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Here comes the 25th chapter of the story!

Et merci Yen pour les corrections.

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After the battle at the Wall, Eragon had left with Jon to warn the castles on the Wall, before turning South and going to Winterfell. Halfway there, they had joined the elves, Daenerys and her dragons. As expected, they hadn't encountered any trouble but they were going at a slow pace because of Viserion's injury. What should have taken only a few hours was extended to a few days but they managed to reach the northern stronghold safe.

After a few days of travel together, the elves had remained at Winterfell with Viserion while Daenerys had gone to Dragonstone to prepare her army. The decision had been difficult to make, but the only one viable. Viserion was in no condition to fly on such distances. They had witnessed it first hand with their travel North. Moreover, they had to warn the Dothrakis and Unsullied to go to war against death itself. Once again, they were reminded about their lack of time and that they had already lost too much.

Eragon had followed the young woman and her two dragons on the island along with Jon and a few others. Saphira wasn't pleased to travel with so many people on her back and had repeatedly commented on it but she knew they didn't have that much of a choice at this point. She was prideful but wasn't completely closed to the reality and urgency of the situation.

They had barely stayed on the island for a whole day. During this short time, they had mostly prepared for the departure of the armies North. It had been a logistical nightmare, especially since the several armies would be leaderless during the start of their journey. Jon, Tyrion, James, Daenerys and Eragon would instead be at King's Landing dealing with Cersei Lannister and trying to convince her of this mythical threat. This would leave Grey Worm in charge of the heteroclite armies. His strength was respected even amongst the Dothrakis and he would be helped by Missandei who was well versed in the art of politics and would be helpful to stop the possible rising tensions.

They would be gone for a few days only but they couldn't afford to lose this time. That meant Grey Worm had the complicated task of overseeing Daenerys' armies and preparing for the coming departure. It meant manning the ships, finding the food supplies and filling the holds with as much dragon steel as they could. These would be the last shipments North before the battle. Heaps of ore had been mined during the past weeks; they would have to pray it would be enough.

The loading was happening while Eragon was approaching the capital. For the first time since their arrival in Westeros, Eragon was able to have a good look at King's Landing. It was the biggest city of Westeros and by a large margin from everything he had seen before. It was even larger than Urû'baen. The Red Keep dominated the city, an impressive structure showcasing the power of the people in charge. These people felt superior to the commoners, and every occasion was good to highlight it. He could also see some similarities in the architecture with Dragonstone's castle, a reminder that the Targaryens used to rule here and that their legacy wasn't completely gone.

But the most surprising part of the city wasn't its size, the unique architecture from some monuments or the impressive harbour they could spot in the distance. What surprised and shocked Eragon the most was the smell. It wasn't something he had expected nor been warned about. Even from the distance, they were able to smell a strong and disgusting stench which said a lot about the city. Even Dras-Leona's poorest neighbourhoods hadn't smelt that bad. Eragon was astounded that so many people were willingly living in such a stench. But according to Tyrion, this was a perfectly normal occurrence hence why no one had thought or judged it necessary to warn him.

King's Landing was their last stop before the war. They knew that the moment they left the city, each step would bring them closer to the Night King and its inhuman army, with the motive to end it. Eragon had recently learnt from the elves that the Night King had finally decided to walk in the direction of Winterfell. Its large army was done exploring the wide-area North of Winterfell and was now heading South in the direction of the stronghold. They would probably reach it in a few weeks, after making sure all the castles North were emptied.

As expected, the Night King had spent the past weeks invading all the castles of the Wall in the hope of growing his already massive army and would continue doing so while walking South. There shouldn't have been many livings left but his ability to raise the dead would probably pay off. The explanations of how the elves had tracked the army of the dead still puzzled Eragon but he trusted them.

