Consciousness returned as my body was violently shaken awake, "Milord. MILORD! The scouts have returned with news of the squids" said the man above me.

The drowsiness in my body, dissolved as alertness filled my mind once my brain understood his words. I immediately grabbed my helmet and weapons before speaking to the man, "Gather everyone behind the wall, it is time for our greatest hour." The man nodded to my words before running out of the longhouse to gather the others.

As I made my way to the palisade, I could see the nervous energy filling the town. Men and women worked quickly while also seeming ready to run at the slightest noise. Eventually, I arrived at the palisade where I saw the leader and the scouts in conversation. The leader had a grim expression engraved on his face the more each scout seemed to talk to him. "-ships north." I overheard the female scout say as I entered the ring around the leader. Before, I could speak the scout looked at me and explained, "Milord, four squid longships were spotted heading north along the coast. Before we left, I got a closer look at the ships.; the longships seemed under-crewed. I estimate maybe an hour or less before they land along the coast and attack. Thankfully, the scouts sent along the mountain did not see any roaming squids."

"Understood. Unless there is anything else, go rest along the palisade until everyone has gathered here." The scout shook her head, and they left to get a few minutes of shuteye before the raid. "My friend, I have an idea on how to man each palisade so one side does not become overrun. Would you like to hear it now or when I tell the men?" The leader shook his head before letting out a sigh.

"Arron, we may not like each other. However, I know you know how to handle a defense. Let us bury the hatchet before the battle. If one of us has to die, I would rather the other does not live in guilt" said the leader as he stuck his hand out for me to shake.

"Aye, my friend. May we bury the hatchet" I said as I shook his hand. As we walked toward the gathered men, I laughed inside my head. I am a High Noble of Valyria, house of Belaerys, 'Once Always' we never forget. I am a Dragon Lord; ruling is my birthright; he will die and I will survive. I calmed my mind, as I walked in front of the gathered men. As I spoke, I began to walk across the front of the men, "THE TIME HAS COME! THE IRONBORN IS AN HOUR AWAY FROM THEIR DOOM!" I could see the villagers stand straighter from my words. "They come expecting an easy victory, fighting a father or son as they rape your mothers and wives. They want to burn the town to the ground and kill the rest. BUT NO! YOU WILL STAND AND FIGHT! Many of you may die today, but you can either die with honor or die a slave. FIGHT AND SURVIVE! WE ARE SUPERIOR TO THE PATHETIC CUR! SHOW THEM HOW SUPERIOR YOU ARE!" Loud cheering spread throughout the crowd as I spoke, "WE WILL WIN! WE WILL FILL THE TRENCHES WITH THEIR BLOOD! WE WILL FEED THEIR BODIES TO THE WOLFS! THEY WILL BURN IN THE MIGHT OF OUR POWER!" A thunderous cheering filled the skies, the cheering was so magnificent birds flew away in fright as the ground shook in applause. The nervous energy from earlier had all but evaporated into concentration and hate for the enemy. I let the power of the cheering enter my veins before I spoke again, "ATTENTION!" the cheering mostly quieted, "FOUR GROUPS OF TEN MEN WILL BE PLACED ON EACH SIDE OF THE PALISADE GAP'S. ANOTHER THREE GROUPS OF TEN MEN WILL BE PLACED ON EACH PALISADE AS A RESERVE. THE TWO GROUPS OF SCOUTS WILL DEFEND THE OUTSIDE EDGES. THE LEADER AND A GROUP OF FIVE MEN WILL DEFEND THE SOUTHERN GAP. FINALLY, THE REMAINING FIVE MEN AND MYSELF WILL DEFEND THE EASTERN GAP." Yelling filled the air, as men and women ran to their assigned positions.

"Now we wait," I muttered to myself once all the men had settled into their positions. However, wait long we did not, as mere five minutes passed before the sound of men marching filled our ears. Even less time passed before I could see the Ironborn, around two hundred marched along the edge of the mountain and forest. The raiders were heavily armed: battle axes, swords, halberds, and metal shields filled their ranks. Many wore steel half plates and helmets; I knew this was going to be a long bloody fight. One figure clad in full steel plate lead the raiders, a metal sword hung on his side as a metal shield with an engraving of a burning brazier hung in his hand. The figure stopped around fifty yards before yelling, "SURRENDER OR DIE! IT DOESN'T MA'ER TO ME! YOU WILL DIE EI'HER WAY!"

Twice the pride, double the fall I thought before responding, "MAY I HAVE THE JOY OF KNOWING THE NAME OF THE MAN BEFORE ME. SO I CAN HANG THE CORRECT SIGN AROUND YOUR HEAD ONCE I PUT IT ON A SPIKE."

"NAMES GORON STONEHOUSE FUC'ER, I'LL MAKE SURE TO FUC' YOUR DEAD BODY FIRST." He then grabbed his sword before yelling, "ATTACK MEN!"

