BAELORS POV

Chapter 11

It didn't take long for Baelor to find who he was looking for; all he had had to do was threaten the first person he had come across to show him the way to the Captain's chambers. Said person happened to be a little old woman who had told him she was the resident cook and cleaner for the Pirates.

"Who are you?" asked the woman in a hushed voice as she guided him down another long corridor, "more importantly, what are you?"

"Don't worry about who I am. Just know that I'm not someone you need be afraid of. My problem is only with Captain Myke and those that choose to follow him willingly" he responded with a sad smile as he gazed down at the leather collar around her throat. A symbol that marked her as a slave to her master.

Eventually, they stopped walking and came to stand in front of a set of very large wooden doors, with a giant brass knocker in the shape of a serpent adorning the center.

"This is it, Captain Myke's Chambers. He should be just about finished with his evening meal" whispered the old woman, before making way to leave.

"Wait!" whispered Baelor as quietly as he could, his hand shooting out to grab her by the shoulder, turning her around to face him. For a second the old lady looked fearful as if she was afraid that he was going to harm her. But when she saw the look of gratitude on his face she relaxed somewhat.

"Did you know that in my home of Westeros, there is no such thing as Slaves and Slavery"

"There isn't?" she asked in wide-eyed disbelief.

"It's true. Every person is born a free man, able to do whatever they want with their life. Perhaps you ought to visit sometime soon and see for yourself" replied Baelor as he waved his hand in front of the collar around her neck, unlocking the lock with a click.

The woman patted her throat with her hands, blinking in amazement as she pulled the leather collar from her neck. Tears rolled down her cheek as she realized that for the first time in her life she was free. Throwing the collar to the floor she quickly grabbed her savior in a fierce hug, mumbling her thanks over and over again into his shoulder. She didn't care what he was, who he was or that he was some sort of magic user. She was finally free after 60 years of being a slave, and he was the reason why.

"Now leave before the others arrive" urged Baelor once she had finally released him, "You won't want to be around here when they find out I've escaped".

The woman nodded her head rapidly as she wiped her tears with the corner of her apron. Clasping his hands in hers once more, she quickly told him where the exits were, before hurrying off towards her quarters to pack her things as fast as her aching feet could carry her.

Once the old lady was out of sight, Baelor turned his attention back to the task at hand. Grasping the door handle he wasn't surprised when he found out it was securely locked despite the Captain being inside.

Apparently, the Captain wasn't so stupid as to allow himself open to being attacked, especially whilst he was alone in his quarters. Knowing that time wasn't exactly on his side, Baelor took several steps backward before coming to a stop.

Raising his hands in front of him, he envisioned a strong gust of wind coming through and smashing against the door, removing the object that blocked the path in front of him. Just as he finished constructing what he wanted to happen, a large gust of wind began to swirl around him in a hurricane like fashion.

His woolen cloaked whipped around him ferociously as the wind became more and more intense until it was so powerful and so loud that when it eventually shot forward and hit the large wooden door, it literally destroyed the door so much so that nothing more remained other than a pile of broken wood and twisted metal. Walking over the threshold, Baelor entered the bedroom of the only person he truly hated with all of his heart.

Captain Gardner's chambers were both large and lavish. Rich red carpet decorated the floor, various weapons and treasures lined the large stone walls, as did several flaming torches that illuminated the dark room. But Baelor had little time to admire the decor, for standing in the middle of the room, at the end of a very large table filled with all types of fine foods, was Captain Myke Gardner himself. He held a large double-handed sword and wore an expression of both anger and confusion.

"YOU!" he roared, spittle flying everywhere, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!? HOW DID YOU ESCAPE?"

"Come now Captain," sneered Baelor as he took several steps forwards, "After seeing what I did on The Challenger, you couldn't possibly think that was all I could do did you? If you did then you're even stupider than I thought"

Captain Myke took several steps backward, something about the boy's attitude just screamed danger. He had seen what the boy could do. Of the power that he could control, of the damage he could do both with and without a sword. His own Captain had been killed in swift succession by the boy in front of him and he wasn't nearly as skilled as his Captain when it came to combat. Oh, he could fight as well as any man, even better than most. But something in his gut told him that a fight with the person in front of him wasn't going to end with him as the victor.

"No doubt you've come here to kill me?"

"I have" replied Baelor honestly, seeing no reason to deny what he had come to do.

"Understandable I suppose, I'd do the same If I stood where you stand" grunted the Captain, lowering his sword slightly, " Nothing I say or do will stay your hand will it?"

"Nothing" agreed Baelor, shaking his head.

"Thought not. I had to at least give it a shot, It's not for me to just give up, no matter the odds. I won't go down without a fight" stated the Captain, once more raising his sword.

"I wouldn't want it any other way,"I'll even refrain from using my abilities," smirked Baelor as he too raised his sword into position, "at least then you might stand some semblance of a chance."

Captain Myke nodded his head as he crouched into position, his legs widening to shoulder height for optimal stability and his sword raised high, poised and ready to attack as he began to slowly circle his enemy.

