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Readers who enjoy the premise of a strong main character like Ei will definitely like my original story, Arrival : Ruptures. Comments, likes and reviews are appreciated. Here are the links for : AO3, Spacebattles, Royal Road and Webnovel.
—
Narrow Sea
The closer the fleet sailed to Essos, the more she felt something amiss. The air was warm, but not with the heat of summer. It was unnatural and invasive. She turned around, glancing at her troops.
They were unnecessarily agitated.
When two sailors snapped at each other over bumping shoulders, Ei rolled her eyes. She flexed her authority. Invisible forces clashed, her divine thunder against R'hllor's scorching flames. The air crackled with power, and dark clouds blotted out the sun, yet victory was hers in the end.
The unnatural heat retreated, and at the edges of her senses, she could hear it hissing in fury.
Good.
The sailors began to calm down, looking around with furrowed brows and scrunched faces. Now that the flames that stoked their anger were gone, they were left wondering what had happened.
"Enemy fleet ahead, five hundred ships," the deck observer said to the comm relay held out for him.
"You know, I almost feel bad. Wooden ships versus steel ones? This is not even a proper battle," Chiyo muttered. The enemy outnumbered them, but against the sheer firepower of the Royal Fleet, it was useless.
"Give the order to fire once in range."
Sasayuri nodded, leaving to carry out her orders.
The massive barrels rotated, each one ready to fire the elemental energy stored inside. Thunder's Call was the first. The cannons whined first and fired purple orbs at speeds that left arcs in the sky.
The lead ship, a massive galley, was the first one to go.
The purple orb struck right at the base of the mast. It burned through the deck and detonated, leaving a burning hole behind. The mast went down, crashing the smaller sails. Another one left a hole where the rudder was, while a third strike triggered the black powder reserves of the ship.
The rest did not fare any better.
By the time the Imperial Fleet was in range to return fire with their crude cannons, more than half their numbers were sinking to the bottom of the Narrow Sea.
The remaining ships did not attempt to flee but charged straight ahead, even though it was obvious the battle was lost. She peered closer, and the reason became evident. The enemy sailors were not in their right state of mind. R'hllor was stoking their zeal, turning them into mindless slaves ready to die for him.
She felt pity, but the flame that was sending them to death was also keeping them alive for now. Either way, the enemy was dead.
The cannons never stopped firing, and when both fleets came head to head, steel won over wood. The bow of Thunder's Call smashed through an enemy galley, tearing it in half from bow to stern.
The planks splintered around her, bouncing off harmlessly off the shield she created. She saw the cannons inside the enemy ship, the glazed-eyed men, the lower decks, and everything as the ship was torn apart.
The Battle of the Narrow Sea was a one-sided slaughter.
The royal sailors tried to help the stranded enemy units out of the water and to take prisoners, but it was proven to be a horrible idea. Acting like nothing more than wild beasts, the enemy sailors clawed at the poles, trying to pull their saviors down.
Sasayuri was quick to put a stop to rescue orders, instead ordering all living enemy soldiers to be shot, as they had lost all manner of sense. A mercy kill, rather than let those poor souls suffer more.
"This is just horrible."
"I do not know what R'hllor is doing, but we will put an end to it."
—
Braavos
By the time the Royal Fleet reached Braavos, smoke was rising from the city. A portion of the Targaryen fleet had surrounded the city, bombarding the city in a bid to support the soldiers on the docks.
The Braavosi were returning fire in kind, but the imperial ships had the advantage of range.
Caught unaware as they were, the enemy fleet did not have the time to reposition. First in line to sail under the Titan, Thunder's Call opened fire on the gathered fleet. Ei stood under the cannons, witnessing the second slaughter firsthand.
Though, she turned her attention elsewhere.
The pervasive flames were more concentrated in the city. Not only the imperial soldiers, but also the citizens of Braavos were being affected. She released the restraints on her divine presence. As the ships clashed, a divine battle took place outside the perception of the mortals.
The God of Light was more entrenched on Braavos than anticipated. She had to bring out more power to contest, and it affected the world. Thunder clouds gathered, half of them aglow with purple lightning, the other half with crimson flames.
The crackling lightning and the howling flames glowed over the city. Once she matched R'hllor, Ei stopped. Any more would only harm the humans. But with each ship sunk, each imperial soldier dead, the Red God's power wavered.
When her fleet decimated the enemy, troop carriers approached to drop reinforcements. The soldiers laid their charge-action electro-rifles over the railing, firing at the enemy in the docks. Each shot cut through a man, leaving charred holes behind.
