AN: Before we begin, this is a long chapter to read. So go to the bathroom, grab a snack, a drink, silence your phones, put your reading playlist on, duct tape your siblings/parents/child's mouths shut till its over so you can read in peace…and enjoy the finale of this first season. For ease of access, CTRL+F and type in Part 2 or 3 to navigate between the major sections, should you be interrupted on the way down this chapter.

Chapter 27

Awaken, Child of Fate…

Oldtown 312 AC/874

Deep within the Citadel was a treasure trove of knowledge. Libraries, collection of historical artifacts from the centuries past. Every maester and student dedicated himself to study, to learning, and every student strived to earn their links and thus be recognized as a maester proper. But one student had no need to worry about his eligibility to become a maester. He had only to worry about the knowledge he had found within those sacred walls. Samwell Tarly was a student, no links to his name but a drive and a thirst for knowledge that the maesters agreed was what they sought in their order. There was just one problem…he wasn't trying to stay.

The son of Randyll Tarly was nervous as he sent off the raven with a message for Cid. If that man had been honest with his words, were he not a villain in disguise, then he would help Sam. Of course, were he to be wrong…Sam may not live long enough to regret this decision. The journals, the letters, were kept hidden within his room beneath a floorboard he had worked loose. He made sure that nothing would be amiss should an inspection occur but now he had some room to breathe. The raven, even if it were intercepted by the maesters somehow, would give nothing away. He remembered Cid's instructions well. He would not fail, not now, not after coming so far.

"Apprentice Tarly?" Sam froze in his tracks. "A moment of your time, please."

"O-of course," Sam gulps, turning around, his eyes straying up the tall visage of his least favorite maester "How can I be of assistance, Maester Seymour?"

Seymour smiles. He was a relatively young maester, only just entering his thirtieth year, and yet he had risen to being quite a trusted addition to the order. "Forgive me for the suddenness of this all, but it has come to my attention that there has been some…incidents, within the Citadel. Tell me, you wouldn't happen to know anything about this would you?"

"No, I…I've just come back from the rookery. I wanted to write a letter you see, to the man that escorted me here." Sam hoped he sounded convincing enough. While his plan was fool proof it was his ability to act that was in question "Is something wrong?"

"No…no student Tarly there is nothing wrong," Seymour seemed pleased with his response "But keep an eye out, would you? It would do our order no good if one of our most promising were to get caught up with the juvenile acts of a few miscreants playing at being maesters."

"Of course, Maester Seymour," Sam bows his head as the man makes his exit. Letting out a breath he did not know he was holding; Sam felt his heart racing as he continued back to his room. He could not remove them now. Not so soon…he would only have to hope the message made it to Cid in time.

As Maester Seymour made his return to the Conclave he couldn't help but smile as he pondered over what he had learned. Of the various students, novices, acolytes attempting to learn within these sacred halls, very few were so gifted at being truthful as Samwell Tarly. That was a man who could not lie for his life. The Archmaesters had tasked him with a simple job, find the student or students that had been snooping around the Vault and root them out along with any who may know the forbidden knowledge.

"Maester Seymour, good, good…we can begin now." Seymour takes his seat amongst his brethren as their illustrious leader begins with his soft almost swooning voice "I have summoned you all here, Archmaesters and Maesters alike because a most concerning issue has come to my attention. Somewhere within our Citadel is a traitor to our cause though he knows it not. Someone has attempted to access the Vault and obtain the forbidden knowledge within."

"How could that be possible? Only we have the keys to get inside the Vault, no student could do so or gain access to its door." Seymour rolled his eyes as the Archmaester spoke "If anything, we should be focusing on these rumors across the land. Gods among us? Monsters that reshape the lands with their mighty power? What sort of madness is this?"

"Archmaester Benedict makes a valid point, but to ignore the traitors amongst us will mean certain doom for our order should the Vault be opened."

"They can't open it without all of our keys," another Archmaester, Nymos, spoke up in agreement with Benedict "We have nothing to fear, so long as we all have our keys no one can gain entry to the Vault. So, what if a few young minds grow curious as to that vault's contents, let them. We have nothing to lose from curiosity like this."

"Which is precisely why I was chosen to investigate the situation, Archmaester Nymos," Seymour gives the older man a dangerous smile "Or perhaps you would like to confess now to some conspiracy to betray us all, hm?"

"The nerve of you Maester Seymour! If Archmaester Mika hadn't assigned you the task, you would still be a student under us!"

"That is enough, Archmaester Nymos," Archmaester Mika, despite having held his position for fifty years, was not a man to upset. The old man's voice grew stern as he narrowed his eyes on the younger man "Maester Seymour's character has not ever been in question. Whereas yours slowly is coming under scrutiny. War grips our homeland, a war once fought between four kings now is fought with three, and we find ourselves with potential vermin skulking about our vaults. No more."

"Archmaester Mika, what are you proposing we do then?"

Mika stroked his white beard in thought "We cannot fight a war ourselves; it is against our ways…Archmaester Kinnoc is currently meeting with the Faith Militant to see if they remain loyal to our cause in these dark times. Should they be loyal, then we shall use their services to stamp out the corruption of magic once and for all. As for the war…only one king may rule Westeros, any that practice magic or have the blood for it shall be removed discretely. Any objections?"

There was murmuring throughout the chamber. Seymour smirked as he heard the consensus agree with the old man. Magic was an abomination, so they were taught, and it was their duty to remove its stain from the world. No matter how much blood was needed to be spilt before the job was done. "And so, it begins."

Riverrun 312 AC/874

Clive rubbed his eyes with a grimace. He had been staring at the map for two hours now, most of the morning wasted as he tried to get in the head of Tywin Lannister. The Old Lion had been a slippery one after they had taken Riverrun back and Jaime Lannister was thrown in a cell. Thus far, the Lannister army had pulled back and left them alone, preferring to harass the Reach instead. That, however, didn't do them any favors. Rumor had it that both sides were coming to an agreement, a treaty of sorts, and would be setting their sights on King's Landing.

"So, what's the trouble brewing in that head of yours I wonder?" Cid smirks as he enters the tent "Still worrying over Lions and Roses working together?"

"Among other things…that bird we've heard about, you don't think it strange that it has yet to appear again, do you?"

"An Eikon of Wind, if I'm not too far off the mark, and not Garuda…well if I were in charge of someone like that then I would have to be on someone's side, right?"

Clive nods his head, motioning to the map "I figured as much. There's just one problem…I don't know which side they are on. They attacked both the Lannister's and the Tyrells, but not once did we get a report of the Baratheon armies being targeted. Not a word of it being sighted anywhere else either…like the Eikon and its Dominant just up and vanished."

"Not unheard of," Cid shrugs "But you didn't ask me just for small talk…if I had to guess I would say it works for Stannis. Robert would have ordered the Dominant to attack us by now, anyone really, without a second thought. Stannis on the other hand would use the first attack to test abilities and loyalty, it's where he chooses to strike a second time that has me worried."

"You really think its him?"

"Who else could it be? No one has as much to gain in this war than the Baratheon's, old Tywin can't do anything against us, nor do we have to fear the Tyrells too much."

Clive shakes his head, eyeing the map again. Since word had been delivered to Harrenhal that Renly Baratheon was dead…things had become more complicated when a survivor of Renly's own kingsguard arrived offering her services. Brienne of Tarth was a welcome addition to the list of knights Clive could trust, she held nothing back and was just as willing to fight as any man he had known. It didn't hurt that Jill approved of her as a bodyguard and training partner. The two may be women but they were proving the noble lords of Westeros quite wrong on where a woman's place was.

"What of Robert and his forces? Any updates?"

"Still trapped safely behind the walls of their city. Honestly Clive, the situation won't change unless someone makes the first move." The flaps of the command tent rustled as a new occupant entered. Clive and Cid turned quizzical looks upon Jack Voltes, the young squire gulped under the scrutiny as he approached and handed Cid a letter. "Oh, this is not good."

"What is it?"

Cid turns to the boy "This just come in?"

"Y-yes, Sir Cid."

"Just Cid will do…Clive, we might need to change up our battle plans." Cid holds up the letter "Sam has found what we were looking for, but it seems the others are getting…curious."