Baelor was having none of it, however. The only reason he was still standing was that his magic was pumping through his veins, keeping his body and mind awake and focused. He didn't know how long his magic could fuel his body for and he couldn't afford to wait around for the Captain to make the first move. So he did instead.

Baelor lunged forward, his sword gripped tightly in both hands as he swung his sword with as much force as could straight towards the Captain's head. Captain Myke's eyes widened slightly before quickly raising his own sword to defend himself against the boy's attack. Their swords met each other in mid air, the sound of steel hitting steel emitting a loud CLANG! sound and creating a flurry of sparks.

Not to be deterred Baelor went brought his sword back into position before once more attacking his enemy, this time aiming his sword forward in a piercing motion. Again his attack was blocked by the Captain, but just barely.

One thing was painfully obvious to Baelor as he re-adjusted his footing and raised his sword once more. He was much faster than his opponent. Narrowing his eyes, Baelor exhaled under his breath before dashing forward and bringing his sword down once more upon his enemy. Only this time he didn't stop his attack when the Captain managed to deflect his blow, but instead brought his sword down again and again in a flurry of blows against his enemy, so fast that the room was filled with an almost constant sound of ringing steel. Each blow was more powerful than the previous, so much so that eventually the Captain's back found itself pressed against the stone wall.

Just as Baelor was about to bring his sword down once more, he heard the sound of rushing footsteps coming down the hallway. Either the Captain's crew had found out he had escaped and killed his captors, or some had heard the commotion between him and Gardner.

Baelor paused mid blow as he thought about what to do. He could easily kill the man in-front of him right now if he wished it. The old man was obviously very worn out and was becoming very sloppy very fast. A few more blows and the Captain would be at his mercy. By the time he did that, however, he would be surrounded by perhaps a dozen more enemies who no-doubt would want revenge against him for such an act. Revenge or Escape were his options, and he wasn't about to be captured again. He didn't know if he would be so lucky as to survive and escape for a second time.

"Well Captain, it looks like you get to live to see another day after all," sneered Baelor as he took several steps backward, sheathing his sword as he went. Turning around, he began to walk towards the destroyed entrance.

The Captain frowned in confusion as he raised his sword in front of himself once more, wary that the boy was somehow trying to play a trick on him. But then he heard the sound of footsteps coming from somewhere outside his bedroom, and new exactly why the boy had chosen to halt his attack. He was about to be both trapped and outnumbered, and he knew it.

"Aren't you going to kill me, boy. After everything me and my men have put you through, all the pain, all the suffering, you're going to just walk away just like that?" spat the Captain to Baelors retreating form, braver now that his men were so close at hand.

Baelor knew that he didn't have any time to waste and that the Captain's men were almost upon him. But he couldn't stand to let the Captain have the last word, especially since the only reason the man was still breathing was due to his obligation of having a fair fight to the death. If it wasn't for that he would have already killed him with a mere wave of his hand.

"Today. Tomorrow. Next week. Next month. It doesn't matter to me You will die by my hand eventually, I promise you that. I'll be back for your head soon enough Captain, and you better pray to all the gods you can think of because next time we see each other will be your last " shouted Baelor over his shoulder, not even bothering to turn around to face his enemy. For if he did he wasn't a hundred percent sure if he could stop himself from wiping the smug look off of the no-doubt smiling Captain's face.

Hearing the Pirate crew get ever closer, Baelor quickly sprinted from his position in the Captain's bedroom and out into the stone hallway. The old woman had told him that the quickest way out of the Stronghold was to take the right at the end of the hall, then go left and then left again, so that was exactly what he did. Just as he turned the corner to go right, however, he finally caught a glimpse of the Captain's crew, and they too caught a glimpse of him.

Perhaps a dozen or so Pirates stood at the end of the corridor, all of them dressed similarly in colors of brown, black and gray, and all were wielding a weapon of some sort. Time seemed to stand still for a fraction of a second as the crew and Baelor just looked at each other from opposite ends of the hall until one of the Pirates broke the silence.

"Get Him!" yelled the Pirate, a fat, balding man wielding a large two-handed Battle-axe.

As if some spell had broken the entirety of the Pirate Crew began to sprint up the hall towards Baelor, who had already started running in the direction of the exit. He was already halfway around the first corner when he felt his vision began to blur slightly, and a burning sensation began to form in the pit of his stomach.

Turning left once again he sighed in relief as finally spotted a set of heavy iron doors at the end of the hall. Blinking furiously, he redoubled his efforts and pushed his already weak body to its absolute limit. His head began to pound and his breathing became raspy and uneven as his magic struggled to support him. He only had so much power that he could call upon, and it would seem he was beginning to exhaust his already depleted reserves.

'Just a few more feet. Just a few more feet and we'll finally be free. We can rest and recuperate when we're safe, and the only way to be safe is to make it to the other side of that door. You can't give up now, not when we're this close to success' thought Baelor to himself as he almost blacked out from the pain at the base of his skull, before clenching his fists and with a mighty roar he sprinted to the end of the Hallway.

