:-[Chapter 41]-:
The punches from the northerner were violent and precise. They were hitting the nose and the jaw almost every time. With only one hand, the Smiling Knight was at a serious disadvantage. He could brag and act tough all he wanted, thought Harry. The criminal was a dead man standing as soon as he threatened to rape Lord Stark's daughter.
Rickard quickly lowered his knees to avoid a punch. He got up even faster to deliver a violent headbutt to his opponent. Stunned, the Smiling Knight lost his balance and fell back a couple of steps. He did not see what was coming. The Old Wolf pushed the knight's back against the inner wall of Moat Cailin and held him by the throat with his left hand. With his right he started destroying his face, one punch after the other.
"Ha..ha...haaaa." the Smiling Knight smacked his lips, smiling painfully at the Stark. "It seems that you have wo...urkk... gaaah!" he started to say before Lord Rickard Stark started to strangle him with both of his hands.
"Shut the fuck up, you rapist thug." the Old Wolf said, squeezing his throat until he was certain the Smiling Knight was dead.
:-[T.A.B]-:
:-[Day 36, hours after the fight]-:
Ser Brynden Tully was beaten, emotionally and physically. He had lost a duel against the ex-kingsguard, Ser Lewyn Martell, the Spear of Dorne himself, speaking of luck. The armies of the Riverlands and the Vale were beaten in less than a fortnight under the 'guidance' of the Smiling Knight, who was now dead.
Now, Brynden was sitting in a cell beside Lord Mace Tyrell's, the Fool of Highgarden and numerous lords taken captive during the battle. Many had surrendered rather than go back to King Rhaegar and face his fury. They knew the Starks and Winterstorms had honor and would not dishonor themselves by defiling or torturing defeated men.
"Ser Brynden?" said a voice in the darkness, surprising him.
"Aye. What the fuck do you want with me?" said the man, his voice tired.
"Lumos"
A blue ball of light came out from nowhere, illuminating the dungeon. Some lords whimpered in their cells, backing away from the light. Brynden stood up and approached the bars of his cell without making any quick or threatening movements. He saw a man standing, the sigil of House Winterstorm on his shoulder.
"The Sorcerer of the North himself. Heathen in chief, how can I help you?"
"Ser Brynden Tully, defeated knight and noble of the foolish Riverlands. I have come to tell you some terrible news. Your brother, Lord Hoster Tully was found burned to death in the camp. Prisoners have identified him with this." said Harry, showing a ring adorned with the Tully's fish emblem.
"Well fuck. Now my small nephew, Edmure, is Lord of the Riverlands." grumbled the man. "What shall happen to me and my men, Lord Winterstorm?"
"As you must know, we captured thousands of men during the last battle, while they were fleeing your camp. Nothing is left there, only a barren land, thank you for that." glared Lord Harry Winterstorm.
"I tried to make him see reason, I did, Lord Winterstorm." simply said Brynden, shrugging his shoulders. "As you must have known, the Smiling Knight was not a man to be reasoned with easily."
"I am sure. Anyway, that is not why I am here. I want your help."
"You have beaten more than 200,000 men in total from three kingdoms. What help could I possibly offer you?"
The Riverman saw the Sorcerer of the North smirk slightly. "Simple. I need a leader to watch the prisoners, making sure they do not start any trouble."
"Why would I help you? We are not allies." frowned the Black Fish.
"Aye, we are not. However, Lord Stark told me that you are a man of honor, one who loves his family above all else. Think about your nieces and your nephew, all alone, vulnerable. They could sorely use your help in keeping their nobility and their lives."
"So, all I have to do is to make sure my own men behave themselves, while you fight against the Faith and the Crown?"
"Aye, but that will not be as simple as you think, Ser Brynden. The Ironborn are attacking Westeros. Right now, the Riverlands are lucky since they had the presence of Rhaegar's and Lord Tywin Lannister's army. Right now, they are launching an offensive against the Reach and in some places in the Westerlands. Where do you think they will go next? The men that we captured will be very useful to you for that fight." Harry finished.
"Why help us?" inquired the Black Fish.
"Contrary to what your vile king is spouting, we are not monsters. I refuse to let a bunch of rapists like the Ironborn rape and plunder at will. You will be the Riverlands' leader, after the war."