"Does he say how much time he might have?"

"No…and with how fast these birds fly I would assume he could be facing the gallows soon. You have a plan?" Cid asks, wary of just what sort of plan Clive might be cooking up "Preferably one that doesn't involve using me as a literal lightning rod."

"One time," Clive chuckles "Jack, can you fetch a raven for me?"

Jack nods his head, the boy running from the tent eager to be of use. Clive turns his gaze to the map, Cid eyeing it with a modicum of interest "So…the plan?"

"I'm leaving you in charge here while I ride for Harrenhal to get Jill." Clive gestures to the Riverlands southern border "This is where we can expect an invasion. Tywin won't risk his heir but that won't stop Robert or Stannis from trying something. It's getting to Oldtown that has me worried, that's at least a week or two from here…no…closer to a month."

"Just about three weeks, but that's marching along with an army at your back. You both would be travelling on horses with two wolves running alongside…I think you could cut down about a week and a half of that." Cid chuckles "Shouldn't be too hard, but what are your orders?"

"I need you here. Joshua will remain in Harrenhal with Jote, Thorn and our main host. Rex, Cody and the twins will remain here with you and the rest of our forces." Clive glances at Casterly Rock on the map "If I'm right, Tywin will see this move with his scouts and assume we mean to engage a Baratheon army in battle elsewhere…if he's smart, he'll seize the opportunity, in which case we reintroduce him to Ramuh."

"Zapping the Lannister forces that attack and covering our rear all while you and her ladyship take your two hounds to Oldtown and rescue our future Maester...have to admit, that is brilliant thinking." Cid laughs "But there's just one problem…what about the other Dominants? We still know nothing about their allegiances."

"Joshua said that Fire injured him, those injuries have now healed. Benedikta confirmed Darkness, Wind, and Earth were on the loose as well, and we only have seen Wind make an appearance in the Reach." Clive frowns, not feeling a headache or the heat within as he pondered the other Dominants "That's why I am splitting our Dominants up. If any of them appear, we'll have a Dominant of our own waiting for them."

"Divide and conquer, without leaving ourselves vulnerable…alright, I'll see to the preparations on my end, you just try not to die doing your job, ok?"

Clive smirks "When do I ever get into those messes? That's your job Cid."

The pair left the tent almost hand in hand with the same glint in their eyes. Cid would see Clive off before he began his trek with Ghost by his side for Harrenhal. When he would return to the command tent outside of Riverrun's gates, it would be up to him to explain to those left behind just how the plan was to go.

"And as Clive predicts, we shall find ourselves engaged with the Lannister's, maybe even a Tyrell army if we are lucky enough, wanting to beat down the gates of this fine castle, kill all of us here, and release our beloved prisoner Ser Jaime Lannister." Cid smirks "So, any questions?"

"How does that upstart expect us to defend this castle as we are?" Cid raises a brow at the angered words of Donnel Locke, a knight of House Locke and acting as commander of their men in this war "He oversteps!"

Cid takes note of the bitter woman known as Barbrey Dustin nodding along to his words. Now there was a woman he would not mind letting Bene use as a target dummy. Then again…perhaps Mid could find an experiment for her to test? Cid's musings were cutoff as the Greatjon adds in his own thoughts to the fray. "I don't like the foreigner any more than you do but so far he has proven himself an able commander, not many men would ever allow someone else to lead in their stead when they make a plan."

"But why do we allow him so much sway with our own people?" Lady Dustin asks with a stern look "If he wasn't so useful, I would have had him punished for speaking out of turn."

"Always so cheerful Lady Dustin?"

The woman's eyes lock on Cid, she looked like she was about to make a demand of some kind that would see Cid cackling like a mad man. Sadly, for Cid, before she could say a word that might give him an opening to make a smart remark Lord Stark put his foot down. "Enough of this! There will be no more arguments over Clive's assistance in this war, is that clear? My lords…Clive Rosfield has not once asked anything of us for his aid, he has given it freely and thus far he has proven to have a sharp mind as Ser Cody can attest to; instead of fighting amongst ourselves over imagined slights, we should be focusing our attention on the enemy at our borders. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Lord Stark." The lords chorused.

"The rest can sort it out amongst themselves," Cid says dismissively with a wave of his hand "If we are finished here, I think I am going to go topside, see what the weather's like from up there."

Three weeks later

Cid lit a cigar as he stood atop the outer walls of Riverrun. Clive's plan had been put into play now. A fog was rolling in through the area from Whispering Wood. Cid couldn't see a thing too far out, but he didn't need to. Scouts had reported that there was movement further down the River Road. The Old Lion was on the move it seemed. "Tough old bastard isn't he," he chuckles, puffing out a smoke cloud "Still…does he really think he can fight a Dominant?"

There was a low rumble in the distance. Footsteps marching in unison…lots of them. The Lannister host, their main force, was approaching. Cody began issuing orders, archers moving to the wall ready to rain arrows upon the enemy should they attempt to cross the river. Cid doubted they would try that so directly. Tywin was no fool, they had the defensive position any man would desire. Up high, surrounded by water on all sides, and armed to the teeth with bowmen. A siege was unlikely, surely, with their numbers and arms.

"Here he comes," a gruff older voice speaks up as a knight in grey heavy plate armor steps up beside the Dominant of Ramuh "Are you ready Cid?"

"Brynden Tully, I thought you would have been nursing your aching bones inside." Cid chuckles "Where's your squire?"

"Aiding in the protection of the women and children still present within these walls." Brynden huffs "Sir Clive's were running amok last I heard, not going to ask about them?"

Cid laughs, throwing his head back as he grins at the older man "Those hellions? Not a chance. Out of sight, out of my way just as I like it. No, they know how to handle themselves when I go out to fight. Speaking of which, you hear that?"

Brynden frowns. The rumbling…it had stopped. The veteran knight's eyes widen as he dons his helmet and moves to cover. Cid smirks as the call goes out, men scrambling to raise a shield and take cover. Where regular men would hide behind anything solid to protect from the deluge of arrows raining down upon them, Cid chose the road less travelled.

"Alright old man," he mutters as he stands atop the wall "Show me what you've got."

Cid takes that single step forward, body falling forward off the castle wall and down to the river below. Brynden watched in shock as Cid just chose to kill himself rather than fight. Without an appointed commander, the men would look to him to lead. How could he lead when he didn't even know what he was up against or what the plan truly was in the first place?

There was a crack of thunder above them. Bolts of lightning striking the river waters as the fog slowly was pushed back. Brynden heard the cry go out amongst the men. A shout of "Gods!" and "The Father!" but none of that made any sense. At least, none of it did at that moment. When Brynden Tully turned his gaze skyward, he saw just what they had meant. Floating just above Riverrun's walls was a large man…a god.

Ramuh slowly rolls his shoulders "Well that's a little stiff…now, I believe I had a job to do?" Ramuh raises his staff, lightning striking the end of it as the Eikon of Lightning raises it high into the air above him and thrusts forward with it. Purple bolts of lightning arc out, striking the landscape across from the castle, demolishing the Lannister army's frontline. "Anyone else want to face me now?"

The men on the ground panicked in the face of divine intervention. Ramuh laughs, watching them run off, turning tail and retreating like the cowardly lions they were in the end. While a Dominant would have been more than enough to handle the situation with ease, this usage of Ramuh wasn't a waste as most would no doubt believe. Ramuh raises his staff again, lightning charging within the weapon as he pulls his arm back and hurls it across the battlefield like a javelin. The resulting detonation decimated most of what remained of the enemy force. If there were any survivors, they would report to Tywin just what they wanted him to hear.

"Lions have nothing on Dominants." Cid chuckles as he returns to his own body. Not a single cough, drop of blood or sign of petrification to be spoken of "Well how about that? Guess he was right, the further away from those crystals we are, the less of an effect they have on us. Hopefully, Clive isn't dragging his feet in getting Sam back here."