I did not respond vocally nor did I talk to the men. The men did not need to hear words they needed to see action, I readied Kastaānogar and Fatechanger as the raider hoard charged. Time seemed to become slower and slower as the raiders grew closer. All thoughts drained from my body until the only thing left was the sound of my breathing and the feeling of my sword in my hand. Time slowed even further until it seemed time has stopped altogether. The feeling of my sword slicing through the neck of the raider in front of me was the last thing I felt before time snapped back and the battle had begun.

I braced my shield as the weight of the man who I had just killed, fell onto me. I heard the sound of men dying next to me, I had no idea if they were friendly or enemies for looking would have been a death sentence; I just charged into the next Ironborn before me. The man's steel half-plate split as my Valyrian sword sliced through the man like butter. As I killed the man, two more raiders charged me. My shield blocked the man's halberd as my sword parried the other man's sword. I hit the halberd into the ground as I turned my body to thrust Kastaānogar into the swordsman's chest. The man blocked my strike, but the Valyrian sword dug into his steel sword leaving a large gash. I yanked my sword back as I turned again to bash my shield into the other enemy, the halberdsman tried to block but the weight of my body momentarily stunned him as I drove my sword into his chest. I raised my shield to block the swordsman but before he could complete his swing a pike appeared through his chest. I nodded thanks to the man who killed him before I went back to fighting the hoard. I did not know how long I fought as time seemed to flow together as I dodged swords and axes, smashed faces with my shield, and punched more. The narrow fighting gaps made the battle bloody, tiring, and close. Blood covered my body and face; I had no idea if the blood was mine or someone else's. Bodies fell in different directions; I could have been fighting a raider before another tripped and fell into my swing or a dead villager would appear in my vision before me.

Eventually, the hoard seemed too thin as the rush of bodies grew less and less. Victorious thoughts filled my mind as I sliced my sword through the face of the Ironborn attacking the man next to me. "THE SOUTHERN GAP HAS FALLEN! THE GAP HAS FALLEN!" rang through the skies like a cruel mistress. The raiders had broken through the gap.

I turned my head left expecting to see the town burning, but the squids had charged at us. The remaining men tried to stop the influx of Ironborn, but it was alike a man trying to stop a dragon. "REFORM ON ME! THEY WANT TO KILL US ALL! REFORM AS A UNIT OR DIE AS A STRAGGLER!" I roared to the disheveled men. Most retreated to my side, but a few were killed before they could escape or killed as they ran. I took a quick glance at the villagers, maybe fifty remained. When I returned to the raiders, I counted a hundred less. I could see the fully plated raider leading the charge at our remaining gaggle of under-armed men. We would win, for I had the power of the dragons on my side. The blood of my enemies was in my grasp and a sacrifice before me. "THE DRAGONS DEEM YOU UNWORTHY, PATHETIC CUR!" I yelled as I charged headfirst into the approaching wave of death.

I had to dodge as my swing was blocked by Goron's shield before he thrust his sword at my chest. Unlike the other raiders, the leader had skills almost better than my own. I threw my shield arm into the top of his sword as I attempted to slice his legs. The shield struck true cracking the tip of the sword by my slice was skillfully avoided. The dried blood covering our bodies was wettened as sweat dripped from each of our bodies. The battle outside of ours was of little consequence as the winner of our match would determine the fate of our men. He needed me to die, for I was the strongest man and greatest leader. While I needed him to fall as a sacrifice for Gods to accept my spell. Pain flared along my shoulder as Goron's sword hit between the gaps in my armor. The mail underneath may have saved his sword from slicing through my arm but it did not stop the pain. I was given no time to complain as he thrust his shield into my chest. I jumped to the side as I once again slammed my shield into his sword as the crack grew larger. Screams ripped through the air as the sound of steel on steel changed to steel on flesh. I knew neither of who screamed nor if the scream signified our loss. I thought of nothing as I feinted my sword to the left causing him to turn before I threw a kick at his legs. Goron stumbled as I thrust my sword into his thigh. A scream of pain was the reward for my hard work, however, he did not falter, swinging harder with every block. A sharp pain emanated from my side as his sword stuck along my torso. Seconds later the cooling feeling of blood rushed down my sides, as I once again bashed his sword with my shield. The crack spider-webbed along the entire sword as the crack grew larger and larger. With one final power swing, Gorgon's sword shattered along Fatechanger. The steel shattering along the cross of my family's coat of arm before I swung my sword at the man's knees. The sword swung true as Kastaānogar sliced the Goron's knees like butter. He fell on his back as his thighs were separated from his knees, blood squirting like a fountain of death and gore. I grasped the handle of my sword with both my hands as I raised the sword above my head. The pommel shimmered as the sunlight glanced along the blood-covered metal. I stared into the eyes of Gordon as he stared back into my own, his filled with hatred and bloodlust. I yelled, "TEGUN HEN EGLIJE LENTON!" before I stabbed the sword through the man's heart with all my weight. The strike was so great that the blood flew from the man's heart into the sky as my spell was accepted. A shockwave of air flew from my strike flying across the battlefield knocking all the Ironborn to the ground while ignoring my own. The remaining forty villagers stabbed and killed the fallen raiders until the remaining squids surrendered.