:-[T.A.B]-:
:-[Day 38]-:
Inside the courtyard were all of the crannogmen's warriors, in the company of course of their Lord, Howland Reed. Harry Winterstorm was with them of course with his loyal Torrhen behind him. The lord of Moat Cailinhad beentrying to make the lord of the Neck change his mind for two days,to no avail.
"Are you absolutely sure that you want to do this, Howland? You have security behind my walls, plenty of food and supplies. Why risk it?"
"Ironically, Harry, the dragon thinks we are either hiding in the swamps or behind your walls. Now is the time to add another layer of misfortune for the Targaryens' armies. We will harass them from all sidesconstantly, creating a sense of paranoia and sapping their moral."
"Well," Harry started. "you all know the swamp better than anyone else. Stay far from the Kingsroad, allright?"
"That road was put there by men too afraid to walk the path of the swamp. We have many hiding spots everywhere in the Neck. My castle, Greywater Watch is still there standing as well."
"Fine, fine, you win. You are lucky to have Lord Stark and Ned on your side, Howland." smirked Harry.
"Do not worry my friend. We shall beat this enemy just like the others. Everything shall be fine, you have my word."
:-[T.A.B]-:
-[Day 49, the entrance of the Neck]-:
King Rhaegar Targaryen was beyond furious. He had just lost three kingsguards in his Holy Crusade and all of them had failed miserably in subduing the North. More than 200,000 men have been killed or captured, more than half his military might. How was this possible?
"Your Grace," said Ser Arthur Dayne, his voice calm like a soft spring morning. "You should be in Harrenhal with Queen Cersei. I can win this war for you."
"I absolutely refuse to let my armies be commanded by imbeciles anymore. I have lost Lord Arryn, Lord Tyrell and Lord Tully because of their own arrogance causing the loss of four fucking kingsguards. No, you shall stay here at my side with your Lord Commander and Ser Harlan Grandison, am I clear, Ser Arthur?" retorted Rhaegar.
"Crystal clear, Your Grace." nodded the Sword of the Morning. Ever since the man had killed the traitor, Ser Oswell Whent, Arthur came back to his former self. Gone was the lost man and back was the best swordman in Westeros.
"Good. The dragon shall be the one who shall lead the Crownlands' armies. As I said to Lord Tywin Lannister, I shall be the one who brings the North to its knees." Rhaegar said, his voice full of venom.
"Of course, Your Grace."
"As for my child, I know Jaime Lannister, my good-brother is taking good care of his sister so my wife is safe from any harm. The boy is a fine blade and I shall take him as one of my kingsguard when all of this is over."
"Does Lord Lannister know of this, Your Grace?" Ser Gerold Hightower asked, his voice neutral.
"No and it shall stay that way. The opinion of the Old Lion is of no interest to me. He knows his place, at my feet."
No one saw the Westerman dressed in Crownland armor running back to Tywin Lannister.
:-[T.A.B]-:
Tywin was beyond furious when his spy came to him with the king's words. Once gain he had to endure being belittled by a simpleton of a king. Even his brother, Kevan Lannister was afraid to speak to him at the moment. The fact that Cersei was pregnant with the king's child was a blessing beyond blessings. The Old Lion even asked his beloved departed Joanna to see that he got a strong and gifted grandson.
He would mold him into the greatest king Westeros had seen and in the meantime, Tywin would have to be Lord Regent since the king would be dead by then.
:-[T.A.B]-:
:-[Day 52, in the Neck]-:
As soon as the Targaryen armies stepped inside the Neck, they were under attack. From everywhere, small battles started. Sometimes, crannogmen just appeared from anywhere just to disappeared elsewhere, after having killed a couple of levies or sometimes a knight each. Other times, the northerners would just harass them at night with war screams, others, they would send demonic creatures. Needless to say, the morale was plummeting in the ranks. Paranoia was winning over reason and only the fear of burning on a pyre for desertion made the soldiers continue to move north.
Ser Arthur Dayne however, was high in spirit. On a dark night, he received a summon from a young messenger. The summoning was from King Rhaegar of course. The kingsguard quickly dressed in full combat armor and walked towards the tent where the monarch was waiting.
When he arrived, he was announced by Ser Gerold Hightower who then stepped outside, leaving Arthur and Rhaegar alone.
"Your Grace, you summoned me?" Arthur asked, bowing his head and putting a knee to the ground.
"Yes, I have." Rhaegar said, not looking in his kingsguard's direction. Simply walking around him, his arms crossed behind his back. "Lord Tywin has given me an idea for you. You saved me in Duskendale, did you not?"