Oldtown 312 AC/874

Ragnar Weaver was not what you would consider an easy man to control. Much like the men of House Blacktyde he had this way about him that set the other raiders on edge. Where the Blacktyde's were the best raiders in the Iron Islands, Ragnar was the most ferocious of them all. His crew served loyally, his fleet without equal, and he himself fought like the devils septons would warn children of. Ragnar was a monster without equal in the Ironborn, or so he would say if not for Euron Greyjoy.

"So it begins," he grins, crooked yellow teeth bared for all to see as Oldtown's docks come into view on the horizon "Alright lads, ready yourselves, before this day is done, we'll have put the fear of the Ironborn back into Oldtown! Let's show those Hightower bastards that no one is safe from paying the iron price!"

A mighty roar goes up across the deck of his flagship. His men here rushing about to arm themselves, to prepare for when they hit the port. Ragnar's fleet was bigger than he was used to. Ten ships, all of them armed to the teeth with men eager to raid Westeros again. As he entered his cabin he laughs, pouring himself a glass of ale as he takes his seat.

"Your men seem quite eager to fight, are you certain they are capable of completing their task?"

Ragnar frowns, glass just an inch from his lips, his eyes narrowing on a dark corner of his cabin "My men can handle anything that comes their way, I made sure to toughen them all up accordingly long before you came to Pyke. If you're worried about this job of yours…don't be. We'll handle it and earn that payment."

"I do not mean to question you," the speaker's voice is bored, whimsical in a way as he speaks "But if you Ironborn cannot carry out such a simple task…I would hate to inform my superiors of your failure."

"Superiors," Ragnar huffs "If your superiors were as powerful as you claimed, they'd have won the Iron Throne for someone already. So far all you've done is tell us what to do, and whisper poison in our king's ear. I'd say that deserves a reward of its own, your head rolling across the deck!"

"Temper, temper," the voice mocks "I wouldn't want to waste that glass of ale just yet. Just stay out of my way, and you'll be able to come home a hero for the news that I will deliver personally to Balon Greyjoy."

Ragnar frowns, watching his unwanted guest make his exit from the cabin. That man was dangerous, of that he could be assured, but not invincible. No one was that good. "Sellswords, long as he keeps his end of the bargain, I will keep mine."

Within the Citadel it was a state of panic for the students and maesters as they ran about gathering what knowledge they could salvage. Word had reached them that the Ironborn were sighted just outside of the port. Without most of the Reach forces present, Oldtown would be in for a long battle. Samwell Tarly was panicking as he pulled up the loose floorboard in his room and retrieved what he had hidden. Documents and an old journal, all of which he hid within a satchel he had snagged from the library. It all just happened so fast…a messenger had come, shouting out for all to hear that the raiders were coming, they had begun to evacuate most of the younger students and the oldest of Archmaester's first…which just left Samwell's batch of students and the few Maesters that remained.

"Cid…I could really use some help right about now," he mutters to himself as he hurries down the hall. He had to escape. He had to flee from Oldtown and just hope to the Seven that Cid would meet him somewhere along the road again.

Outside within the town itself it was chaos. Ironborn leaped from the decks of their ships, charging blindly into whatever resistance they were met with. Knights in plate armor rushed to meet them, swords cutting through flesh as they tore into the first few raiders. The second wave quickly proved too much as the knights of Oldtown were pushed back. Ragnar laughed as he joined his men, burying an axe into one knights' chest with ease.

"That's it, lads!" he shouts over the sounds of battle "Kill until your arms are sore! Drench the streets in their blood!"

There was a cheer from the Ironborn, screams from women and children, and cries of agony from dying knights. This was what he lived for. The thrill of battle and a good raid. It was almost perfect. Almost, except for one little detail. The tagalong he had brought for the trip. "I see you are enjoying yourself."

Ragnar frowns, snarling as he cuts down another knight "What do you want!?"

"I'm allowing you free reign is all," the man gave a slow shrug "My goal is within sight, you are free to kill, pillage, rape whatever and whoever you wish to. I will not stop you…just keep out of my way and discourage anyone who tries to follow me, from following me. That's all."

"Heh, hope you know that when you no longer serve a purpose," he growls, burying his axe into a knight's head "You'll be just like this knight here, a corpse."

"Likewise." The man calmly walks down the street with a purpose, avoiding the fallen bodies of knights and Ironborn alike as his eyes settle on the Citadel "Soon…we shall see just what you are hiding."

The man suddenly stops in his tracks. The sounds of battle seemingly dying down as a smirk slowly forms on his face "Oh? What do we have here I wonder? I suppose I have some time to spare for this…interruption."

On the outskirts of Oldtown atop a hilltop overlooking the settlement, Clive could not comprehend his luck. Ironborn raiders attacking Oldtown…just like Preytan Blacktyde all those years ago…

"Clive?" Jill frowned as she caught the look on her love's face "What's wrong?"

"Ironborn…" his fists clenched, the fire within burning bright as he slowly stalks forward down the hill "Raiders!"

The flames briefly flicker to life, flaring up around him for just a moment as his legs pick up speed. Jill and Torgal follow behind Clive, Ghost bounding on ahead of his master into the town below. Whatever was going on, something had set Clive off. Ghost ran into the city first, howling out a signal as Torgal picks up the pace, just barely passing Clive and beating him into the city itself. People were running, screaming for help, as buildings burned in the distance. Clive felt like he was back in Rosaria as a boy…back in that village…back in the service of the Ironborn.

"You…you monsters don't know when to give up!" he growls.

"Clive!" Jill calls out as she catches up to him, both wolves snarling at the Ironborn just up ahead "Raiders…so that's what set you off. Clive, we must find Sam first but…"

"I know," he says drawing Invictus "We need to get the people to safety…but we can't let the Ironborn do as they please."

"So, we save the people of Oldtown and kill the Ironborn," Jill smiles, drawing her rapier "Same plan as always then?"

"Right…" Clive frowns, feeling the flames within burning up as he moves forward "Something about this though…doesn't feel quite right."

Torgal and Ghost ran off ahead, attacking unsuspecting raiders and helping those citizens that they could. Jill and Clive followed close behind, cutting down Ironborn raiders, aiding knights of House Hightower in the defense. All of it felt normal, routine even after months of fighting in the war…but something was wrong here. Jill could feel it as they went through the streets. She could feel it, a chill almost, like something was coming.

Clive cut down a raider, cutting him in two with Invictus. That was his fifth raider, and still from the look of it there were more in the city. "Just no end to them…Ghost! To me!" the great albino Direwolf comes to his master's aid, snarling as a group of four raiders approach "I have some pent-up anger to unleash…unfortunate for you lot, I don't have mercy for Ironborn scum!"

As the four raiders charged Clive allowed the flames to leak out from within him. Ghost howls, as if given a command Clive creates and throws a fireball that consumes one raider. The man's screams and the way he dies catch his comrades off guard. The one on the left turned back from the burning corpse just in time for the last sight he sees to be that of the sharp teeth of a white furred wolf. The other two, coming to their senses, fare no better as Clive cuts one down with a burning blade and then rips into the last one with Garuda's talons.

"Good boy," Clive says, rubbing the wolf's head "Now…where'd Jill get off to?"

There's a howl, Torgal if he had to guess, that got their attention. Ghost howls in response, running off from Clive with a purpose. The First Shield of Rosaria grits his teeth, chasing after his Direwolf companion. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. As Clive followed Ghost his feet dug into the stone as he came to a stop. Torgal stood off to the side, focusing intently on the fight before him as Jill crossed blades with a figure in black.

"Jill!"

"Clive!? Stay back!" she shouts, blocking a strike on the right "You need to get the smallfolk to safety! Don't worry about me!"

Clive grips his sword tight, taking a single step forward before a blast of cold air hits him "What…what is this!?"

Ghost tugs Clive back, his arm gently grasped in the wolfs mouth, narrowly avoiding a shard of ice. Whoever this individual was they were swatting Jill's spells aside as if they were nothing more than an inconvenience. For all her grace and skill Jill wasn't on the same level as her opponent. He moved with such speed Clive mistook him for the Empire's reports of Waloed's assassins. There was nothing she or Clive could do as they were, to make things worse…Clive could see the ice forming around Jill's body. She was semi-primed, or about to be…and this opponent of hers wasn't even attempting to prime.

