Merry chrimbo to all my followers and readers. Thank you, guys, for hanging on so long while I dealt with life stuff and other concepts taking my time. Now this isn't the usual long chapter however I promise next chapter will be longer
Reyne of fire chapter 3: The lion the squid and the missing kid
Arianne missed him. She missed the boy that had given her the rose that even now remained on her arm. Even though they had spoken so briefly, and she had left so early she still missed him.
So when it was made known that she had received a letter from both him and Margaery Tyrell she knew something was amiss. The letter had been long, and it had lit a fire deep within her heart, a fire that now drove her to her father's chambers .
"Father, I must speak with you now!" She said her voice was strong and demanding.
Prince Doran raised his hand, his attention firmly placed upon some reports on his desk, this drew her curiosity. After roughly 30 seconds he finally looked up, his eyes grim and sullen.
"Daughter I'm sorry but anything you have to tell me has to wait till I have spoken with the war council, if what I am reading is true war may be on the horizon" he finally said voice low.
He began to wheel himself from behind the desk, but Arianne stood before him refusing to move. her face, a mask of both concern and annoyance.
"You must listen father, it is most likely related to what you are going to discuss with your council. It is from Naruto, winner of the tourney and it's highly important that you read it. I will not move until you do so." She finished
The man stared her down, his dark eyes piercing through her own, they stayed that way for what felt like a millennia till he finally huffed opening his palm, she placed it within and watched him read the letter, his eyes skimming but growing wider with each sentence.
Then his eyes Narrowed, "and why pray tell, should I send my forces to aid this upstart who shall defend the homeland, you may be infatuated with the boy and Oberyn may respect him, but I do not believe he is worth the effort or men"
"Father, he will be a man of powerful standing if this works, he will have the backing of four houses and if we include our own, we'd be untouchable" the man waved her off his annoyance now palatable.
"Enough on this topic, even if he can land on the iron islands there's no way in hell, he would be able to hold it even with the best of his forces. The storms will wreck him, or the pirates will do worse. Now begone from my sight I must ready myself for the war council" he finished his voice strong and unyielding.
Arianne stormed out her eyes watering and her mind reeling, she wondered how her father could be so close minded, as she stomped through the garden, she caught sight of her uncle calling her over, having nothing to do and nothing else to lose she walked over.
"Walk with me." They walked side by side for a while. Walking across the long balconies, then he spoke "I overheard your conversation with my brother, little niece, he can lose sight of the bigger picture easily don't you think ?"
She nodded furiously, her anger at her father's decision still at the forefront of her mind.
"It is for this reason, why many of our Bannermen do not like him, they view him weak, as close minded and focused only upon revenge on the Lannister's. So close minded in fact that he does not see our greatest weapon against the Lannister's. That boy you're infatuated with" as he finished, looking over at her.
She looked away, a slight blush spreading across her face, "but what are we to do, father will not send any forces to aid him".
Oberyn slyly smiled " well my little niece, while Doran may be the prince of Dorne, but he does not have the favour that I do. Fighting in the pits gives one many friends and enemies" he then muttered to himself for a couple of seconds before looking back at her. "I could possibly ask House Atreides and House Fowler to spare some men and a handful of their better ships to send" at which Arianne grabbed her uncle into a bone creaking hug.
Little did they know that this minor action would change the flow of the war completely
Linebreak.
The Iron rose, rose and fell its massive bow cutting through the stormy ridden seas, almost unbothered by the seas' will to drag it to the depths. Around it the rest of the fleet followed behind like a pack of voracious wolves, within the formation sat the transport ships, each carrying 500 men a piece. The three ships struggled to climb the massive mountain like waves, their crews scurrying about on their decks tying down loose weaponry and trying their best to hold they crested the hill of immense water they began to turn, parts of the fleet following them as other sections of the fleet followed the iron rose in the opposite direction, the massive warship moving to engage the oncoming enemy despite the entire fleet all together outnumbering the oncoming Greyjoy forces, most of the warships were sent with the transports to ensure they weren't ambushed by any squid scum.
"Prepare yourselves men, let us gut these Iron born trash and show them the wrath of the Tudors!" Eric himself roared his voice carrying across and through the wrath of the storm itself, the men cheered with him their rage and wrath flowing out into the storm.
