Hi.
Chapter 64: The Long Night
Castle Black
Arriving and seeing the dead beyond the Wall, she felt some sense of fear creep up her spine.
She never thought this would be what Jon and his people described nor what she had seen of that creature that Arthur brought South, and it was worse as she saw thousands racing across the cold ground and making a climb to the top where the living were losing ground.
Gritting her teeth and narrowing her eyes, she took Drogon high before diving down hard and fast; she screamed, "Dracarys!" Her dragon shot down a river of flame across the Wall where the dead were climbing up.
Jon was doing the same but near the ground, jetting a stream of fire from Rhaegal's mouth on a handful of undead giants that were hammering through Castle Black's tunnel gate.
The battle thickened as more fighting bodies were crowding the Wall's little space. Lord Commander Edd and Tormund both looked and regrettably decided it was too much.
Sounding the horn, the living or what was yet living had begun retreating to the three lifts.
Both Jon and Daenerys circled, and once what survivors were out of the way did both dragons lit fire to the top of the Wall. The oil barrels left up exploding due to the heat and killing droves of undead whilst also burning the deceased that had perished before the reinforcements arrived.
A few leagues away, Howland Reed was conflicted of what to do until he heard the rumbling of thousands of horses and turned, seeing the banners of House Stark, Tyrell, and Mya's personal coat combining stag and falcon.
"Arthur!" He called and rode up to his friend's son, Arthur looked tired, and Howland sighed, "You force marched all this way?" He asked the King.
"Had no choice, but now we are here." Arthur removed his cloak, "Form lines! We march on the Wall!" Anders Yronwood reluctantly followed the order and, after a few moments, returned. "What do you think of our chances?"
"Hard to say, how many did you bring?"
"All our horse, and whatever the North can gather as cavalry." Howland hummed, and Arthur waited on his response.
Arthur grimaced at Howland's grim expression, "We better hope the dead slim down the army of the dead or we're fucked."
The King of the North expected nothing less, riding back to Anders and tapping on the Dornishman's shoulders, "Split your host and let the cavalry lead first, surround and volley with arrow fire should the dead get passed the Wall."
"Is that the Queen's order?" Anders asked with frustration. The man was clearly eager for glory or just didn't like him making commands.
"Are you daft? It matters not if she did; just do it!" Arthur demanded and rode back to Donnel, Jorah, Howland, and Jaime. "We will begin a slow march with the Dornish army on our left and right." He said, informing the four.
Arthur then laid his eyes back to the Wall, "Come on, Jon, take as man of them out as you can... "
Back at the Wall, Jon streamed a line of dragon fire on another column of dead but saw no end to the horde coming out of the Haunted Forest.
He also began to notice the constant burst on top of the Wall was causing damage to the structure, "Damn, we'll be destroying it for the Night King if we keep striking it... " He turned and flew toward Dany, who had just gotten through with another clutch of dead. "Daenerys!" He shouted for his Queen.
Dany looked at him, and just before he spoke, a screech echoed through the air, and both turned their eyes low.
Viserion was too low when he was letting his fire burn the corpses attacking that he didn't notice a pair of blue eyes training on him, the Night King had thrown his javelin and the weapon moved with purpose as it zoomed through the air and struck the dragon in the chest.
The beast fell to the snowy ground with a crash, killing some dead and one giant.
Daenerys gasped with heartbreak and anger, her dragons let out a screech of mournful pain she was also feeling. She expressed the ounce of fury only held for a mother who had lost a child, an expression that Jon saw and his eyes widened.
"Dany! No!"
Jon and Rhaegal chased Daenerys and Drogon, the Queen of the South, aiming straight for the one who killed her child but the Night King wanted this as he prepared another javelin.
With speed, Rhaegal was able to get in front of his brother and knocked them out of the way, the weapon zipped past and struck the Wall and exploded into blue flame.
"Dany we have to get out!"
"Why? We finish it here!" Jon shook his head understanding her loss but this isn't good.
It proved true, the Night King held his hand out to where Viserion fell.
The beasts muscles cracked as the Children's dark magic folded over the Valyrian creature turning it's eyes of fire to a cool hue of blue.
Viserion lifted its head and legs made itself stand upright, then the dragon or once was a dragon let a screech unfamiliar to its brothers who turned and looked upon the Night King's newest weapon against the realms of men.
Jon reluctant turned Rhaegal, "We have to destroy it," He said noticed Dany wasn't listening, "Daenerys! We have to destroy it."
Daenerys in her grief fled the battle and so Jon angrily went to do it himself, flying his mount toward the risen Viserion who began flapping his wings to take flight.
Just as a collision was about to take place, a giant had shot an arrow which hit Rhaegal's underbelly.
Seeing no option, his dragon wounded and Viserion in the air, Jon reluctantly turned his dragon and fled the battle as well.
The Night King victoriously called forth his new asset, Viserion landed near his new master and bent his neck low so the ancient Other could mount it and took flight once more then immediately began shooting a jet of blue ominous flame in the middle of the Wall.
The ice made fortress started to rumble and crumble and those survivors still within Castle Black started making way south.