"Come on boys…I hate to admit it, but we have someone we have to find first…then we can help Jill," Clive felt the flames burning within, resolve forged, he led his hounds on their search for Sam. He only hoped the other man had what they came here for.

(Part 2)

"Keep moving!"

Samwell Tarly flinches away as a building collapsed to the left, kicking up embers as the wooden carcass hits the dirt. Oldtown…it had once been a beautiful place, a hub of learning for all the realm…now it burned. Fires sprouting up like great blistering scars, leaving their mark on the once proud city. What few knights remained free of engagement were corralling survivors to the city gates to usher them to safety out in the wilds of Westeros. Anywhere was better than here with the Ironborn.

"Almost there…stick together!" the lead knight calls out. There were only ten knights to protect them, guiding them along the city street, fighting off the Ironborn advance. "Just up ahead now, past the market!"

The group came to a sudden stop. The market was in shambles, stalls overturned, goods scattered across the cobblestone pavement. Raiders, fresh from pillaging the wares, stood in their path. A whole host of twelve of them. Sam didn't remember well what happened. He only remembered the way the cold seeped into Oldtown. The Raiders and the knights clashing, the screams of the smallfolk around him, and the feeling of cold unlike anything he had ever felt living in the Reach. Samwell Tarly knew only cold as his vision turned dark.

While Sam had his encounter with the Ironborn, Clive and his trusty canine companions made short work of any Ironborn they encountered. Clive cut down any man foolish enough to cross him, leaving those too far out of his reach to Torgal and Ghost to rip into. The wolves howled, moving as one, tearing into the Ironborn with the same viciousness their master would have. True to form, Clive showed no mercy as he utilized every skill at his disposal. The blessing of the Phoenix flowed through him as he shifts from one target to the next, ending their lives in a single stroke. Torgal settles beside Clive, growling as more Ironborn flood the streets.

"Guess they don't know who they are messing with…think we should educate them Torgal?" the wolf howls in response, earning a smirk from Clive "Very well, let's show them who we are…sic 'em boys!"

The two wolves move in, knocking over a pair of raiders as Clive shifts into the middle of a group, flaming phoenix wings forming as he spins, pulling them in and sending them flying on the reverse spin. A raider tried to turn and run but Clive wasn't in a merciful mood. He extends his left hand, Garuda's talon grasping the man and pulling him back towards Clive. The raider gave a strangled gasp as the end of Invictus juts out of his chest.

"Burn!" Clive growls, igniting Invictus and the raider still impaled upon it. Clive unceremoniously kicks the burnt remains of his foe off his blade. The street was clear for now…but how long would that last for? Ghost and Torgal bark, garnering his attention just in time as a large shard of ice crashes into a nearby building. "Damn it! If ice that size is here…things are far worse than I had thought. Come on boys, we need to find Sam, then we can get Jill and leave this city behind us!"

Jill gasps as her back hits the stonework of a storehouse. Her body was battered and bruised but none the worse for wear otherwise. She gives a ragged laugh as she stands, rapier at the ready. "You've been toying with me."

"Took you long enough," the man replies, dusting off his shoulder "I find it boring when my opponent can't keep up, fortunate for you then that you have kept up to a point, but it is still subpar."

"Is this a game to you?" she asks, ice building up in the air around her "The raids…the death…all of it. You enjoy this!"

"Enjoy it? Hardly, I just find it somewhat amusing. What I really enjoy is a good fight, and the look of despair when my opponents realize that conjuring ice mid chat won't do what they hope it does." The man grins as Jill's eyes widen a fraction "Surprised? You will be, very soon Warden of Frost."

Jill throws her arm forward, the ice coalescing into large chunks as they hurtle towards the man. The resulting impacts kick up dust and mist but leaving behind no body or blood. Jill freezes as she feels something against her stomach, and the familiar feel of cold steel at her throat.

"That wasn't very smart of you," the man admonishes from behind "When faced with an opponent who is faster than you, there is simply no room for errors such as this. Wasting your advantage, leaving yourself vulnerable…what would your predecessors think?"

"Who are you?"

He laughs "Dear girl, you really know nothing. My name is Ignis, and I am growing tired of this pointless fight of ours." Ignis removes his weapons and kicks Jill forward "Prime! I don't care how much; I only demand a good fight. So, do this, or I will start killing off the few inhabitants of this city that are left."

Jill stumbles forward, catching herself, she glares at Ignis as ice forms along her arms, the beginnings of a cape branching off her shoulders in two silver strands. The Aether she was generating pulsing within her body giving it a blue hue as she raised her rapier. "Is this what you wanted? To fight a Dominant and to die by their hand?"

"I would hardly call you a Dominant, little girl," Ignis chuckles, twirling his sickle "I would call you…a warmup, at best. Now…show me what you can really do."

Jill rushes forward, ice forming behind her, chasing after her every footstep. Ignis twirls his sickle, bringing his left arm across to slash at his foe as she gets within range. The man quirks a brow as his blade embeds itself into an ice sculpture replica of his foe. A copy. Just before he can ponder any further, Jill comes in from behind with her rapier.

"Not bad," he acknowledges "But not good enough girl."

Jill's eyes widen as her own weapons tip impales the sculpture, her opponent having relinquished one portion of his weapon and spun to the side in a way she had seen Clive do countless times before in the past. Unlike those times where she might have felt faint or even swooned as feelings grew…she only felt a cold dread beat within her heart.

"I hope that wasn't your best," he says softly in her ear "You've barely even scratched the surface of a novice's handling of Ice."

"Who…who are you?"

Ignis jumps back, avoiding a return swipe of her rapier "I should think that obvious," he says, ice forming along his arms and legs, his eyes turning a cold blue color "We are…connected, you and I…you might even say that I am the original, the source of everything you are." With the flick of his wrists, his sickle and blade return to his hands "Although…I am a far more superior version."

Jill drives her rapier into the ground, a wall of thick ice sprouting up, taking the impact of a large chunk of ice as Ignis laughs. "A Dominant of Ice…but…Shiva is my Eikon. So, if that is still true…just what is your Eikon?"

"My Eikon?" Ignis asks "Are you that desperate to find out? I might show you…but you will not survive if I do." Ignis dangles his sickle by the chain, sinning it slowly "Come now Shiva, I am beginning to grow bored with your little puppet here. Won't you come out and play with me? Give me a proper fight, before I kill her."

Jill dives to the left, her ice wall shattering as his sickle bursts through, encased in ice. The weapon itself barely touched the ground before encasing it in a deep layer. It froze solid earth just on contact…Ignis was in a whole other league of his own. As he tugged on the chain and his weapon drags across the ground Jill was formulating a plan. The Dominant of Shiva conjured up another ice wall, this time shielding herself from Ignis' sight as she avoids his sickle again. She raises her rapier, pointing it at the sky.

"Won't do you any good I'm afraid," he grunts as he tugs his weapon back, the sickle caught on the ice wall "All of this just fuels me more, I'm surrounded by nothing but my own element…as are you. You however are unfortunate enough to be faced with a master of Ice. Least you could do is surrender, might even humor you a little bit, let you have a few final words."

Ignis frowns, bringing his arms up as spikes of ice rain down upon him. It seemed the girl wasn't so bland as he had thought. Perhaps this might just be a little bit interesting now. While Ignis took the brunt of Jill's attack, the lady in question was up to her own schemes with her plan fully in motion. With her opponent distracted for the moment, Jill had the opportunity she needed to do something that would no doubt have Clive questioning how she was the responsible one. Nothing ventured…nothing gained.

"Good work boys," Clive grunts as he pulls Invictus free of another raider "Now…if we could just find Sam in all of this."

Ghost was digging through rubble, moving it aside with his paws as he searched out any living scent he could find. Torgal however was on edge, tail raised as he stared back towards the market. Clive didn't dare look back, he knew no matter what was out there, he wouldn't be happy until this mess was over, and Jill was far away from that man. The flames within, they still burned bright but there was something else there too and it wasn't Garuda's wind. It couldn't all just be in his head, he felt it as the shockwaves shook the ground. As the chunks of ice crashed into buildings and the city streets were encased in ice. Something was coming.