"I did, Your Grace." the Dornishman said before scowling. "With the heathen, Harry Winterstorm and Barristan Selmy, to my great shame."
"Yes, you should have known. After all, you have trained daily with Selmy for years. You shall do the same again. While we are attacking Moat Cailin, you will infiltrate the castle and complete a special mission for me." Rhaegar ordered.
"A special mission, Your Grace?" Arthur asked, confuse.
"Yes, the Sorcerer of the North had not stopped taking things from me. It is time I return the favour."
:-[T.A.B]-:
:-[Day 54, the crannogmen's camp]-:
Sapping the enemy's morale was easy, thought Lord Howland Reed. Those southerners were so easily terrified of simple animals that it was starting to be funny, in a way. Their guttural war chants in the middle of the night were keeping the Targaryen's on their toes.
Oh, the southerners tried to find them but failed each and every time, more men died and disappeared into the darkness of the night, never to be seen again. Howland often led the guerilla parties when they left their camp. Each time they succeeded in a mission, they moved up their camp, following the steadily depleting Crownlands' armies.
Howland sharpened his family's trident, readying himself for another round with the Targaryen's warriors.
:-[T.A.B]-:
:-[Day 62, Moat Cailin]-:
They were on their sixty-second day since the beginning of the crusade. This time, it was the final waves. The banners of the red three-headed dragon upon a black field were proudly flying within the southern camp. The king of the now four kingdoms was not playing around. Even with the guerilla tactics that Howland had used, it had not been enough to repel them. Sure, their numbers had taken a hit, but nothing dramatic.
Now, the South had brought siege weapons like catapults to attempt a breach of Moat Cailin's solid walls. Luckily for the North, Winterfell had finally sent some reinforcements in that area, sending trebuchets and ballistae with the men to operate them. This caused a huge boost in morale to see that now, they could hit their enemies even further away.
Also, with the help of Red Leaves in healing the injured men their armies had not suffered large amounts of casualties. Every night, the small powerful being entered the triage area, whereall of the injured were sleeping and healed them with his natural magic. Some were thankful to the Gods, while others to Lord Harry Winterstorm, thinking the man had somehow healed them. The young lord himself did not agree or disagree with either rumours, he simply let them be.
On the advice of Red Leaves, Harry had presented him to the Starks and his wife. All were flabbergasted in seeing the representative of the Old Gods themselves. Rickard, the most faithful of them all, had immediately offered his blade to protect the Singer until he died, immediately followed by his three present children and Sura. Hedwig looked at the tiny being with curiosity but did not otherwise do anything else, simply looking at it.
After all the oaths were done, Red Leaves had gone to the white direwolf and put his tiny hand on her massive head. "Do not worry, you will not be separated for long." the Singer spoke mysteriously.
Harry still did not understand what the diminutive being was talking about. After all, he did not have any plans to separate from Hedwig any time soon. Putting those thoughts away for now, the young wizard looked at the many Targaryen warriors coming their way with ladders and siege towers. Of course, the swampy ground made their use almost negligent if not downright suicidal, making the men accompanying said siege weapons easy targets for the experienced bowmen of the North and Dorne.
Harry himself was using his fireball spells to burn any tower coming too close for his comfort and made sure to set them ablaze, leaving nothing left for the enemy to use as cover. After hours of fierce fighting, Rhaegar's forces managed to get to the walls, where the fight became the hardest. The fanatical way the warriors of the Crown were fighting was way more intense than the other kingdoms.
Even the proud northerners were having difficulties fighting the Targaryens. When the enemy came into close quarters, Harry's warriors immediately saw the difference. The fierceness and the savagery were at all-time high. The Crown's armies were well trained and worked together like a well-oiled machine.
On the first day they arrived, a part of their armies quickly started to reengage the siege while the others, with the help of Lord Lannister, started to get the camp up and running once again. Strangely, Harry never saw the Lions of the West attack. They were content to stay back and observe.
The young lord did not mind that development, of course. Having less men to fight was a blessing in a way but it was also a curse, knowing he would have to fight these men after the current ones.
"Stop woolgathering, Winterstorm! Get in the fight!" Eddard shouted, fighting beside him with Robert Baratheon.
It took a while for Harry to trust the Stormlander. Even more to let him fight side by side with any person of importance. Now, he was fighting alongside the northern leaders with his warhammer. Robert was clearly having fun if his laugh was any indication. The Storm's End Heir was presently in a competition with Torrhen for smashing skulls and killing 'Dragon's Spawns'.