The storm itself seemed to abate, the strength of the men's roar seemingly pushing it back only for it to strike back with a vengeance. the winds billowing and howling and lightning cracking the sky itself as if the wrath of the gods had been summoned to this battlefield.
Naruto stood at the helm of the iron rose, his hair matted down by the strength of the wind, his golden eyes piercing through the haze, his father stood next to him manning the helm itself. They watched as the Greyjoy's grew closer, it was obvious the raiders were trying to split the formation down the centre and engage one portion at a time.
" orders father?" Naruto called out to his father over the drums of war and the rolling thunder, the man turned to his son regarding him with a feral grin.
"Allow them to get closer, the rose has a surprise they'll be surely happy to accept" the blazing glint in the man's eye almost terrifying Naruto, shrugging it off he responded with his own devilish smile.
"Well then let us greet our new friends in kind then father"
As the ship began racing forward, nothing could stop it neither gigantic waves nor whirlpools; it simply crashed through them. The wood and iron hull creaking and groaning with every blunt impact.
They drew closer and closer to their enemies; they could almost smell the raiders. Once they had practically reached ramming distances, two things happened. The first was the rose at the front of the ship opening slightly, a nozzle just about visible from the dark hole, the second were three large ballistae being unhooked from the floors, one off centre of the front the other two on each flank. Each capable of piercing through a ship's side as easily as an arrow through a hare.
They drew into a hundred yards of the ships, the Greyjoy's started to fire a hail of arrows at the Tudor fleet, most missed however the dull thuds of bodies hitting the deck was still highly apparent.
"Hold, hold on my mark fire the ballistae" Eric Tudor roared, the ballista operators shouting back in confirmation.
The Greyjoy's closed their large raiding ships practically on top of the iron rose, it was then Eric smiled.
"FIRE THE BALLISTAE" and all hell broke loose.
The massive bolt sprang forth, its barbed head piercing straight through the port side of the Greyjoy raider, splitting the ship in half the massive iron head rending both flesh and wood to naught but splinters and chunks.
The second ship got off even worse, the iron roses sister ships the defiant, slammed into its starboard side it's sharpened Gold ram crushing the flank and practically rolling the raider over with its sheer velocity.
However more poured over the massive swells forming and pushing everything like an angered God .
A Greyiron ship slammed into the side of the cloudless sky, one of the smaller Tudor ships, boarding planks were dropped, and they rushed the crew and marines onboard, Naruto watched from the deck as the marines clashed with the raiders. Each man took down at least 2 raiders before he fell their superior training put to the test by the sheer weight of numbers.
"Captain turn us to the cloudless sky I wish to aid them repel their boarders" Naruto ordered; the captain was just about to repeat his orders when his father interrupted.
"Naruto, I know you wish to help everyone, however we cannot aid them and put ourselves into a dangerous position, our duty is to find their flagship and destroy it. Hopefully after that they should scatter and run the mongrels they are."
Clenching his teeth tightly he watched as the Tudor marine fought undaunted by the number of enemies and lack of support.
The Iron rose pushed on crushing another two ships with its massive ballista, the ship turned to face east, something catching Eric's eye. And he saw it there, just off the corner of the battlefield a larger ship sat waiting almost strategizing. Eric now understood their flagship had not been in the thick of it like it should have, the raiders flagship was at the edge of the battle waiting to pounce on the unsuspecting transport fleet.
Eric would not allow that to come to pass.
Naruto grabbed a longbow from one of the passing arms men, taking two arrows and preparing himself to fight. "Father allow me to take the head of the Greyjoy captain and send these dogs into the sea".
The man nodded with pride swelling in his chest at the thought of his son's triumph, "take his head, and bring it to me." Naruto nodded in response, a savage grin spread across his face as he grabbed a boarding axe and hammer.
The iron rose preyed upon the smaller Greyjoy ship like an orca on a seal. The massive bulk of the ram slammed into the side of the Greyjoy flagship the resolute silence.