There was a bark. Ghost was pulling bodies off a pile as Clive approached, most of them were smallfolk. A few knights and raiders were strewn about from earlier battle but something was here, someone was alive. "Good job boy," Clive praises, assisting with the grim task of moving corpses aside "By the Flames…you are a lucky one Samwell Tarly."

Sam Tarly couldn't dream in the darkness of his mind. He could only feel that pressure at the back of his head and a weight on his chest. He didn't remember what knocked him out but he did know that whatever it was had roughed him up far more than he would ever like to be again. As his eyes blinked open, adjusting to the sunlight as Clive and his Direwolf, Ghost, hovered over him he couldn't help but smile, tears stung at his eyes.

"Clive?"

"It's me Sam, are you alright?"

Sam winces as he tries to sit up slowly "Took a nasty hit I think…but I'll live. Clive, we must leave the city, it's not safe here for you!"

"Easy there, you're right that we have to leave but it isn't safe for anyone." Clive helps the man to stand "Did you find what we asked for?"

"Of course!" Sam fumbles with his satchel "All here! Everything plus a little extra…but Clive…if this is all true then you are…"

"I know what I am," he cuts Sam off "But for right now, we need to leave before things get worse for us, can you do that Sam?"

"I... yes, yes your grace, I can."

"Good man," Clive claps his hands to Sam's shoulders and turns the man around "Follow this road out of town, if something happens you follow Ghost and Torgal, they know the way back. Stay with them and you'll be safe from all but an army."

"What about you?"

Clive didn't have an answer for that. "I'm going to get Jill and then we'll be right behind you. So don't worry about us, just worry about yourself for now."

Sam watched the rightful King of Westeros run down the street, chunks of ice still crashing into buildings while chilling winds whipped up around him as he felt his ears begin to hurt from the cold. "Son of Rhaegar and Lyanna…just who are you Clive Rosfield?"

Clive turned the corner, diving for the stone road as a chunk of ice nearly impaled him. It was getting more violent as he approached the market. What was going on up ahead? Jill shouldn't be throwing so much ice around…she shouldn't be struggling to handle one opponent unless he too was a… "Dominant." Clive's eyes widened as he came to the realization, legs moving faster as he ran down the street "Hang on Jill, I'm coming!"

Ignis was smiling as he dodged the chunks of ice being hurled at him. The woman he was fighting, she was a beauty and a deadly one too. Her little trick had worked out as she had hoped it would, he'd bet every coin he had on him that it was her plan all along to distract him from this. "But this is truly a sight to behold."

Floating just above the city was the Lady of Ice herself. Shiva, Eikon of the North, and his next foe. The Eikon raises her right hand, chunks of ice forming around her body before with the flick of her fingers they are launched towards Ignis. The second Dominant of Ice cackles as he moves, his semi-primed state carrying him to safety as he leaps around to avoid the impacts from glacier sized chunks of ice.

"A pity you couldn't put up this much of a show as a Dominant!" he shouts out, throwing his sickle, the blade catching on a chunk of ice as he pulls himself up with it "You could have been a great warm-up before!"

Shiva's eyes narrow, a wall of ice forming in front of her as the Dominant's sword jabs forward, embedding itself in the ice.

"Still hiding from me Shiva? I thought you'd be pleased to see me after so many years!" Ignis rips his blade free, utilizing both weapons to pull himself up as his feet catch themselves on the ice "How's this then for a reminder!?"

Ignis takes a leap of faith, pushing off the ice he hurls his weapon at the ice shield, Aether gathered around the blades as it glows a faint blue cutting through the air and eventually shattering the shield on impact. Ignis recalls his weapon, bringing his right hand up and forming an ice javelin. Shiva watches as her foe throws the javelin, the tiny weapon digging into her left shoulder with an ease it should not have had.

"To think, you had to prime just to fight me in a semi-primed state…and you still cannot hope to face me fully." Ignis brandishes another javelin "Shall we end this little act of yours? Or should I just skip to the climax?"

Shiva's eyes narrow as the second javelin streaks through the air. This time she knows what to expect, a series of ice walls form, slowing down the projectile before the sixth and final one catches the javelin halfway. "I will not fall for that a second time!"

"Wasn't expecting you to!" Ignis calls up to the Eikon "But this does prove very interesting for me."

The Second Dominant of Ice begins to spin his sickle. Slowly ice forms around the blade of the weapon, hurtling through the air as he lashes out with it, bringing it back to collect more ice in a spin cycle before lashing out again and hurtling another chunk of ice. They weren't anything impressive given he was still human, but should he prime there was no telling how large the ice would get. Shiva swats the attacks aside, watching the pattern her opponent had fallen into as he gets into a rhythm. When Ignis turns his back she strikes, blasting him with her strongest singular ice spell, Shiva encases the man in ice from head-to-toe mid swing.

"That takes care of that," Shiva says, Aether slowly dissipating as she prepares to revert. There's a sharp cracking sound, a widening of icy blue eyes and a powerful gust of wind. "No…"

With a powerful gust of cold wind Shiva is battered out of the air, almost falling upon a few homes as shards of ice are scattered. There's a rush of frost creeping among the market stalls, freezing stands solid, encasing the ground in a deep cold, chilling the air and even dusting the streets further away from the market in a light icy layer. Shiva heard a loud thud, four of them, as a hulking shadow appeared in the mist. There was a growling sound, no…a snarling unlike any beast she had ever encountered before.

"That was a dirty trick," a deep, guttural voice snarls.

"Attacking while our back was turned," says a lighter voice, a warble stringing itself through its words.

"But now we will make you suffer!" the final voice, far deeper than the first and angrier than either of its predecessors' chimes in.

There's another rush of cold air, even primed into Shiva the freezing temperatures could affect Jill as she raised her arms to shield herself from the wind. She hears another thud, then there's a howl of some sort of wolf as the mist is blown away revealing just what she had unleashed with this fight. Ignis had primed, he had unleashed the full power of his Eikon…and for once Jill was not sure that she was going to survive the battle that followed.

Standing before her was a hulking beast on four legs; its body was covered in ice, from its paws, up its legs, down its spine and its forked tail. Jill felt fear grip her heart as she stared back at three sets of ice blue eyes, all blazing with a cold fury as the three headed hell hound glared at her.

"You asked who we were," the head on her left says with its light warble of a voice.

"You thought yourself our equal!" the head on her right angrily shouts.

"You, Shiva, are not worthy enough to be our equal," the central head rumbles. The beast takes a single step forward, its massive paw freezing the area around it as it touches the ground.

"We are Cerberus!" the three heads howl in unison "You are food!"

For once in the many years that she had access to Shiva and her mighty power…Jill fled. She took to the air, hands coming together as she rains ice down upon her foe. The dog, the beast…Cerberus…it doesn't flinch, nor does it flee in the face of a foe it cannot reach. The three-headed dog shrugs off the assault, lowers its three heads and when it rears them back up unleashes three streams of ice from its mighty maws. The triple blast was easy enough to avoid at first. It was when the three heads began to change their attack plans that it became more difficult. One head would unleash a beam of ice Aether at her while another would spew balls of ice not unlike the fire balls that Clive would throw so casually in his training. Unlike those times, Jill was no straw target dummy, and this wasn't a friend using her for target practice.

"You cannot escape us!"

"We will hunt you to the ends of the earth!"

Jill screams as a beam of ice collides with her back, knocking her out of the sky. "We will not rest until you no longer breathe."

She struggles, pushing herself out of the rubble, those three growling heads far too close for comfort as she glares at the beast. "I will not yield, not to you beast!" Shiva stands, ice magic flaring to life around her hands "I am the Warden of Frost, the Ice Queen of the North! And you…you are nothing more than a hound in need of a reminder as to who your master is!"

Cerberus dodges the blast of ice magic, firing a few ice balls of his own to keep her off balance. This was what he had been waiting for. A true test of his might against a fellow Eikon. Even if it was Shiva. Cerberus howls, two of its heads giving Shiva a taste of what their own ice blast could do. The Eikon of the North stumbles, almost falling as the beast slowly skulks forward.

"No more tricks Shiva!"

"We will not be held back any longer."