Harry blocked a series offurious blows coming from an enemy soldier. The man was adorned with a black and red tunic, showing his allegiance to the Targaryens. Continuing to let the enemy walk into his trap, the young wizard quickly stepped to the side, allowing the soldier to fall to the ground. Harry did not wait a second, killing the man with a sharp blow to the neck via his sword.
Suddenly, a wave of rocks fell all around them, killing many men from both sides.
"They are shooting their own men, and they call us barbarians?" yelled Eddard over the screams and sound of battle. "Where is Red Leaves?"
As if he was summoned, huge winds started to blow once again from the north toward the south, allowing fewer projectiles to arrive on the wall. The Northern ballistae used that moment to unleash hell on the men running into the Red Field. Dozens upon dozens of bolts were sent through the air, killing many of them, sometimes more than one with a singular bolt.
"Master Harry! They are passing the garrison on your right! They are now in the courtyard with me and the two-legged from the desert!" Hedwig yelled mentally.
"I am on my way, girl. Stay strong!" answered Harry.
:-[T.A.B]-:
On the inner wall, Benjen and Lyanna were secretly helping the men with supplies and food against their father's wishes. Something in them had changed once they saw Red Leaves, the representative of the Old Gods themselves. Wanting to do more, they changed their armor for more subtle ones, wanting to blend with the men and women defending their home for months.
The youngest son of Rickard was using a long bow, taken from an injured Northman who had gone to the infirmary to treat his wounds. Benjen expertly shot many arrows upon the southerners and even killed some with great precision.
"They have almost passed the wall! Men! Concentrate your fire there." ordered the young man, pointing in the direction specified.
"Shut up kid!" screamed the captain of the bowmen. "Continue shooting where I command you to..." he continued before Benjen took offhis helmet, revealing his face. The captain blanched slightly before completely changing his tone. "Very well, my lord. Archers! Nock! Shoot them bastards to fucking oblivion!"
Waves upon waves of deadly arrows were thrown towards the southerners, slowing their advance. The southerners now had to deal Red Leaves' wind empowered arrows and the ferocious northern barbarians.
"Good job, brother!" Lyanna said, giving the men more ammunition along the wall.
:-[T.A.B]-:
King Rhaegar sat atop his black horse, watching in pride has his men were fighting to the bitter end with their enemies. Surrounding him were all that was left of the sacred order of the kingsguard, Ser Gerold 'The White Bull' Hightower, Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning and Ser Harlan Grandison, the oldest member. Never before in their history had the order been decimatedin that way.
Usually, there were always hopefulsfrom the kingdoms coming to replace the fallen knights and join this majestic order. In times of war, people preferred to play it safe. After the crusade against the North, Rhaegar would need to replenish his stock of kingsguard to seven.
The day was doing great so far. They had already reached the high walls of Moat Cailin with their ladders, caused a lot of damage with their catapults and according to one captain, almost breached the defenses of a section of the wall. Rhaegar smirked to himself.
"Yes... I shall win this fucking war." the Targaryen muttered to himself.
:-[T.A.B]-:
:-[Day 63]-:
The fighting did not stop at all during the day. Flamming arrows and normal arrows were effectively used on both sides killing many men and injuring more. The Iron Throne's many catapults had launched oil-coated projectiles all night, weakening a section of the wall.
The Ironwood gates were still standing proudly, as no fire nor ram could destroy it. Still the Targaryen's forces continued to attempt to break it down. A wall of corpses now covered the Red Fields and was used by the surviving troops to move more securely towards the wall.
No quarters were given this time, for everyone knew the other side was too deep in their beliefs and would never surrender to each other.
:-[T.A.B]-:
"Are you sure, Tywin?" Kevan Lannister asked, his face full of wariness. "This is..."
"Enough, Kevan." the Lion of the Rock said, his voice leaving no chance to his brother to reply in any way. "I thought about it plenty and my decision is final. We only need to wait and seize the moment when it is right. Theses fools have laughed in the face of the Lannisters for the last time. Wanting to take my Heir is the last straw."
"I understand, brother. It will be done on your command." Kevan said before bowing to his elder brother and leaving him alone in the tent.
After a moment alone, Tywin clenched his fists and jaw. It was the boldest plan the man had ever enacted even besting his plans with House Reyne and Tarbeck during their futile rebellion. He already knew his men would follow every single one of his orders without questions for they knew that if they did not, their families would suffer far worse than they would.