Ei was the first one down the plank. Kage, Sasayuri, and Chiyo followed her, weapons drawn. The enemy was charging towards them in a frenzy, disorganized, unheeding of their own life.
The rifle shots dropped them halfway.
She proceeded forward. Stepping between the corpses, she had her first challenger. A man in plate armor swung a mace at her. Musou Isshin cut through the steel weapon and the man himself. His head hit the ground, blood gushing out of his neck. It splattered on her shield, sizzling away.
Sasayuri drew her bow back, gathering electricity at the arrow. She released the string, and the arrow headed straight for a cluster of enemies. The tip flashed purple for a moment, creating a spiraling drill of electro-energy, carving through several men side by side at once.
Chiyo and Kage leaped off at the same time. Both dropped on the stone pavement, sending enemy soldiers flying away with the shockwave. Two swings, one of a sword and the other a polearm, carved molten lines into the stone. The purple beams left behind corpses split into pieces.
Stuck between the Braavosi defenders and the reinforcements from the rear, the maddened army was cut down to the last man. Simultaneously, R'hllor's presence retreated, the serpentine hisses of the previous confrontation turning to screams of frustration.
—
"Your Excellency, in the name of Braavos, I thank you," the Sea Lord said, giving a slight bow. "The imperial army seems to have lost their collective minds, attacking regardless of how many we killed."
Kanero's sunken eyebags told her just how long he had been awake for. It had taken time for her army to gather. They had barely sailed off when news of the Targaryen attack on Braavos reached them through the Royal Communications Network.
"I am simply honoring our agreement by coming to the defense of a long-time ally. As for the enemy, R'hllor's presence has turned them into mad puppets to carry his will," she explained.
The Sea Lord's eyes widened slightly. He covered his lips, averting his eyes to glance at his court. Lit eyes, still breaths for a moment, sharpened gazes—it all told the same.
"Have you felt any different these last few days?" she asked. It was obvious from their looks.
"We all were on edge and irritable, but I chalked it up to the war."
She closed her eyes for a second, impressed that they were able to resist it enough to put up a coherent defense.
"Partially. The rest was all the Red God. I have expelled his presence, but I do not think this will be the end of it."
This war had just begun. She knew victory would be theirs but only hoped the cost wouldn't be something they couldn't handle.
"Braavos stands ready to assist you in putting an end to this atrocity."
"That is wonderful to hear."
—
Braavosi forces were not up to the standards of her army. Integration into her forces would be an issue, so instead they would serve to supplement her supply lines. The city, with its abundant ports, would serve as a logistics headquarters. Supplies would be both transported to and manufactured in the city.
The first target was Pentos, the capital of the empire. Lorath and Norvos were closer, but only the latter posed any danger. An assault would mean cutting down the frenzied population, so instead she wanted to take Pentos and expel as much of R'hllor's influence as possible.
A significant chunk of the enemy fleet was already swimming with the fishes. The path forward was open for her forces.
One matter gnawed at her conscience, however. As she gazed at the setting sun in the distance, she wondered what R'hllor and Maegor Targaryen were thinking. So far, it was nothing but a slaughter. The imperial forces had suffered heavy casualties.
What could they gain from this madness?
Letting his followers be murdered en masse made no sense. It only reduced his influence and power. She couldn't think of a reason why.
"What got you so deep in thought?" Chiyo asked, strolling up to sit next to her on the balcony.
"R'hllor's motives. It serves no purpose for him to let his worshippers fall in droves like this," she said. Even the Drowned God had merely resorted to draining the life force of his worshippers for an increase in power. R'hllor had not done anything similar. Either the red god had a different plan, or he just wished for carnage and death.
"I guess it would be too much to hope that he is a fool?" Another voice joined from behind.
She smiled at the tengu. "He most certainly is, but I feel a greater reason behind his actions."
"I suppose we will learn when we find him. We are letting the men rest for two days after a week in the sea."
"Good. There is much for us to do."
—
The royal forces were welcomed with cheers to Braavos. The Sea Lord had not spared any expenses for the saviors of the city. Both victories were earned with no casualties due to the technological superiority of the Unified Kingdom. It gave the men a cause to celebrate.
The city was alight with bonfires till the morning.
The day after, the men rested while the Braavosi handled the logistics. The supplies were not depleted much, but now that they were about to head for the enemy territory, being prepared as much as possible was necessary.
—
The Unified Kingdom
The Northern Prefecture
The Wall
"Lord-Governor, it is as we feared. The Others approach," the sorcerer reported.