The center head snarls, "No mercy for False Dominants!"

"Who said I was done with you?"

Cerberus snarls, leaping to the side as Shiva fires a powerful blast of ice magic at him. The Warden of Frost had some power left to fight back with, but she was woefully outclassed. Cerberus lunged, pinning the other Eikon with ease "Do you yield, Shiva?"

"Never!" she shouts back, preparing another blast.

"You will yield!"

"Not to you I won't!" Jill unleashes her fury, blasting Cerberus' soft underbelly with all the power she could spare. It didn't work. The great beast keeping her pinned just rumbled out a laugh as its three sets of eyes focused on her and her alone. "No…"

"See now Shiva? You are weak!" the right head snarls, stomping one of its paws down on her body.

"Weak and foolish." The left head agrees.

"And we are strong, stronger than any of you!" the middle head finishes, slamming its paws against her again.

"Not all of us…"

The left and right heads rear back, a faint blue glow gathering within their jaws as the central head leans in "There are no Dominants stronger than us. Lies of a foolish race will not change that!"

As the main head reared back and began to gather Aether within its jaws, Jill could only grit her teeth and await the inevitable blast of ice. 'Clive…' she thought as she shut her eyes 'I…I'm sorry.'

"I can't be too late, not this time!"

Clive braces himself as he feels the air suddenly drop to freezing temperatures more severe than any he had felt before. He feels the flames within burning bright as his body returns to a normal temperature. But what was happening in the market? What was happening that he could feel the cold this far away…this intensely?

"I won't fail her…not Jill," Clive forces his body to move, every step carrying him closer to what he felt he had to see, to what his body was pushing him towards.

As he approached the market, he felt the ground shake…an earthquake? He hadn't felt tremors like this since Titan back in the Nysa Defile. Suddenly he was hit with a gust of strong winds, his body flying back just as a loud howl would tear through the city. The ground around him had frozen over, encased with ice, and yet he himself was untouched.

"By the Founder…that's…that's not possible…" Clive's eyes widen as he takes in the form of the frozen hellhound "An Eikon…of Ice!? But that's…no…the Great Other…he doesn't have a Dominant as well does he!?"

Clive slowly stood, quickly having to brace himself against a nearby wall as he watches Shiva engage this new Eikon in battle. There was nothing he could do. He was but a man, not a Dominant, and certainly not an Eikon. He was just Clive Rosfield…a man, nothing more and nothing less. Promised Prince be damned!

"Damn it! Come on Jill…you fought Titan well enough, surely one dog isn't too much trouble for you?" he clenches his fists as he watches Shiva be bombarded out of the sky by the beast "No!"

As the ground shakes from Shiva's impact on the ground, Clive reaches for his sword. Fingers curling around the handle…he hesitates. What was he thinking? He couldn't go out there and fight an Eikon…a semi-primed Dominant was one matter entirely, but a full fledged Eikon? He'd be killed before he could so much as distract it. Jill wouldn't last without help…but neither could he be the one to help her.

"Some First Shield you turned out to be," he mutters as Shiva attempts to blast the beast away "Your beloved is out there fighting to the best of her ability…and all you can do is sit here and watch!?" Clive's eyes widen as the beast lunges, pinning Shiva to the ground. "Jill! …no…no, not again…not again! Come on! Be her Shield, do your duty damn you! R'hllor may have said we weren't strong enough for Ifrit…he can keep his flaming monster! …we can do this. We can save her. Save her!"

'Clive…' his head gives a slight jerk as he hears her voice 'I…I'm sorry.'

As the three heads look ready to unleash their attack, he feels a throbbing sensation in his head. His hands grip his skull as he screams in pain. "Save her!"

(Part 3)

Cerberus was about to unleash its full fury upon Shiva, the cold chill of its attack would penetrate even her frozen body to its very core and render her Dominant nothing more than a frozen corpse. That would be the end of the Ice Dominant known as Jill Warrick, that would be the end of this battle. It would have been.

There was a sudden burst of heat; hot air rushing past, extinguishing even Cerberus' own collected energy as the three headed Eikon's heads snapped to the side, eyes narrowing on the sudden column of fire shooting off into the sky. As the column dissipates it reveals a form, one that neither Eikon had seen before. A towering creature, hunched over, with a body that was rock solid in some parts and liquid magma in others. It's chest ripples with the orange glow of lava, arms and legs covered in the rocky hardened shell of a lava flow. It's clawed hands and feet flex as it straightens its back, a tail slamming into a nearby building as fire ignites along its back. Its hair is aglow, rippling as the flames flow and pulse through it, the hungry yellow eyes of a feral predator stare right back at Cerberus as the Ice Eikons gaze moves up across its face and further up the curved horns atop this new Eikons head.

"Who are you?"

"More prey for us to kill!?"

"Leave this place," the center head speaks "Or die like her."

The beast's eyes narrow before it roars out in challenge. Cerberus gives a roar of its own, if this beast wanted to fight, they would oblige. The beast charges forward, leaping to the right as Cerberus fires a blast of ice at it. As the Ice Eikon fires a concentrated beam, the flaming beast leaps into the air sacrificing its left arm to a retaliatory blast of ice. Fully encased, it smashes its arm down against the right head, shattering the ice and freeing its claws to rip into the three-headed dog's flesh. Molten claws digging in to Cerberus' back as this new Eikon gets atop the hellhound.

"You…dare?!" Cerberus howls, bucking as it tries to dislodge its new rider. "Get off!"

The beast roars, digging its claws into Cerberus' side. As the Ice Eikon howls in pain it rolls over, dislodging its hitchhiker and readying a counterattack. "Filthy beast!" the left head snarls "We will feast on your flesh and gnaw on your bones!"

Shiva winces through the pain, taking advantage of her respite while she can, as her eyes settle on Cerberus staring down at a new Eikon. An Eikon of Fire. "Clive…?"

"We are Kings of this domain…you are not an Eikon, you will be killed!"

The middle head growls, ice building up along their body "Cerberus is the one true Eikon of Ice, no flame can match our power!"

The three-headed Eikon charges, body covered in icy armor as it barrels into the newcomer. The left and right heads sink their teeth into the other Eikons shoulders while the middle goes for the head. The flaming beast digs its feet into the street, bringing the charge to a halt as it stands its ground. With a sickening crunch, the two heads on the side pull away with the beast's arms, tossing them aside and blasting its body with concentrated ice. Cerberus pulls back as it staggers the beast, rearing back ready to pin its new toy to the ground and finish it off for good.

Just before it can be crushed the beast leaps into the air, avoiding the slam and earning more of Cerberus' ire. As the Eikon of Ice glares up at it, the beast raises its regenerating limbs and slams them down atop the middle head as it comes back down to earth. Cerberus snarls as the beast backs away, roaring out a challenge before it rushes forward.

"Foul scented creature," the left head growls.

"You dare strike us!?"

The middle head glares as the beast approaches "Begone!" and blasts the beast away with its ice breath. "You are not worthy to fight us. Not worthy to be one of us!"

"You are no Eikon," the right head snarls "Not a Dominant! You are different. Foul. Corrupted!"

Cerberus pulls its heads back, avoiding a swipe, and blasts the beast with ice yet again. They did not stop until they were certain this one was frozen solid. The beast keeps coming, right hand outstretched as ice overtakes its body. Shiva watches as her would be savior slows in his advance upon the three-headed dog. Until that lone clawed hand stops moving as ice encases it from head to toe.

"This is the fate that awaits all Dominants," the middle head says as they turn and stalk over to Shiva's downed form "All shall fall to us. As is your destiny."

"Not even you can survive our ice, Siva," the right head growls.

"Nor can Phoenix melt our ice," says the left.

"All of you pests will be eradicated, one by one." Says the middle "And there is no one who can stop us."

The three heads pull back. The ice-blue glow in their mouths was a tell-tale sign of the energy gathering for their next attack. Just as they were about to unleash their attack the ever-warm body of the flaming beast settles on their back, hooking the left and right heads in the crook of its arms as it pulls them back.

"Insect!" the right head hisses.

"Release us!"

Shiva blasts the hellhound with ice, making it stumble back as her savior dismounts "You could defeat me so easily before…yet you can't handle another Eikon? I thought you were supposed to be strong Cerberus."