:-[T.A.B]-:
:-[Day 64]-:
"This is my weapon, Northman." Robert scowled.
"No, it is inside my Lord Winterstorm's armory, it is his." Torrhen replied, very serious.
"Still, I am the best at wielding warhammers." the Stormlander said, puffing up his chest.
"You wish, southerner. I seem to recall that you lost our little bet for two days straight. This is your consequence. I will fight with a warhammer and you with another kind of weapon."
Torrhen watched with mirth as Robert grumbled in his beard. The protector of the lord of Moat Cailin took up the massive warhammer the southerner brought with him and gave it a few experimental swings. Finding it perfectly balanced, Torrhen smiled at it and left the armory, ignoring a depressed Robert Baratheon.
:-[T.A.B]-:
"King Rhaegar! King Rhaegar!" chanted the crowd of knights, as their king was stepping out of his tent, dressed in full combat armor. On his chest plate was a beautifully crafted three-headed dragon made with small rubies. On his head was an equally beautiful helmet adorned with two wings, letting everyone know who he was.
Rhaegar shrugged his shoulders, getting ready for his first day of true fighting and not just supervising everything. Many lords and their knights were surrounding the monarch, prepared to defend him with their lives.
"Are you sure, Your Grace? Your security is paramount and no lords would think ill of you if you stayed back." the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Ser Gerold Hightower said, ready to mount up his horse as soon as his king did the same.
"Yes, I am sure, Ser Hightower. Do not question me or my decisions again." Rhaegar answered, mounting his black horse and not even looking at his knight.
"Yes, Your Grace." Ser Gerold nodded.
"Men! Today, marks the day where we finally beat the northerners." the king started. "Today, we will show these barbarians, these heathens, what the might of the Targaryens is really about. For too long, they thought themselves invincible behind their high walls and towers. They lied about having dragons. They lied about everything. Let us show them how true chivalry works! Kill them all! Burn them all! For the Iron Throne!"
"For the Iron Throne!" thousands of men shouted before running in the direction of Moat Cailin.
:-[T.A.B]-:
"Lord Winterstorm!" screamed a young messenger boy, looking absolutely terrified, being in the middle of the battle.
"What are you doing here, boy? Leave this instant!" the young wizard said.
"It is Chief Scout Marcy, my lord! She wants to see you as soon as possible." continued the young boy.
"Fine! Torrhen, come with me and the boy, Robert, stay here and make sure this section of the wall does not fall!" Harry said.
"Very well, my friend!" Robert boomed, his voice louder than any fighting near them, cracking yet another skull with a small mace.
Harry followed the young messenger out of the fight, protecting him against a couple of Crownlands' levies trying to kill such an easy prey. Torrhen smashed his warhammer so hard on one of them that the man fell off the wall, flying like a puppet with no strings.
Once in the courtyard, the three men kept their heads down, not wanting to die from a stray arrow or spear. Marcy was waiting for them, waving at them furiously to catch their eyes.
"My lord! It's their king, he is coming to the frontline!" Marcy said.
"Where?" Harry frowned. It was bad news he thought. The fact that the king was on his way also meant that the best knights and lords in the Crownlands would be at the same place against his warriors.
"On the right section of the walls. Lord Benjen has managed to pin them down with volleys of arrows but they are bringing wooden portable palisades with them to block everything. The men are already struggling under the constant pressure we have faced for days." the crannogwoman said.
"I will go lend them a hand. Hedwig, where are you?"
"Currently where the small two-legged woman says. My instincts are telling me that I need to be here." the massive white direwolf said mentally.
"Good. I am on my way with reinforcements. Hold on, girl."
Followed by Torrhen and his Moat's Wolves, Harry quickly ran toward Hedwig and his warriors facing the king of the southerners. It took them less than ten minutes to arrive and they both saw the intense fighting happening there. It was complete chaos. Men were piled up each other and corpses were lying around everywhere.
The young lord saw the enemy reinforcements arriving at the same time as him. Both sides rejoiced in seeing their respective leaders. Harry jumped into the fray, killing knights and levies with the help of Torrhen and his Moat's Wolves. Together, they were an unstoppable force against the southerners.
Then, a sharp pain went through his side. Harry screamed in pain, attracting the attention of all of his men. When he looked down, he saw... nothing but was feeling it immensely. The young lord felt his men take him away from the battle, to safety.