All the actors would be there, at Winterfell, on time to face off in this final battle. Eragon and Jon had spent a few hours with a map of Westeros to study or, in Eragon's case, learn about the defences, alliances and natural protection of the several kingdoms. After a few hours spent over the map, both men had reached a grim and similar conclusion: the survival of Westeros was deemed almost impossible if Winterfell were to fall. The survival of the country would be determined in the next few weeks in the Northern stronghold. Fighting his army at Winterfell had been a rather easy decision to make. It was one of the only castles in Westeros able to host the large gathering that would soon be there, with thick and strong defences. Moreover, they knew that they had to fight him North in order to prevent an excessive increase in the army of the dead caused by the thousands of people buried and the death that would bring a forced exodus in the harsh winter. Most of the people currently living in Winterfell weren't soldiers, like those at the Wall had been. And if somehow, they managed to survive the long exodus, most would die from the lack of food coming shortly after. But for now, only the keeps and castles North of Winterfell were in danger

Now, Winterfell was being manned and prepared for the coming battle. Smiths were working round the clock, soldiers were building siege machines and digging trenches while the farmers were collecting the last crops which had grown under the half-broken greenhouses.

The last unknown was the presence or not of the Lannister armies, the last piece missing from this frozen chessboard.

These concerns were for the moment quite distant for Eragon who, instead, was teaching Daenerys. A lot of her free time was dedicated to Eragon, spent on the back of their dragons or in one of the rooms of Dragonstone, learning, meditating and bonding with her pack.

She had kept to her promise and followed Eragon's oath. Viserion's injury had hurt her faith and her feeling of invincibility. She had witnessed first-hand how little she knew about her dragons and how powerless she could become when faced with a dangerous opponent. She owed Viserion's survival to the Alagaësian.

All of Eragon's actions since his arrival months ago had already stirred something inside of her but the wound sustained by Viserion at Eastwatch by the Sea had been the last droplet. Daenerys had never felt so powerless. The feeling of invulnerability she had had for so long was now gone. She wasn't the strongest player on the chessboard anymore. Her children had never been so close to die. And she knew she owed the elves and the Ancient Language Viserion's survival. Nevertheless, the fact that she had managed to raise them and keep them alive for so long without any troubles was prowess in itself. In many aspects, Eragon and Daenerys went through a similar journey.

And with the recent developments and the oath she had recently taken, they were now making bigger steps with the connection between Drogon and Daenerys. Eragon felt more at ease sharing the wonders of the world, describing what he knew about dragons and helping her become one with Drogon, Rhaegal and Viserion. So far, the Ancient Language wasn't on the table and he refrained himself from doing magic in front of her. It was a slow and tedious process but one they had to take.

In comparison to what some had done in the past, this delegation was quite small. Only elves had followed him, along with Jon, Daenerys, Drogon, Rhaegal, Jaime and Tyrion Lannister. Since all the travel had been done on the dragon's back -something Saphira complained about quite regularly- Grey Worm had remained at Dragonstone and the elves were overseeing the defences with Randell Tarly and the Lords of the North. The tension had been electric and Eragon could only hope everything would turn out well. He knew nevertheless there would always be one of his companions there to help diffuse the situation or prevent silly decisions

Viserion had also remained North. The dragon was still extremely weak after his blow and the forced march done just after hadn't helped him. Thankfully, the Eldunaris had been able to supply him with some strength and energy.

Tyrion and Jaime would also be on the trip. The two Lannisters had taken some time to explain Cersei's character and personality. It was interesting to receive both perceptions, especially given how closely related they were to each other. If half the things he had heard were true -and that was probably the case- only one word would be able to describe her: cruel.

The last member of their excursion was also the most hostile. The wight Blödhgarm had captured during the last battle was secured inside a chest and could often be heard trashing, something that hadn't stopped since his capture weeks ago.

The question remained to know how to let her know the purpose of their visit. At first, Jon and Eragon had proposed to go but they had

As they circled the Dragonpit that sat atop the Hill of Rhaenys, Eragon felt the anger coming from Saphira and the Eldunaris. They hadn't wanted to believe it, but some of Daenerys' ancestors had built a pit and tried to chain their dragons there, making them look like a mere and common entertainment. The three dragons were making their anger known, and Eragon turned his head to look at Daenerys, who looked confused by the change of mood of her dragons. With a nod of his head, he pointed to the arena below then and after a few seconds, her face blushed in understanding. Eragon couldn't help but compare this place to Galbatorix's room, a place where Shruikan has remained chained for long years with a mental bond, worded in Ancient Language.