The middle head snarls, "We are! He is but a feral construct, a mindless beast!"

"We shall feed on you both." Says the left "No one shall care."

"Death to all of you false Eikons!"

Shiva raises her left hand "If that is your stance…then here is ours!"

The blast of ice knocks Cerberus back. Shiva spares one look to the flaming beast, to Ifrit, before taking to the air and raining ice spells down upon her foe. Whilst Cerberus is pelted with ice-magic, its icy armor shielding it from the blunt trauma of the attacks, Ifrit roars. With flames bursting to life along its body, Ifrit begins to heat up as it moves forward.

"Don't you dare!" roared the right head as it fires a beam of ice at Ifrit.

The Infernal Eikon raises its left arm, sacrificing it to take the attack as it pushes on. Ifrit pushes off the ground as it leaps into the air and raises its right hand. An orb of fire begins to grow just out of its reach, growing larger and larger until it is almost half Ifrits size. The Infernal Eikon angles its body as it begins to fall and pushes the sphere forward towards Cerberus. The three heads collectively unleash their own ice to stall the attack in its path.

Ifrit roars, flexing the muscles in its left arm, shattering the ice around its limb before bringing it forward and forcing its attack through the beams of ice. With a final roar it slams the sphere into Cerberus' body, the resulting explosion nearly knocking Shiva out of the air. Ifrit skids across the ground, eyes focused on its target as Cerberus body glows a faint pink hue from the expulsion of heat. Its icy armor gone; Cerberus was vulnerable.

"You dare…you who are beneath us…"

"You who are an anomaly!"

"You who should not exist…"

The middle head rears up, eyes glowing red "You, who are a curse upon this world!"

"We shall eliminate you!"

Cerberus howls. Spikes of ice begin to jut out of the earth, skewering buildings and debris as they make their way towards Ifrit. The Infernal Eikon leaps to the side, avoiding a spike as more break off and chase after it. Shiva brings her arms up, chunks of ice as big as a house forming, and focuses her icy glare on the hellhound of ice. Just as she fires, Cerberus left head looks up and barks at her. The resulting sound shatters her attack.

"You wish to interfere?" it hisses "Then you can die along with him!"

Ifrit roars as it comes in, swiping the middle head with its claws. "Insolent beast!" the head howls in pain, right eye blinded for a moment "You will pay for this!"

The right head chuckles, rolling its shoulders "Few ever see an Eikon and live to tell the tale."

"Fewer still see an Eikon Prime!"

'An Eikon…Prime?' Jill felt the cold beginning to overtake even her primed body as Cerberus began to howl to the heavens.

"Feast your eyes," the middle head says.

"And rejoice," left throws in, eyes glowing red.

"For your lives," the right chuckles, red glare on Ifrit.

"Shall be swift!" they roar.

Ifrit responds with his own roar, the flames on his back growing as he charges forward. As it leaps forward, right hand moving forward to cut into the left head…it passes harmlessly by its target. Ifrit's eyes widen for a second just before a frozen paw slams down upon its head. Cerberus howls as it pins one foe down. Three sets of red eyes glare up at Shiva as she stares in shock as the three-headed hellhound has split its body into three.

"Surprised?"

"We hate this form."

"It's too draining…but if you could not defeat us together.

"Then you cannot defeat us alone!"

The two newly made bodies for the right and left heads unleashed a coordinated attack against Shiva. While Left bombarded the Ice Eikon with blasts of its own element, the Right head would leap into the air making passing swipes at her as the barrage forced her to descend closer to the ground.

"Do you see? Even with the power of an Eikon, you are far too weak to truly defeat even us!" the middle head howls before turning its attention on the downed Ifrit beneath its paw "Even you, beast, are nothing before the might of Cerberus!"

Ifrit snarls, body heating up. Cerberus applies pressure, its mastery of ice allowing it to release a brief pulse that would subdue that fire within its foe. But it didn't stop. Ifrit's flame burned ever greater as its body was consumed in the fire. With a yelp Cerberus backs off as Ifrit rises to its feet, and with a roar burst into flames. The Infernal Eikon rushes forward, leaving a flaming trail in its wake, and begins to pummel the lone Cerberus with its flaming claws. Long red gashes were left in its body as the flaming beast savaged it so thoroughly. Sensing the peril that the other was in, Left and Right turned their attention back to Ifrit.

"No, you don't!" Shiva's cold eyes burn with an icy intensity as she watches the hellhounds charge at Ifrit. Thrusting her arms forward the Warden of Ice conjures a glacier that knocks Left back. "You are fighting me, remember?"

"You dare!?"

Ifrit roars, going into a tumble with Right as the hellhound leaps. The two beasts claw away at each other. Ifrit being bitten on the shoulder; Right being impaled in the side before they break away. "Infernal beast!" Right snarls "You who have no control...how dare you draw blood!"

"Focus!" snaps the Middle head "We cannot be distracted, we must win!"

Ifrit tilts its head in confusion as the two heads of Cerberus bathe the city in ice, creating a slight mist as his flames react to the cold air. The two hellhounds unleash a barrage of ice, the attacks colliding with Ifrit's body but melting from the intensity of his body heat. Ifrit roars, leaping forward to strike them but finding its movements sluggish. As the Infernal Eikon turns to strike the Middle head its body freezes up, the melted ice having frozen again in the presence of Cerberus' two bodies.

"Surprised?" the middle head chuckles "We control an icy hell, our mastery of it can subdue any flame you can conjure up."

"We will finish this on our own terms!" the right snarls, swiping at Ifrit's body. With his joints frozen up he cannot move to retaliate, leaving himself vulnerable to an attack anywhere else on his body.

"As we said before," the middle tackles Ifrit, knocking the flaming beast onto its back.

"We shall feast on your flesh!"

"And gnaw on your bones!"

The twin hellhounds dive in, ripping and tearing away at Ifrit's body as the flames of its body slowly flicker. The yellow eyes of the Infernal Beast of R'hllor gaze up at the angry floating form of Shiva as the Warden of Ice slowly eviscerates the Left head of Cerberus. The lone Hellhound of Ice howls as it is blasted by ice spells one after the other. With Aether building up in her hands Shiva thrusts them forward, encasing the hellhound in ice, within her Diamond Dust.

"And stay down!" she shouts at the entrapped Eikon. Her eyes flick to the side, seeing Ifrit on its back with those two hounds atop it "Clive…"

The Middle head pulls back, grunting as its Left head returns "No…too soon…not yet!"

"Finish him first! Then we kill Shiva!" the right head declares.

Ifrit's fingers twitch. Shiva shields her eyes as the sudden explosion rips through Oldtown. Both Cerberus' are flung away from the epicenter. The right head weakened and battered struggles to stand while the Middle head shakes off the impact. Shiva raises her left hand, conjuring a spear of ice just like Ignis had done.

"Loathsome…beast!" the right head snarls before a whistling sound catches its attention. It looks up just in time to see what it is, but not quick enough to avoid the ice spear as it impales it clean through the side.

"Insolent fools!" bellows the right head, back on its proper body.

"You may have killed the separate body's," rumbles the left.

"But you will not kill us!" roars the middle "We will finish you both!"

Ifrit roars in challenge as it stares down Cerberus. Raising its arms Ifrit gathers all the heat it can, conjuring a ball of fire. As Cerberus watched it grow, and grow, and grow, the Hellhound of Ice could feel the heat slowly becoming too much even for itself. Up above, Shiva watched as Ifrit produced a fireball so large it could have engulfed the whole of Rosalith castle. The Warden of Ice prepared a counterattack as she caught sight of Cerberus charging up Aether within its three mouths.

The Infernal Eikon was puzzled as the cool air washed over the ruins of Oldtown. Through the hazy mist it expected to see Cerberus still ready to fight and fall to its Hellfire. But when the frosty mist cleared there was nothing to fight. No foe awaiting fire and death. Ifrit roars, leaping into the air and pushing the fireball up further away. Shiva dove for cover as the attack soared past her position, body nestled amongst the ruins of a house before it explodes and bathes the land in a rush of heat.