"Master Harry! I have a bolt in my side." Hedwig said painfully in their minds.
:-[T.A.B]-:
Hedwig was in pain. Never before has she felt this kind of agony. The bolt had struck her right behind her leg, hindering her movements. She didn't see the bolt coming until it was already too late. One poor levy tried to finish her off but only received a powerful blow from her, killing him instantly. Another got mauled to death when the ferocious jaw of the beast closed on his squishy neck.
Suddenly, another bolt struck her, this time on her other side, doubling the pain. Her magnificent white fur was now stained with crimson blood. Hedwig was having difficulties moving. The faintest move made her whimper in pain. Raising her head with difficulty, the direwolf saw a black and red figure surrounded by three white ones. The first man had a helmet with two black bat wings upon it. The man raised his arm and swung his sword at her.
Despite the pain, Hedwig managed to avoid the fatal blow by backing up. Her Master was screaming in her mind to leave, but she was now surrounded and although there were multiple Northmen present, they not could help her as they had their hands full with the southerners.
"You cannot leave, beast." the man dressed in black and red said. "You will be killed by a king, consider yourself lucky."
Hedwig only growled ferociously at the southerner king.
"Hedwig! Leave, right now!" Harry begged.
"I am sorry, Master, I am surrounded by the two-legged king and hurting." the familiar answered, still in pain.
The enemy king raised his arm, signaling something to his men. Hedwig looked up, seeing multiple men with spears, pointing at her. Then, the king of the two-legged southerners dropped his arm, giving the signal.
Hedwig only had time to blink a couple of times before getting impaled by numerous spears.
:-[T.A.B]-:
Harry never felt this feeling before. A feeling of hopelessness, of emptiness. The young wizard felt a deep rage bubbling inside of him. His eyes became a glowing green on their own accord. A strong wind started blowing all around him, forcing the men bringing him to safety to let him go.
The young wizard was not in control anymore. He was completely taken over by his rage. Harry raised his arms and let go all of his magic in the direction of the battle. A wave of magic flew from his hands, disintegrating all of the men and women present, be they from the South or the North. Screams of terror were heard everywhere, from both sides.
"Lord Winterstorm!" screamed Torrhen who had miraculously survived the wave of murdering magic.
Harry however was not even there mentally. He was completely taken over by his rage about losing Hedwig. When the Captain of his Household guards tried to touch his shoulder, the man was thrown away by a wall of magic, throwing him on his back and knocking him out. The young wizard was furious and was looking everywhere for enemies.
The enraged young man noticed enemy bowmen on the wall, taking aim at him. Focusing all of his magic of them, Harry let out a powerful blast of magic, effectively knocking them off the fifty foot high wall. Targaryen infantrytried to jump on Harry but only received multiple fireballs, burning them to death.
As Harry's rage grew, the crystal on his waist was humming more and more. Without knowing it, the young wizard was using the gem's power for his own.
"Rhaegar! Where the fuck are you?" Harry screamed.
The young wizard could not see the Targaryen king in the mess of bodies fighting each other. He scanned the battlefielduntil he saw three kingsguards surrounding a black and red figure. Overflowing with rage for the man who had caused so much death for no reason except his own megalomania and madness, Harry let out a scream of anger and rushed towards him.
Bursting with magical energy, Harry started to float in the air, giving him a far better view of the battlefield. Joining the tip of his index fingers and thumbs together, the enraged being let go multiple fireballs directly towards the southerners who started running away, seeing the all-powerful Sorcerer of the North.
Rhaegar hid behind one man, who was unfortunate enough to receive a fireball directly to the face, turning his top half to ash. Harry let go of another scream of rage seeing Rhaegar still alive.
"Winterstorm!" boomed a voice in the courtyard. "What are you doing?"
Harry looked at the source of the voice and saw Robert Baratheon with Eddard Stark and Ser Barristan Selmy, all three of them looking at the wizard with fear evident in their eyes.
"That motherfucker killed Hedwig. HE WILL PAY!" bellowed the enraged raven-haired man.
He heard Rhaegar scream to his men to shoot him with their arrows. The archers took aim and unleashed a barrage of projectiles towards Harry, who simply waved his hand, stopping all of them on the spot. With a second wave, the arrows turned around and flew directly towards each enemy bowmen. The effect was devastating, as many Crownlanders died from his attack.