The first blow sent 2 members of the crew overboard and one more was crushed beneath the weight wrought gold ram. Naruto was the first to leap over onto the Greyjoy ship, flourishing his axe and hammer, landing on the deck he was charged by 2 Greyjoy oarsmen, their clothes ragged and torn, they're faces worn and weary with fear; their tongues were missing. But it mattered not. The first man had his head smashed in like a ripe melon, his brains splattering across the deck, the second man was more hesitant pausing in his charge.
However, Naruto gave him no time to think, rushing the man he swung the axe in an upward arc, the man had enough sense of mind to lean back slightly allowing the blade to lightly kiss his collar bone, the Greyjoy swung his own boarding axe aiming to remove Naruto's head from his body, only for the hand to be shattered by a backswing with the hammer, the poor sop screamed till his head was removed from his body.
Naruto continued through the ship flanked by his father and Edward Hightower, each man bathed in blood as they cut through the crew of the ship, their target?
the Greyjoy captain who stood surrounded by his bodyguard on the quarter deck, he was a Weasley looking man, just about able to hold a sword.
"Surrender now, or you will be killed, and your body will be desecrated" Naruto's father called out to the man, just about audible over the storm around them. The man snarled in anger pointing at the three men as all around them, the ship was being boarded and overrun by Tudor troops.
"You fools involved yourself in a war that wasn't your own. You decided to come into the territory of the drowned God and demand me to surrender? I'd rather rip out your tongue and piss on your mother" the men around him either laughed or snarked in anger.
Eric's eyes flashed with anger and he was about to charge, till he saw his son. Naruto's eyes were a sickly gold, his knuckles were white around the weapons he held, and veins jumped in his jaw. Naruto slowly started toward the group, his father and Edward following behind. Four guards rushed them, swinging their better made weaponry towards the trio, Naruto ducked under the first swing and blocked the second, sinking a kick into the chest of the raider sending him flying with a crunch of ribs.
His cries ended with a crunch as Naruto crushed his throat with a heavy stomp.
The second raider was intercepted by Lord Hightower, the enormous man swiftly stepping toward the raider, deftly swinging his great sword across the man's chest easily bisecting him, one half fell over the rail the other half was kicked into the third man sending him stumbling and cursing this was put to an end when an axe lodged itself in the man's head.
The last man had already been killed, cut from brain to balls in a single swipe by Naruto's father, his blade slicing through the man like a hot knife through fat.
The last of the captain's bodyguards wearily looked on seeing their allies be cut down like wheat before a scythe, the last two pushed the now panicking captain in front of them diving over the side before the Tudor troops could get a hold of them.
"Y-y-you d-d-don't have to kill me-e-e i have information, information that can be used against the…." The man's stuttered words were cut off as his knee was crushed, he fell to the ground and screamed as Naruto stomped down on it.
"You will tell us everything. And then we will let you go" Naruto told him. The man looked behind him to see the rest of his fleet aflame. None had survived; a few were even chained to the front of several of their warships.
"Fine, I'll tell you everything, just let me go" Naruto seemed to ponder this for a moment before nodding.
"We can do that just make sure you leave out nothing"
The man began to speak, all the secrets he'd learned under the employ of the Golden kraken.
Two days later
The Tudor fleet had rendezvous with the detachment of Numenorean ships, who were surprised to see the new ornamentations on their allies, the bodies of Greyjoy raiders had been chained to the front if any of their warships including the Flagship itself, chained to the front of the Iron rose itself was the captain of the resolute silence, Captain Harnor Myre. Upon seeing this the entire crews of the three ships had let out a cheer at the death of the infamous raider.
After a small break the entire fleet had made way again, this time at an almost breakneck pace toward the Iron isles the weather had been a godsend. Completely calm the entire way through the final leg of the journey a far cry from the almost apocalyptic storms earlier into the trip and they'd made good headway and were practically within range of the Iron isles by midday,
Naruto prepared himself to move over to his new flagship the Red dawn, his ship and one of the transport ships alongside 3 others were to head toward Pike and engage the enemy there alongside Malekith as his father had explained. However, He knew it wasn't going to be so simple. And as such he gripped his father's arm in respect before he left, giving the man a warm hug.
"May we see each other again father, in victory or in death" Naruto said as he boarded his ship followed closely by two lesser lords. Eric nodded at his son repeating his words.