Ifrit roars one final time before it reverts. An exhausted Clive collapsing in the middle of the street. That was how Jill found him when the fighting was over. No Ignis, no Cerberus, and no Ifrit. Just Clive, out cold but breathing still. As she turns him over, she sighs with relief "Still alive…Clive…you've done it."

Ser Davos Seaworth was at a loss for words as he stared out at the remains of Oldtown after the battle he witnessed. He and his men were at a loss for words. Everything the priestess had been saying…every word of it…it was all true. Clear as day they all witnessed a flaming beast fighting in the city against a large dog and woman of ice and snow. The city…it was in ruins. The Citadel was nothing more now than a pile of rubble and the Ironborn were in retreat, sailing away for Pyke. He couldn't believe it. He would have refused to believe it but seeing it with his own eyes…he couldn't deny it. And all of that frightened him immensely.

"What do we do ser?"

Davos shakes his head, turning his back on the ruined city "Take us home lads…we have a ritual to partake in, and a war to prepare for."

The crew didn't hesitate to turn the ship around. They were ready for a fight but against something like those things they would be slaughtered. They were not so foolish as to do that, nor were they eager to meet their ancestors. As the lone ship from Stannis fleet makes its return trip for Dragonstone, Ignis had his own troubles brewing as he nursed his wounds.

The Ironborn that survived were a pitiful lot. Hardly the seasoned fighters that had fallen in battle to their enemies. They were all the green boys who jumped at the chance to return with some bounty. All they had managed were a few crates of valuables, some supplies, and a handful of women. Nothing to brag about, nothing to celebrate and yet they all celebrated.

"Fools," Ignis says as he sits below deck freezing over some of his wounds "I would kill them if it weren't for my orders. But those two…to stand up to Cerberus like that…what kind of Eikon of Fire was that I wonder?"

Ignis laughs to himself, wincing as the pain sets in. Even primed as an Eikon he still did not heal those slashes from the beast's claws as quickly as he normally would have. "I need to let them know of this beast…perhaps…we can turn the Dominant to our cause? If not…death will be a mercy."

Just outside of Oldtown, watching the destruction unfold with ever-growing dread was Samwell Tarly. Sat atop a horse, both wolves by his side, the young maester in training did not know what to expect when he felt the cold rush and saw the explosions and the fires. In the end all he could see was Oldtown…in ruins. The city that had taken him in, the city that had been home to the Maesters for centuries…it would need to be rebuilt again but as it was it was nothing more than rubble.

"What did those Ironborn do…how did they do this?" he asks in shock.

Torgal and Ghost ignored his lack of words as their ears twitched. Both wolves howled before bounding down the hill. Sam was still in shock as they returned, acting as bodyguards for a struggling Jill as she drags Clive along with her. A sharp bark from Torgal pulled Sam from his sorrows, acting quickly the man dismounts and rushes to Jill's side to help bring Clive up.

"Thank you…Sam," she sighs, panting and out of breath "Were you not here…we might not be getting out alive."

"What happened down there? What happened to you? Both of you…"

"A long story…but there will be time for that in Harrenhal," she says, struggling alongside Sam to get Clive slung over a horse "Not the most comfortable ride he'll have had, but it's better than leaving him for dead."

Sam helps Jill onto the horse, moving towards his own "Are you sure we'll be alright to Harrenhal my lady?"

"We should be…word will spread of what happened here. I cannot imagine the Tyrell's will be too happy, they'll no doubt send an army to investigate and help rebuild the city to its former glory." She sighs, grasping the reins "Harrenhal however will be the closest option for us, and the safest for the time being."

AN: Admittedly the final part is shorter than the rest, mostly because I felt the second part was too long and didn't want the big Ifrit reveal to be done immediately after. Originally, these would have been separate chapters but as plans often do, they changed and I realized that having them together, as a two or three parter, was the smart decision. I accept that it might not be perfect at the end, not as smooth but fortunately this is not the finale of the story, just the first season within it. I can't accurately tell you how many people have read this since it was posted to this site, I can however say that out of all that I have done, this is the most popular story. It's nice seeing how much I've improved since the very beginning…now if I could just finish he more recent ideas I have posted, that would be great.

You all have many questions, well I do not have answers for you as those are likely to be spoilers for the future. I can say the following however if you have the patience to read this long author's note.

The Second Eikon of Ice is in fact Cerberus, which was a summon in older games and is 100% based around the DMC3 Boss known as Cerberus. So yeah…that is a thing you now know. Ignis is not based on FF15 Ignis but is a character I can proudly say I fully own. Just like Vega, Raven, Sanguis, and Havoc. He is an Assassin, if you want to put a class to him, and proud of his own abilities…of course I had to change and nerf him a bit just to keep it within this story's power scaling. Wouldn't want this to be too challenging from the start…*checks notes*…I plead the fifth if that line comes back to bite me.

Ifrit…when I was coming up with how to introduce this beast of an Eikon I had the idea for it to be Oldtown, for an Eikon to appear and draw out Ifrit but I needed more than that. I needed a reason for Clive to be there, which Sam provides, as well as a reason for him to prime which is where Jill comes in. Canonically we see what happens when Joshua needs help…wanted to avoid that a second time. So this is what my brain came up with; and when it came to finding an Eikon for him to do battle with nothing out of the list of summons and mythological deities and monsters made sense more than something bestial like Cerberus…but controlling Ice. Would certainly give us an interesting comparison as to two dominants of the same element doing battle. Hopefully, the wait for his debut hasn't soured the mood as there's some big things still yet to happen next season that will be…shocking.

Maesters…I feel like I should have started here first? So, let's welcome everyone's favorite useless band of Maesters to the story: The Final Fantasy X maesters that is. Yes, they are here. And they are not as uh…well, 'nice' as they are in FF10. Anyone who has played them like I have knows they are not nice at all, downright manipulative, cruel, evil…and here I am telling you all that the original version is 'nice' compared to mine. Why is that? Well…why would I tell you all that now? But you already know that they will be a problem.

Stannis and Melisandre…saying it right now, for ALL of you to hear…the world is not ready for what's in store with them in the coming chapters. No one has quite gotten 100% in guessing the details, which I am very happy with as well as pleased that those who have tried guessing have gotten so close or at the very least are on the right track. But trust me…when it happens, and it will happen, you will not be the only ones left in an emotional state. Won't believe me even if I told you right now.

Jill…I personally do not subscribe to the idea that Jill is useless or too weak. Granted, in the game she suffers from the curse before Clive does, and she does so in secret with very few hints that she even has it. I think she is tough, a badass even…but I needed someone to take a dive here, someone who Clive would have an intimate connection to that could help to push him over that edge…sadly she was it. Couldn't be the knights, wouldn't ever be the dogs as many of you would come for my head and it couldn't be Cid or Goetz as they weren't nearly as close with him yet. So, who does that leave? The little brother who could take care of himself and would no doubt give Cerberus a decent fight with Fire vs Ice…and then Jill, who could show us somewhat what Joshua went through in his fight with the Fire Eikon that we have not yet seen…spoilers. She was just unlucky in this moment but uh…it's not over yet, not by a long shot. Our Ice Queen will have her time to shine…but first, we have a long journey ahead.

I think that is it…ended the recap of details after Jill, originally, so if anything follows that point just know I re-read this whole piece and thought "I should explain this for them just to help satisfy the majority of questions they might have for me." But with that all said and out of the way…let's get to last chapters reviews, shall we?

Drakon45: ….about, this long I would think. Seriously though, I put this whole thing together, every part and the author's notes, the same night I posted the last chapter and then I check and see your review. On the Brightside, you did not have to wait long for his awakening…or, do you?

Hakuryukou79: So about that...it is not Quetzcoatl...so you are correct there. And to make it fair...the designs of Eikons that are not the obvious ones of 16 will be slightly different or maybe majorly different in comparison to their FF counterparts. Cerberus is a great example of this.

Jebest4781: Yeah...I think we are doing good on introducing the other Dominants as of this moment. Especially after this one...and finally something you did not predict!

Goonies117: To answer your question of 'would'...that's a yes. And the question in the back of your head before you began reading this of 'when'...now.