Harry unleashed a torrent of fire from both his hands, effectively killing men in seconds. Rising higher, the wizard flew rapidly in the direction of the three kingsguard who were still protecting their king against the Northmen. Some had run away, seeing the carnage their lord was doing while the others stayed to fight.
Grabbing one of the white caped knight by the throat with one hand, Harry saw that the kingsguard was old and had many wrinkles. It was Ser Harlan Grandison, the oldest member of the order.
"AUGUE!" yelled Harry. Grandison took apoint-blank fireball straight to the throat. The spell was so powerful that Harlan had his head blown off. Arthur Dayne tried to avenge his fallen brother by stabbing the sorcerer in the back. Without turning his head, Harry casted a Full Body-Bind spell on the Sword of the Morning.
"Petrificus Totalus."
The Dornish knight dropped his sword and his arms went rigid athis sides, causing Arthur to fall to the ground, unable to move. With only Ser Gerold Hightower left to protect King Rhaegar, Harry smirked evilly, still deep in his rage.
"Move, scum." Harry snarled.
"By the Grace of the Warrior, I shall not. This is my dutyto defend my king." The White Bull answered, a vision of a true knight.
"As you wish. Flipendo!" the wizard said, casting the Knockback Jinx on the Lord Commander of the kingsguard, effectively throwing him into a pile of bodies, knocking him out.
Left with only the king, Harry did not even register the bubble of energy surrounding them, blocking any men or women trying to enter to help either man. No one was fighting since everyone wanted to see the kind of fight the King and the Sorcerer would have.
"You heathen! I shall send you to the fires of the Seven Hells!" yelled Rhaegar with more than a glint of madness in his eyes, pointing his sword towards Harry.
"I am willing to play with you, tiny king." the young lord said, still smirking and trying to provoke the crazed man while taking a sword from a fallen Targaryen warrior.
Rhaegar jumped on Harry, unleashing a series of furious blows. Unfortunately for him, the raven-haired man was in a league of his own and was content to discernevery single attack pattern easily.
Suddenly, Harry stepped to the side and slashed the Targaryen's wrist clean off. The man screamed in pain, but did not see the second swing of his enemy's blade, swiftly cutting his other arm off at the elbow.
"AAAAARRRRGGGGG!" bellowed Rhaegar.
"You killed my Hedwig. I will make you suffer for this." said a slightly unhinged Harry once he was close enough to the ear of the maimed king. The wizard removed the black winged helmet from his head and started pummeling him with all of his strength.
"Fuck... you... you... piece... of... filth." Harry said, giving a punch between each word.
Harry did not know how long he was beating the man's face, but when he was done, nothing was left except for a puddle of gore and blood. The young warrior rose to his feet, looking around and saw the South's armies were retreating fast. Returning into the air, the wizard flew in the camp's direction and started throwing as many fireballs as he could.
:-[T.A.B]-:
Tywin knew it was the moment. When the king had announced his intention of going to fight himself, the Lion of the Rock simply knew. Inside his private tent, surrounded by all of his lords of importance and his brothers, the Warden of the West kept a stony face.
"The time has come. Execute my plan, everyone." Tywin said in a stone-cold voice. The men nodded quickly to their feared lord and exited the tent, ready to give the orders.
Suddenly, the entire army of the Westerlands were betraying their king. Stabbing Targaryen loyal warriors in the back became a normal sight for Tywin's men. Now, the entire army of the Targaryen's was between Moat Cailin with around 18,000 Northmen and 45,000 men from Tywin's.
:-[T.A.B]-:
:-[Around an hour after the last battle]-:
Harry was panting, his magical energy dangerously low. He had completely annihilated the entire army of Rhaegar in less than thirty minutes. When the young wizard had finally calmed down, he saw that he was alone in the Red Fields, surrounded by countless southerner corpses. He did not feel any pain, physically at least. In his mind and his heart however, the agony was otherworldly.
The lord of Moat Cailin rose to his feet slowly and went back to his castle. The surviving Northmen opened the Ironwood gates for their lord, fear in their eyes. No one spoke to Harry, letting him walk into his own fortress without a word. The raven-haired man walked slowly in the direction to where the body of his dearly departed familiar laid.
When he arrived at her body, Harry saw that she was surrounded by many Northerners, and even the Stark children.
"Harry!" Eddard exclaimed. "Are you okay?"