"In victory or in death." Eric watched as the Red dawn pulled away from the Iron Rose four ships following it into the distance. He hoped Naruto would stay safe, or at least as safe as the boy could be in a warzone.
Naruto could effectively say War was hell.
He'd been in small scale battles before; he'd fought relentless bandits and enemies before. However full scale no holds barred warfare was absolute hell.
Naruto had left the larger fleet and had continued through the Iron island waterways toward the island of Pike, almost immediately problems had begun to pop up all around them. Pike itself remained heavily defended; it had seemed whatever foothold Malekith had on the Island had been pushed off before they had arrived. This meant that Pike was surrounded by a large number of combined Greyjoy, Harlaw and Orkwood ships and as well as sea defences including large sea pikes and trebuchets.
All of which would have torn his small fleet to pieces, thankfully however his scouts had reported to him about an island 30 minutes away and that had been a perfect landing and camping area. That is where they were now, the ships beached and anchored, on the beach itself his men had set up a rather large camp hidden under the looming shadow of a great cliff.
Naruto himself was within the largest tent, he stood in front of a map of the iron isles which sat on a simple wooden table, around him the lesser lords muttered and whispered to each other taking in the latest report they'd heard from the scouts.
"My lord, the island we currently inhabit is owned by House Sunderly and the lesser houses Saltcliffe and Blacktyde. It is worse than we first believed, milord." the man reported his voice cold and grim.
Naruto turned to him; his confusion evident. "What is it Captain Tytos, what do you have to report to me?" turning toward the Captain Naruto could see the pain on the man's face.
"My liege, the slave camps are much worse than we could've ever known, if we are to take this island it is better that we completely eradicate every House on this island."
Naruto narrowed his eyes slightly "I wish to see these camps Captain, we shall take 100 of our best men and eradicate one as soon as possible" . The man hesitated, his mind whirring a mile a minute. He nodded slowly and left the tent gathering men for what he'd know would be a traumatic journey, Naruto nodded to the two men beside him both draped in red cloaks and carrying large axes.
"You two are with me," he turned to the other lords garnering their attention "you will stay and protect the camp while I'm away" the small number of men nodded and confirmed with their liege as he left the tent already armed and armoured.
Naruto and his bodyguards met with Captain Tytos and his division a moment later, both groups moved toward the hills and began to climb the captain leading the way up to the top of the cliff, the darkness of night covering their movement. When they all reached the top the Tytos led them further down the hill behind the cliff, they were walking for well over half an hour before Naruto saw the slave camp.
He almost wished he hadn't.
the camp wasn't incredibly large but was still wide enough to hold 400 people, numbers were low but that made it worse for the slaves within. Most were still working with the moon on their backs providing some light, there were others benign tortured and flayed alive their skin being peeled away like some demented tangerine.
In one corner he could see malnourished slaves feasting upon one of their dead, they were gnawing on what seemed to be the arm and leg respectively. In a second corner Naruto could see the hunched forms of men forcing themselves upon any women and man for that matter within the camp forcing them into intercourse and relishing their screams and pleas for mercy.
Naruto and the men beside him almost released the contents of their stomachs when they watched a child be ripped in half by a group of hounds, her blood and viscera being poured across the dirt floor as her screams and pleadings echoed alongside the laughs of the Sunderly slavers.
Naruto turned to the captain his eyes steely and determined, "We attack on my order kill everything, any slaves that wished to be set free see to it that they are any others must be killed" The captain for once nodded in agreement without any ounce of insubordination. Naruto slowly moved forward toward the entrance of the camp, shadowed by his bodyguards. All three were hidden from sight by the shadow of the moon.
The closest sentry never saw the blow come, his head was torn from his body by the mighty swing of a heavy sword, a sword held by Naruto himself. The boy took a horn from his belt and lifted it to his lips playing a loud drone, behind him the division of men led closely by the captain rushed from the undergrowth taking the slavers by surprise, many of them still midway through whatever barbaric practises they'd taken to.
They never stood a chance.
The slavers were cut down faster than wheat to a scythe, no matter how they begged or pleaded they were killed. Naruto charged in and had cut down at least 12 men before the rest had surrendered.
