and half-eaten heads coming to fore only confirmed what Jeor Mormont has feared.

"Sound the horn… sound the horn!" Jeor shouted to his paralyzed underlings. "Three blasts! The dead! The dead are here!"

A/N:

DUN DUN DUNDUNDUN DUN DUN DUNDUNDUN DUNDUNDUUUUUUN!

Also, if you noticed that this chapter came out just about two weeks from my last, I'm trying to do a biweekly posting schedule instead of monthly. Bit of a bold move but yeah, I want to try that out. If that doesn't work out then I'd probably change up the usual post date to mid-month instead of month's end.