But he brushed these thoughts aside, knowing this was the past, something they couldn't change and that the pit would remain chainless in the future.

"These humans have dared to bring their metal-forged-chains to bind and turn dragons into pets. Collars have no place around our scales. Iron has no place on a priceless treasure, and I'd rather be free in death than chained in such a domed place" growled Saphira.

For Eragon, there was nothing to add. He knew the value of a dragon's freedom. He remained silent, sending waves of comfort and understanding to Saphira and letting her finish her flight to land in the middle of the pit.

Daenerys' dragons followed suit and effortlessly landed. They quickly joined by the others who had travelled from the shore by foot and were waiting for them. The chest containing the wight was heavily guarded by the elves.

On the other side of the arena, a few Lannister representatives and soldiers were silently watching their arrival. He also saw Cersei wasn't there yet. But Eragon knew she was coming since he had felt someone coming along with three guards.

For Eragon, this was just another war council. Only this time, Arya, Orik, Nasuada and Orin had been replaced by Cersei, Daenerys, Jon and Tyrion. He and Saphira were the only constants.

The atmosphere was tense. Cersei had yet to appear but all her counsellors were already present. He could see someone he assumed was Euron Greyjoy, a few Lannister captains and Cersei's Hand,

"A third hand. Humans never fail to humour me" snorted Saphira with disdain.

All around, Lannister soldiers stood, ready to attack when ordered. All were clad with rich red and black armour.

It was around that time Cersei decided to make her presence known to all. Eragon and the elves heard before the others the steps of the small group. A few seconds later, he was proven right and Cersei Lannister appeared along with several bodyguards wearing deep rich black armour, different from the other soldiers already present. But one of the guards made his eyes widen. No matter the amount of scouting done before, he hadn't been fully prepared, because Cersei wasn't protected by three soldiers as they had felt but instead, by four tall soldiers. One of them was the biggest man Eragon had ever seen and no matter how hard he tried; he couldn't find his presence with his mind. If Eragon hadn't known better, he would have thought his previous statement was wrong and that Nar Garzhvog had decided to tag along in this new council. But this wasn't the case. And most worrying, this huge soldier smelt and felt like death.

"This isn't normal Eragon," said Umaroth. "Some magic is at work here, something deeply abnormal."

The fact that even the wise and knowledgeable Eldunaris were at a loss didn't help to ease his tension. He could feel the intricacies of the Eldunaris shift. Somehow, the presence of this new unknown player had shifted the dangerousness of the council. They were all on the edge.

Meanwhile, the latecomers took their place. This was a power play, to counter their arrival on the dragon's back. But Cersei Lannister would never understand the true impact her arrival had and how the atmosphere changed amongst Eragon and the Eldunaris.

Instead, she silently took her place, a golden chair with the Lannister lion embroidered in gold on a deep red rich velvet fabric. Each movement she had taken since she had left her room in the Red Keep was calculated. As soon as she settled, Eragon saw her eyes, calculating, moving around, in search of someone. She barely acknowledged him but he was certain he saw a flick of anger in her eyes when her gaze settled on Daenerys. But her biggest reaction came when she saw Jaime Lannister, sitting next to Tyrion and the careful mask she had slipped.

"I thought you were dead" whispered Cersei but everyone heard her nevertheless. "Everyone thought…. No one saw you after she burnt half of our men alive!" finished Cersei with some spite.

He noticed that Daenerys didn't flinch and her gaze didn't shift one bit from where she was looking. Jaime looked pained while Tyrion kept looking between his two siblings, his face unreadable. Only Jon seemed completely unphased by what was happening. His eyes were drilled into the chest which contained the wight.

After a few moments when it became obvious, that she wouldn't get any answer she turned her gaze to face the whole group.