Edd Tollett and Tormund died as the lift collapsed into a heap of ice and blue flame along with many others among the living and the dead that we're unable to escape the destruction as the Wall fell.
300 leagues the caving went, the rebuilt castles being laid to waste along with the three main fortresses of Shadow Tower, Eastwatch, and Castle Black.
The Night King had his first victory, a victory that Arthur and others watched from miles away as one of the greatest innovation of the known world was destroyed and with it the countless lives that defended it.
In the aftermath a great cloud, a darkening had covered the sun that attempted to shine and also clouded the living's sight for several moments.
Some wanted to run, mainly from those of the Reach and Dorne but their commanders called for bravery.
"Arthur, it's Jon." Jorah told him and Arthur looked up as an injured Rhaegal flew overhead and landed behind their lines.
Riding back, he dismounted and approached Jon, "What happened?"
"The Night King, he killed and turned one of the dragons, with it he destroyed the Wall." Jon looked around, "Where is Queen Daenerys?"
Hearing her name caused him to grit his teeth, remembering when he saw her flying that big red beast back South without so much as telling them what was going on. "Your wife fled, we are on our own… " He muttered and Jon looked distraught and betrayed.
He was sorry for his brother, but the battle doesn't stop when a man flees the field not will when a Queen flees and besides, there is still a King to fight for the Realm and he doesn't plan to retreat.
Returning to the front he unsheathed Dawn from its scabbard, "Men of Westeros! Hear me!"
The thousands turned their eyes from the great cloud, all to listen to him speak a damned speech because they need one. "The Wall's destruction may be a setback but let it not deter you, we do as I said before leaving Winterfell, we stop and kill the Night King! Here! Now!" He shouted and saw within the eyes of his allies, the look of fear.
Robb once told him of his talk with their father, the same talk he had with all of his sons when they first gazed upon death, "My father used to say a man can't be brave unless he's afraid. I see it in your eyes, all of you… SO BE BRAVE WITH ME! BLEED WITH ME! KILL WITH ME!" The fear of the living turned into fury as thousands let out a war cry that could strike the heavens.
The rumbiling of dead began to approach, his horse was anxious but he held firm on the reins and turned his steed forward, "For the Dawn! For the Realm! FOR WESTEROS!"
"FOR WESTEROS!"
With this he led the charge of thousands of cavalry and would meet the dead head on, Rhaegal roared as Jon got the beast back in the sky.
Time seemed to slow before the dead and living collided in a crashing wave of flesh and arms and dragon fire.
Igniting Dawn with fire he slashed led and right as his horse and thousands of others began to trample through the dead but there was still other beings than men amongst the dead as shadwocats, bears, mammoths and giants did battle.
From the left and right flank, the Dornish arched hailed down arrow fire as Jon and Rhaegal let out a stream of flame to light their way.
Donnel was at his side, his horse gone but he knight got to his feet and with his sword cut down many.
"Hah!" Arthur cried and slashed the head off a Wights body, the remains crumbiling to the ground.
Combat was everywhere as the Dead found resistance from the Living, Arthur smiled to himself thinking they could really do this but then he was suddenly thrown from his horse and landed on the ground.
A giant had grabbed him and had a menacing face resembling a rotten corpse, it held a cub in his hands and came to finish him off as he was too slow to to his feet.
Suddenly a white horse came in the way, the golden armor of Jaime blocking and protecting him from death.
Jaime turned and gave him a smile, a debt repaid as the Kingslayer and his mentor fought the giant bravely but the creature had grabbed the knight from his horse and was close to writing his head off till Jaime took from his person a shard of dragon glass which he shoved into the giants eye.
Arthur watched as the hulking corpse fell and crushed Jaime under it.
Only Jaime's face was visible but he wasn't afraid, it was a peaceful expression on his face and Arthur let a tear fall from his eyes as he rose to his feet and pulled out Ice having lost Dawn somewhere in the time he was thrown from the horse.
"Arthur… " He turned and saw Jorah, "You alright, lad?"
"I'm fine," He said and tried to go past but the older Northman stopped him, looking him square in the eye.
"The battle is turning, if we keep fighting then we are only adding to the undead, call a retreat."
No, not when they haven't even encountered a Walker amongst the horde, "The Night King needs to die, are you with me?" Jorah was a supporter of Daenerys, if this wasn't a threat to everyone then he wouldn't trust the slaver but he will today.
Jorah sighed and begrudgingly nodded, the both of them gathering mem and diving deep into the dead in search Walkers or their maker.
Up in the air, Jon was circling the dead and having Rhaegal rain fire down on them.
Suddenly, and without warning, Viserion clashed with his brother and Jon nearly fell from the saddle but held on tightly enough to look and see the Night King had shown himself and for the first time since the war between Rhaenyra and Aegon II… The Dragons would dance.
AN: A moment of silence for Bray Wayatt, aka the Fiend for his passing this week. Rip.
Now another moment of silence for Edd, Tormund, Viserion, and Jaime Lannister as the victims of the Long Night grow by the next chapter where Jon faces off against the Night King in a dance of dragons.