He stared down the 30 or so men who'd surrendered to his forces, his disgust and anger prevalent, his eyes a sickly gold as they continued to beg for their lives. "Kill them all, leave none alive".
Captain Tytos was already going through with the order before Naruto had even finished, slitting the throat of the nearest man, Naruto had turned to the nearest coherent slave; kneeling down in front of them and lightly tapping their shoulder.
"I need you to tell me if there are more camps and where house Sunderly is located. It's crucial".
LINEBREAK
Sansa had never been so fearful in her entire life, first she'd been told by her father that she was to be wed to the first-born prince of the Kingdom Joffrey. And while she was at first concerned about the marriage, she'd finally accepted her duty to marry him.
That was until the King himself had died.
That was when everything had gone to hell around them, after Robert had kicked the bucket, her father had become the regent on some unseen order by the king on his deathbed, then she'd heard the rumours.
Rumours that None of the king's children were his own, all were a product of incest between Cersei and her own brother Jaime. If such a thing were true it would ruin the kingdom and House Lannister.
It was for this reason that she was under guard at all times, her father had burst into her room at around midnight his voice hurried and rushed telling her that under no circumstances were she and Arya to follow any Lannister footmen.
Which it was concerning when she'd seen her father and his Stark bodyguard surrounded by Lannister footmen and Jaime Lannister himself. She'd left the keep at this point Arya beside her as they rushed through the hallways avoiding any and all guards.
"Arya keep up, we need to leave before they find us." Sansa told her sister, holding her hand as they rushed toward the exit.
Only to be stopped by thirty Lannister footmen. The captain of the checkpoint stared down at her, his gaze hungry and depraved.
"Look what we've got here boys, seems we got two doves who need their wings clipped" the heavily armed and armoured man said, his gauntleted hand reaching for her hair and grabbing it in a fist.
Sansa cried out, tears flowing from her eyes as the man gripped her head tightly, his armoured fist digging into her head. Arya punched and screamed at the man but to no avail as he backhanded her away from him.
"You two" he pointed to two of his men, "grab the small wench and help me escort them to their rooms, lord Joffrey told us no one is to leave." The man said as he began to drag her by her hair- her sister trying and failing to fight off the men.
This continued until they stopped suddenly, in front of the captain stood 2 well-armed black cloaked men with enormous woodmen axes stood before them. In front of them stood Lord Florent he was fully bedecked in armour complete with his sword strapped to his side.
"And where pray tell do you think you're taking the princesses" the man asked, his tone cold and distant.
The guard snarled at him, the hand not holding Sansa moving toward his blade, "we don't have to answer to your flowery scum". His scorn evident at his words as he drew his blade.
It was then, the two men struck. Their axes flashed in the moonlight, drawing back and separating the guard's hand and head from his body. The second was already between the two holding Arya as lord Florent caught Sansa, the guard's axe spinning as it cut through both men's throats. Their red lifeblood spilling through their gauntleted hands as they collapsed into a broken heap.
Lord Florent looked at Sansa, his gaze filled with pity and sadness but also unbridled anger, "I'm sorry you had to see that my dear, but we must evacuate you and your family immediately before the lions hear of this."
Sansa nodded quietly as she wiped away the tears. "My father? He still lives?" She asked, hoping the answer would be a good one.
Kevan nodded, "your father is safe but wounded, we managed to save him and his men before it got too dangerous. By that time however Jaime had already left thankfully" he finished as they ran toward the back exit into flee bottom and toward the Tyrell inn.
"I have to send a letter to Lord Tudor too informing of what's going on," he paused for a moment allowing him to wipe the sweat from his brow. "Thank the Warrior for Lord Eric allowing us use of his personal guard, although it was probably lady Ellaria who'd sent them in the first place."
He paused. His eyes stony as he looked around, "something is wrong" the two guards were joined by 6 more identical men although these men wielded shields with their axes and acted subservient to the two originals.
"My lord, I do believe we're surrounded."
Next fic will be one me and helghy have been working on. Then after that Azula's monster will get a much-needed update. Hail Neptune and remembered Saint nick is always watching and his health bar is almost as long as his beard.