I rose my sword above my head as I yelled my victory, "WE HAVE WON MEN! THE PATHETIC CUR HAVE BEEN CULLED! YOU AND YOU FELLOW BRETHERN DEAD OR ALIVE HAVE DEFEATED YOUR GREATEST THREAT! CHEER AS VICTORY IS SECURED!" The men cheered and roared as the exhaustion from the battle was released into the air. Some spit on, kicked, and belittled the surrender squids as they were bound and disarmed.

The prisoners were placed before me, their faces showing smiles and arrogance as they seemed to not care about their current bondage. Some even laughed at my face and made remarks about the fallen villagers and how they would rape the rest. "I'll take the Black," one of the raiders said before he laughed at the angry faces of the villagers who stood by. I did not know what the Black was but, I ignored it nonetheless as I spoke, "In the name Aerion Belaerys, Lord and Heir of House Belaerys," some looked at me in confusion before I continued, "Last of the Dragon Lords. I sentence you pathetic cur to slavery until death." Shouts of disagreement filled my ears from both sides. "You can't do that we already took the Black." "Slavery is illegal milord." "GIVE UM WHAT THEY DESERVE!" "Aerion?" "QUIET!" I shouted.

The villagers instantly quieted but the squids still complained about my lack of honor. I walked over to the raider who said I had a lack of honor and then released a mighty kick into the man's chest with my armored boot. The raiders quickly quieted down as the only sound made was reduced to the man coughing up blood from my kick. "These pathetic curs have killed your fathers, sons, mothers, and daughters. Why should we allow them to take the Black when they can be used? They are nothing more than the dirt under our feet, they can do to the pathetic work so we betters can relax. Look around, mountains and trees cover the vision. Lumber can be sold, ores can be found, and slaves can be disposed." Some of the villagers started to nod at my words as others looked thoughtful. "THEY ARE NOTHING! Look at horses, they are used for war and farming until they get unusable and killed. HORSES ARE MEANT TO BE USED AND SO ARE SLAVES! THEY DESERVE TO BE HUMILIATED FOR LIFE AS A SLAVE OF THE ONES WHO BEAT THEM!" the remaining pounded their feet in approval before shoving them into a shack to guard.

As I walked through the battlefield, I saw villagers looting the dead raiders, as others left the town and cried over dead men. As I passed by the gap, I had originally fought at I could see a pile of bodies almost head high filled with Ironborn grey and the peasant clothes of the villagers. I kept walking as the head of the leader lay detached along with a group of other headless men's bodies, I knew not of which was his. I stood over his head as I laughed at the sky before I raised my boot and crushed the man's head. I had the right to rule and all before me would fall. I heard the sounds of whimpering in the distance as I walked towards before the palisade. A young boy knelt over his father crying into his chest as he pounded on the ground with his fist. As I knelt near the boy, I saw the man lying dead was Jonjon. A large slice lay along his neck and dried blood clung to his neck and the ground below. I put my hand on his shoulder as I spoke, "My friend the dead may rest but their memory does not." Memories of Jaenara playing hide and seek in the tower filled my mind. "It is ok to cry… I think at least. I know how you feel, Roddick my sister died to save me..." The boy only two and ten cried harder as he yelled into his father's chest. "Why!? WHY HIM! WHY NOT THE REST! WHY PA! WHY GODS WHY!" I merely rubbed his back as he yelled his issues with the world into his father's chest.

I did not know what to do, I was still only six and ten. I felt like I had aged twenty years since Valyria fell, three hundred and eighty-two, leading the men was easy. I just had to yell, fight, and give hope on the edge of darkness; consoling was not easy. As I sat there listening to Roddick speak, tears started flowing down my face. I had never had time to decompress, from the fourteen flames erupting and turning my entire life upside down. Two days prior I was sparring with Jaenara as we kissed between each round. I went to sleep that night feeling content, then I woke up to our parents abandoning us and Jaenara kil- killing her- killing herself to save me. The tears flew freely as a felt a hand rub my back as I had done before. The simple act of kindness sent a pleasing sensation through my body as I looked into his eyes. Both our eyes were bloodshot and dried tired ran down our faces, "Friends?" he asked. I nodded my head in assent before I hugged him and said, "We never speak about me crying… I got an image to maintain after all." Roddick laughed as we stood up and headed back to the town. The sounds of celebration filled our ears as ale and wine were being drunk by the barrel. The longhouse looked packed to the brim, as we neared. A couple of drunk villagers pledged themselves to me as we walked near the door, the sound of cheering and drunks almost deafening as we entered the longhouse. "THE MAN OF THE HOUR HAS ARRIVED!" shouted a man as we entered before another handed me a tankard of ale. "Milord, can you handle the drink or are you too feminine to drink." I looked the man in the eyes before downing the drink in one gulp. A cheer rose in the longhouse before another drink was handed to me and the night started to blend together.

A/N: Chapters will probably be at least 3k words from now on. Hope the end wasn't too cringy but I needed to start their friendship somehow. Aerion will get less insane as the chapters go along. However, remember he is sixteen and he just lost his entire life.