Harry did not answer, simply looking at Hedwig's body not moving with spears sticking out of her body. Not wanting his dearly departed to have those offending weapons inside of her any longer, the young lord immediately went to remove them. When it was done, Harry knelt beside her with unshed tears in his eyes.
"Hedwig..." Harry whispered softly. "I am so sorry, girl."
"She fought like the best of us, Harry. Be proud." Eddard tried to help.
Harry did not say anything, too focused on the pain in his heart. He petted her massive head softly, as if he did not want to hurt her more. The young wizard closed his eyes and put his forehead against her's.
:-[T.A.B]-:
When Harry opened his emerald-green eyes, he saw that he was not in Moat Cailin. He was back in the paradisical valley he was in before the beginning of his adventure all those years ago. The same table representing all of Westeros and Essos was there and his magical trunk also. Looking down at his hands, he saw that he was back to his almost twelve-year-old self.
"Well, good job on accomplishing your task, young Harry Potter."
Harry turned around quickly, only to see Kalvyn, still dressed in his black tunic. Now that the young wizard thought about it, he noticedthat the celestial being looked a lot like a monk of old times. This time, he did not have his hood on, letting the raven-haired boy see his head entirely.
The man had vibrant purple eyes and had a buzzcut. His gaze was still as penetrating as ever and Harry saw a little smirk on his face. What Harry really saw, however, was Hedwig on his left shoulder. She was back in her owl form.
"HEDWIG!" shouted Harry, running towards her without a second thought.
"Yes, Master Harry. I am so happy that you are back."
The young wizard immediately took her in his arms to hug her tightly without hurting her. Both closed their eyes, relishing in their prompt reunion.
"Your bond has truly deepened. I am happy to see it." Kalvyn started.
Hedwig flew to her Master's shoulder even thought a perch was available for her. They both needed physical contact after their ordeal in Westeros.
"Why am I back, Kalvyn? Did I truly make it? I have destroyed so many lives..."
"Yes to your last question and statement. You lost control of your magic. This is the reason I sent you to the world of Ice and Fire in a simulation and not the real one."
"What is going to happen to everyone? Ned, Lya and Benjen? What about Sura?" Harry asked, petting Hedwig's feathers.
"It was a simulation Harry, but I'll tell you if you really want to know." the archangel of space and time said before making two couches appear. They both sat on their respective ones and the young wizard waited. "Eddard Stark and Ashara Dayne married each other the day after your disappearance. They both decided to stay at Moat Cailin to help your pregnant wife Sura in her duties."
"S-Sura was pregnant?" a stunned Harry asked.
"Indeed. It was very early so not even she knew. Your child had inherited your castle and House Winterstorm ruled over Moat Cailin for another millennia, through attemptedinvasions, a Second Holy Crusade and one civil war caused by the Boltons and Karstarks."
"What about the South?"
"The Iron Throne had one last king before crumbling, Joffrey Targaryen. The lad was even more mad than both his father and grandfather combined. He did not last two years before Jaime Lannister killed him to save his sister, Cersei Lannister from him. When the Iron Throne fell, the rest of the kingdoms started a massive civil war, destroying many Houses in the process. The times came back to what Westeros was before the arrival of Aegon Targaryen."
"What about Lo...King Rickard and Tywin?"
"When the treacherous Tywin betrayed his king, the two men simply decided to stop the war. The lion returned to his rock and ruling the kingdom as regent with an iron fist."
Harry stayed silent for a long moment, absorbing all of this knowledge. He was sad to not be able to see Sura anymore, especially since she was with child. The young wizard tried to look at the bright side. Hedwig was alive and well, refusing to leave his shoulder for the time being and he was about to start a new adventure.
"No, you won't." Kalvyn said. "You will go back to Hogwarts for a year or two before going back to the machine. Learn magic at school. Be better than what you were."
"I will, Kalvyn, I swear it upon my parents name."
:-[T.A.B]-:
:-[Author Note: We are finally done with the first adventure! Harry has made it and now, direction the second years at Hogwarts!]-:
Thank you everyone for reading Chapter 41 of The adventure begins! Please let a review in the comment, letting me know what you think about my story or what you would like to see.
Criticism is always welcome as long as it is constructive.
Thank you to abarai72 for his amazing help in developing this story!
To : I hope you liike this chapter!
To Batmanwolf738: No, he killed Simon Toyne
To Blaze1992: Yeah, people in the South are pretty dumb :P
To BioHazard82, Claudiomir and Ptool: Thank you for the reviews! I hope you like the chapter!