"To their death, nothing more." He turned to the new Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. "Fire once they are in range."
The man saluted and left to carry out his orders.
Brandon glanced down the Wall, stroking his freshly growing beard. The blizzard had picked up speed and intensity, rendering the ground invisible from the top. Only at the very bottom could they see anything inside the blizzard.
His reasons for being here were different.
He approached the ledge where his youngest brother had jumped to his death, taking down the flameborn dragon, as the men had taken to calling it.
Putting his hand over the three-comma sign over his heart, he prayed with closed eyes.
"May the gentle light of the divine lightning guide your soul." He waited for a minute in silence and made his way down. His brother had sacrificed his life to save the Wall. Brandon would be damned before letting it be in vain.
The men were waiting, silent and still. Any sliver of movement within the white curtain of the blizzard had the cannons swivel around, ready to fire. Men took cover behind gun encampments, the cannons peeked out of the gunports on the upper floors, and the warmachines stood ready for orders.
When the enemy appeared, it was not a single creature to test their defenses, but an entire wave stretching across the damaged sections of the wall.
"Fire!" he screamed suddenly, jolting the men out of their state. The rifles fired first. Each purple orb cut through multiple wights. But they would only stem the tide, not push it back.
The sharp whine of the cannon fired, targeting the minimum safe distance behind the front lines of the enemy. Each explosion incinerated dozens of scattered undead, leaving either dead pieces or dust behind.
Brandon raised his rifle, taking aim. He pulled the trigger in unison with the Brothers of the Watch, sending out a fresh wave of elemental energy. The divine grace of Her Excellency, replicated to a small degree by the Academy, met the cursed cold of the Others.
Thousands of reanimated corpses fell over, dead for the final time.
"By thunder's might, what is that?"
"A giant wight? Grenades, launch!" A sergeant ordered. It was fast and had already passed through the safe distance of the cannons. Three grenades fell right at the monster's feet from the second floor. The violet lightning fried it in three waves, each after the other, but it did not fall.
The blizzard was getting worse now, making it almost impossible to see the enemy.
The heavens shook with a roar, forcefully pushing the blizzard away, exposing the first sight of the Others and the full count of their army.
Orders quickly went to the cannon commanders. The guns were silenced for a minute, realigning. The Thunder Dragon picked up the slack, its maw glowing a blinding purple, a second, divine sun.
The lance that struck the land incinerated everything it touched in seconds. Wights, human or giant, disappeared the instant the light reached them. The Others launched spears of ice. Each one shattered on the divine wood, harmless as an individual snowflake.
The attacks proved to be their undoing. The cannons started firing again, targeting the back lines and the others first.
He leaned forward on the gun emplacement, taking aim. His rifle was not meant for these ranges, yet he would try at the least. He laid the sights on one of the White Walkers, taking a deep breath and uttering a quick prayer.
He pulled the trigger. The purple shot went through the battlefield, missing wights, and found its mark on the forehead of the White Walker.
"Hah!" Brandon celebrated, seeing the monster go down. Once the front lines had been annihilated, with no small part done solely by the dragon, the enemy turned tail.
He motioned for the communications officer to approach. The young man quickly rushed to his side, handing him the speaker. "Warmachines, forward. Do not let them retreat," he ordered, jumping out of the cover.
The gates opened, and the machines rode forward. The Brothers of the Watch followed his lead.
Now, it was time for the Others to run.
Notes: So we had our first two battles against the empire, and the Others made their attack. What do you guys think about the battles? Let me know in the comments, or in the chat.
Also, if you enjoyed how easily the Targaryen forces and the boogeyman of Westeros were decimated, you can check out Arrival : Ruptures for more of the same. We are about to have a robotic invasion force trying to make its way to Haven.
—
In the next chapter:
Anders grinned at his comrades. "This is nothing compared to Dorne. PT in desert heat could make even a pig sweat."
"Lucky you," Olyvar drawled. Fieldmaster Adder gave the signal, and he turned the handle, pushing the door open. Anders, Lothar, and Raymont pointed and raised their rifles, seeking hostiles.
Moving slowly towards the living room, they all freeze for a second.
"Fuck," Lothar cursed, taking a step back. His stomach churned at the charred corpses that were still somehow twitching on their knees.
"By the kitsune's will," Mathis said, grabbing the purple three-comma and white fox pins on his jacket.
"Fieldmaster, what do we do?" Anders asked, turning to his superior.
Raymont raised his rifle, shooting the child first, and then the parents. "We leave and report this. Move, now."
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