"It doesn't matter. Let's get this over with. Why are you here and pray tell me why I shouldn't simply execute you all for the troubles you've caused Westeros the past moons? We have an Oathbreaker from the Wall, a dwarf kin slayer and the daughter of the Mad King."

Daenerys' eyes focused on Cersei's, and her amethyst look met Cersei's emerald ones.

"The last time dragons were here, they were mere pups, chained, broken, a shadow from their former glory. Perhaps this is what the people here remember from the might of dragons. But let me assure you that the three standing beside me are anything but pups. You may have soldiers and even war machines standing close. But by the time they will get into motion, the place would be bathed in fire." described Daenerys.

She had spoken calmly, almost dismissively, as if she was describing the weather. But none could miss the hint of steel in her words.

Cersei took it in stride, and she barely gave any indication of having heard the words of the young Queen.

"So, the young girl knows how to speak. Good. Now, what if someone explained the reason for your venue here then?"

Jon stood up and faced Cersei. They had decided that he would be the one speaking. Their choice had been quite easy to make. They knew Tyrion and Daenerys wouldn't be listened by Cersei and they didn't completely trust Jaime. Eragon was a stranger so wouldn't be taken seriously or only after too many hours. Which is why they unanimously decided on Jon who had begrudgingly accepted. Surprisingly, it was Euron Greyjoy who broke the silence that had fallen after Cersei's words. He rose from his seat and took a few daring steps in Daenerys' direction.

"I found one of your birds at sea. She screamed as I cut her down" whispered Euron with a wicked smirk.

Only Daenerys and Eragon could her what he said and he noticed the anger and fury rising in Daenerys. Theon Greyjoy had saved her sister recently but the Dornish allies had been killed by Euron.

"We have suffered from each other's hands. We have lost people we loved from each other's hands. If all you wanted was more of this, there would be no need for this gathering. We are entirely capable of waging war against each other without meeting face to face." Said Jon tonelessly.

"So instead, we should settle our differences and live together in harmony for the days of our days" cut Cersei mockingly

"We all know this will never happen" replied Tyrion tiredly.

"This isn't about living in harmony. It's just about living. The same thing is coming for all of us, a general you can't negotiate with, an army that doesn't leave corpses behind on the battlefield. Lord Tyrion tells me a million people live in this city. They're about to become a million more soldiers in the army of the dead."

"I imagine for most of them it would be an improvement" replied emotionlessly Cersei. "Pull back my armies and stand down while you go on your monster hunt or while you solidify and expand your position, hard for me to know which it is with my armies pulled back;

"You think we are the ones hunting them. But I promise you, they are the true hunters. The North is on the verge of collapsing, the Wall has fallen a few weeks ago and all of Westeros might follow soon if nothing is done to stop them."

Following this, Cersei remained silent for a few seconds

"This is what you came up with? Children's stories to move my armies North and take the throne for yourself? The Wall has stood for millennials" she answered her tone ice cold.

"It's the truth Cersei. I saw it myself" interrupted Jaime tiredly. His eyes were burned on Cersei's, which darted, seemingly trying to find something in her twin's eyes. It only lasted for a split second but Eragon felt this was the most vulnerable she had been.

"The Wall felt. Crumbling, in large chunks of ice. And this army… It's unlike anything you've ever seen. Unlike anything we've all ever seen, "Added Jaime simply, never moving his eyes from where they were looking.

After a few seconds of silence

"Captivity doesn't suit you, Jaime. You lost your hand the first time you were made prisoner, now, it seems you lost your mind" replied the Queen icily.

He took the words of his sisters in stride but turned his head and took a few steps back, having said his mind. But the last member of the family wasn't done yet.

"We knew coming here our claim would hardly be believed, no matter who brought it up. Which is why we have something to show you" explained Tyrion.

Immediately silence fell on the vast stadium. And then, all the eyes turned toward the large wooden box. All the Lannister garrison suddenly understood the reasons for its presence.

"We managed to capture one wight, to bring it, as a faith of truth," resumed Jon. Eragon, who had moved behind Jon, slowly opened it. Inside, the wight was tightly bound with heavy chains. It was the first time they opened the crate since they had closed it in Winterfell. They knew it was alive but hadn't wanted to risk opening it before.