Skidding to a halt in front of the large iron doors, Baelor quickly grasped the door handle and pulled the door open before slipping through the gap and closing the door tightly behind him. Breathing heavily, Baelor took several steps away from the door and waved his hands in front of it, locking the door from the outside so as to stop his enemies from following him.

Turning around to observe his surroundings, Baelor was blinded when a large ray of sunlight hit him directly in the face. Raising his arm up to his forward, he looked around to see where he had ended up.

He currently stood upon the steps of a very large, very tall fortress that were made entirely out of a light-red sandstone. The fortress was located on the edge of a large cliff about a mile from the main city and overlooked a port with over a hundred different ships, all different in size and all flying a different flag. Hundred of sandstone building covered as far as the eye could see, some were huge and beautiful, whilst others small and simple, but all were made of the same reddish stone that the Pirates Stronghold was made of. Most interesting, however, was that the city was surrounded by a huge wall (once more made of the same stone) that seemed to stretch for miles and miles, protecting the cities inhabitants from outsiders. Having read up extensively on Essos, it was very clear that he was currently in the Free City of Pentos.

'The world works in mysterious ways' thought Baelor absently as he quickly descended the stone steps, keen to get as far away as possible from the Pirates location. Pulling his hood over his head so as to not draw any unwanted attention to himself - and to also block out the harshness of the blinding sun - he began to make his way down the long road that clearly to the center of the city.

As he walked down the long road in silence, he took his time to appreciate his surroundings and took several breaths of the beautiful fresh air that surrounded him. The sky was a bright blue with no clouds in sight and a gentle breeze carried the faint saltiness of the sea. He had missed the wind on his face and the sun on his back when he had been captured for who knows how long. So for several moments he just closed his eyes and basked in the warmth of the sun, and took several deep breaths of fresh air.

After several moments he began walking down the dirt road once more. Eventually, he came to the end of the road, and what stood in front of him was a very large stone wall very similar to the one that surrounded the entire city. The wall was perhaps 4 meters tall and made out of solid sandstone, and there wasn't a gate or guard in sight.

It looked as if he had accidentally gone the wrong way and was now on the outside of the outskirts of the city, and not inside it like he had originally thought. Apparently, the Pirates had their own Stronghold just outside the city gates and were more than likely not allowed to conduct such nefarious business within the actual city.

Baelor eyed the stone wall up and down as he thought about what he should do. He had to get over the wall, that was a given. His original plan before he had been captured was to sail to Pentos, hire a room at an inn and scout the area until he found out where Daenerys and Viserys Targaryen were staying, and then figure out what to do from there.

His capture at the hands of the pirates had definitely been unexpected and most unwelcome. But he wasn't about to turn around and go home just because things had turned out bad for him. This was his first solo mission to prove that he was capable as a Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, and he wasn't about to tuck tail and run because he had suffered at the hands of his enemies. He would continue on with his original plan, and the first step of that was entering the city.

No doubt he could walk around the wall and find his way to the main gate and enter the city that way, but that would probably take a few hours at least and he was already barely able to stand as it is. Climbing the wall in front of him was the quickest way to entering the city. The quicker he got into the city the quicker he could rent a comfortable cot to sleep on and buy something to fill his aching belly.

Walking forward, Baelor outstretched his arms and grabbed hold of the rough hewn stone and slowly began to climb the wall. Climbing the wall was slow work at first, as well as tiring as his tired muscles lifted his body up the stone surface, but eventually, he made it to the top. Panting heavily Baelor sat atop the wall for a minute as he tried to catch his breath, as well as taking a second to see what he hadn't been able to see from the other side of the wall.

Right below him was what appeared to be some rich Lords property. There was a large field of grass that was perhaps 300 meters long by 300 meters wide and was surrounded by rows upon rows of magnificently colorful flowers with every variant of flower imaginable. On the other side of the field was a very large villa that stood several stories high and had various towers coming out of it. It too was made out of the same material as the rest of the city.

Glancing once more at the breathtaking sight, Baelor turned around in his seat atop the wall and slowly began to make his way down the ground level. He had only taken two steps down when his vision once more began to blur like it had in the Pirate's fortress, and his head began to ache the same as it had earlier. Grasping the wall tightly, Baelor blinked furiously he tried to clear his vision. But several minutes passed and his vision wasn't improving, and his head felt like it was being split in two it was so painful.

It seemed as if his magic had finally burned itself so low that it wasn't able to power his body any longer, and his body was shutting down because it could no longer support itself.

Eventually, the pain in his head began to spread down the entirety of his body as his Magic's protective enchantment wore off, and all of his aches, pains, hunger, and tiredness returned to him all at once. It hit him like a hammer as his eyes began to close of their own accord and his stomach rumbled in agonizing hunger. The pain eventually becoming so unbearable in several parts of his body, that he had no choice but to let go of the wall he had been desperately holding onto for dear life. His body fell backward of its own accord as he almost blacked out from the pain, falling several meters before hitting the ground below with a heavy thud, falling into unconsciousness as soon as his head hit the floor.

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