Helped with Jon, they rolled the crate and the wight fell, unmoving.

"That's not very impressi… ". But Cersei never finished her sentence because Eragon had removed some of the chains. Immediately, the wight started a frenzied run in the direction of Cersei who remained frozen in shock. Before the wight could touch her, Eragon pulled on the chains, stopping its mad course a few feet away from the Queen.

Eragon couldn't help but be surprised by the energy of it. They had heard him thrash every day, at every hour during their journey. Nevertheless, the wight had been kept in the dark for several weeks, unable to move, drink or eat. And yet, it was running without any physical issues, blindness or lack of energy.

For a few seconds, no one dared to break the silence and the only sounds they could hear were the angry screams coming from the wight. Eragon could feel the shock, surprise and fear in everyone's minds. No one here had any restraint and for the first time, no one wore any mask to hide his emotions.

Jon took the audience's attention back, resuming with his no-nonsense tone.

"Steel doesn't kill them," he said while cutting the right arm off the dead. It was an unusual sight, seeing a hand move on its own. The wight seemed completely unaware of the loss of his hand, only focusing on maiming Cersei or Jon.

"The only things that destroy these enemies are fire, Valyrian steel and dragonglass"

And with that, he burnt the wight's hand and stabbed him with his sword and immediately, the wight stopped moving.

All the eyes were on the small heap of bones and leather left on the ground. No one dared to break the silence.

"Is it true?" said Cersei

"It is, you've seen the wight and there are…"

"I'm not asking you" interrupted Cersei without bothering to look at Jon. Her eyes were now locked onto Jaime's, wide open, in search of answers.

He waited and then nodded slowly. She took a few steps back.

"How many?" she questioned suddenly.

"Hundreds of thousands" answered Jon, which made most of them widen their eyes.

For some unknown reason, Euron rose and went in the direction of the small heap of bones and flash of the wight. Without any disgust, he touched it, and probed it, probably trying to get answers to unvoiced questions he had.

"Can they swim?" snapped Euron.

"No" came the short answer from Jon

He paused, his hand still touching the face of the wight.

"Good. I'm taking the Iron Fleet back to the Iron Islands" he proclaimed to Cersei after a few seconds of reflection.

"What are you talking about?" questioned Cersei

"I've been around the world. And I've seen everything, things you couldn't imagine but this. This is the only thing I've seen that terrifies me," replied

Eragon, Daenerys and the others were simple spectators to this exchange. But something wasn't adding up. From a political perspective, this was a suicide. Euron was basically dropping Cersei in front of her strongest enemy. He was also isolating himself, losing a strong ally without any second thoughts.

Eragon had felt the emotions of the man. During the whole meeting, they tried to keep track of all the mood swings and thoughts. With hundreds of Eldunaris and only a few dozen of humans to monitor, it had been an easy task. And they knew something was wrong with Euron Greyjoy. There was a clear difference between his inner personality and the emotions he was trying to share. Eragon knew excitement or euphoria had no part in this meeting. Something was wrong and they would have to delve deeper to understand what was going on there.

Later, in the middle of the night, back in their room at Dragonstone, they knew the meeting had been a failure. Cersei wouldn't move a finger to help them. There was nothing they could do and it astonished Eragon. Not only was she cruel but also selfish. Some Eldunaris had been following her train of thoughts. The closest she had been to helping them was when Jaime had spoken. But immediately after, her paranoia had jumped into action and her selflessness was back.

The atmosphere was tense inside the boat. After sharing what he had gathered from the council, all their hope for additional support had been crushed. Not only had Cersei refused to help them but she was also preparing to go to war against Daenerys. It was one thing to lose a potential ally for the coming wart. It was another to understand a second war would be waiting for Daenerys immediately after the first one if she were to survive it.

This is the end of the chapter! I hope you've enjoyed it! Please, don't hesitate to comment, review, fav, this gives me a lot of motivation to keep this story and update quickly !