Chapter 24
MATARYS TARGARYEN
The stench of Death and Blood filled the air. Matarys could hear screams all around him, yet he had little attention to offer his comrades as he found himself facing the Maekar the Anvil.
And while the man may not hold the fame of his elder brother, the Breakspear. The truth was that he was no less talented in the art of war. Maaekar Targaryen had been anvil during the battle of the Red Graas field, and without him holding the line, the battle would have been lost.
There were few finer warriors than him in the realm, and now, as his uncle fought for his son's life, all that talent and anger were on display as Matarys' shield shook from the power of his strikes.
THUNK!
THUNK!
THUNK!
He continued to block the strikes from his mace, and as he tried to swing the blade at his side, the man simply pushed in and tried to strike at his hand, forcing him to raise his shield again, and the blow was powerful enough to shake his whole body.
THUNK!
His own blade slipped past the man's chest plate as he tried to push in, but the man was quick to kick at his legs, forcing him to draw and swing his blade once more, yet he parried the strike with his mace, as Matarys retaliated with a kick of his own, but his uncle simply jumped back.
The two of them began to circle one another again, and Matarys could now feel the sweat coating the inside of his helmet as he breathed heavily.
Matarys had won himself a great advantage by unhorsing his uncle in the initial strike, but the man had taken no time to retaliate as he pushed him off of his horse using a lance from the ground.
He had tried to avoid the strike, but the muddy ground had made his mount slip at the last moment, robbing him of the opportunity to press his advantage. If he still had his mount, then he would have a clear advantage on the man, but as things stood with both of them on their feet, the two of them were equally matched.
"It seems like you have gotten rid of most of your bad habits," the man commented, and if there was anyone who knew of those habits, it was him.
"War is a great teacher," Matarys answered, and the man gave a slight nod.
"That it is," and then he struck again, as his made came down at him, and Matarys had never been much fond of defending, and so he began to move as he avoided the attack, and as his uncle attacked him once more, his blade was already aiming at his neck, but the man was quick to pull back.
THUNK!
His mace brushed his shield as Maekar Targaryen came in with his shoulder and pushed him back, and his feet slipped on the ground as his uncle had hoped, and the strikes came in one after another.
THUNK! THUNK! THUNK!
And he was a strong man and Matarys was able to bring up his shield in time, but the man was relentless, and as he struck hard at the edge of his shield, the metal broke and the wood splintered, as Maekar Targaryen roared.
"AGHHHHH!" and the next strike nearly tore his shield in half, but Matarys saw him overextend as he chose to dig in his feet at the last moment, as he chose to trust his shield for one last time.
CRACK!
And his blade tore cut through the shoulder piece and cut his skin.
"AGHHH!" he heard his uncle grunt in pain, as his shield splintered in full, as the wood hit his eyes, and before he could strike again, Matarys kicked him back as he narrowed his eyes to avoid the splinters.
"GAHHH!" Maekar Targaryen grunted in pain as he stumbled back, as blood dripped down Matarys's blade, and his shield was useless now.
Matarys quickly pulled out the straps and threw what remained of his shield on the ground as his uncle touched his shoulder and felt blood dripping down from it.
It was not a debilitating strike, but it would be an inconvenience still.
"Now you are out of a shield," his uncle taunted as screams filled the yard, and he could hear grunts and wails from all around him, yet the thick smoke made it difficult for him to see anything.
"MANFRED! MANFRED!" he heard a scream as his heart lept in his chest.
"Uncle," he whispered, and perhaps anticipating a reaction, Maekar Targaryen pounced on him, as Matarys grabbed the hilt of his blade with both of his hands.
"AGHHHH!" and the man swung the mace at his head, but Matarys simply stepped back, as he swung his blade towards his arm, but his uncle simply let the swing carry on as he spun a full circle and tried to punch him in the face, but it was a desperate move and Matarys simply stepped back and aimed a kick at his leg.
"GRUNG!' Metal hit metal, and Maekar was unsettled as Matarys pushed in with an advantage, and now it was a brawl.
His word moved swiftly, as it continued to strike at Maekar with full power, and he felt it hit his armor, but many a time he managed to pierce through the little gaps, and cut him up.
He hit his arm, his shoulder, his thigh and he refused to back down until his uncle gave up on replying with his mace and stepped forward and hit him back with his helmet.
THUNK! THUNK!
Matarys was caught by surprise at the move, and it was highly undignified and unexpected for a man of Maekar Targaryen's stature, and as he stumbled back, his uncle began an assault of his own.
THUNK!
The mace hit his forearm, as Matarys grunted in pain as he lowered his hand, and began to jump back but his uncle refused to relent, while the guard on his forearm was shattered.
He pushed in the mace, as he tried to use the spike on its end, but the tip hit his chest blade, which refused to budge as Matarys swung his blade at his neck.
CLANK!
And the blade hit the dragon wings coming out of it, and cut it clean off, as Matarys turned on his heel and attacked him with his free arm.
"AGHHH!" his uncle was pushed back once more, and as they circled one another, he caught a glimpse of a battle in the distance, and it took him but a second to recognize the three people involved.
"HUMFREY! HUMFREY!" someone screamed out, but his eyes were on a different battle entirely.
"Lyonel," he whispered, and Lyonel was now facing Aerion, and he could spot another figure trying to get back up in the distance, but if it was indeed Lyonel facing Aerion, then the duel might as well be over soon enough.
Aerion was the accuser here; if he were to fall, the trial would be over.
"You always did find a shield rather cumbersome," his uncle whispered, and Matarys took in a deep breath as an idea hit his head, and then he broke into a stride and rushed towards Maekar, as he chose to give it all.
"AGHHH!" and now he was pushing ahead, and his uncle rushed in and as he swung the mace at his head, he stopped at once as the edge passed right infront of his face, and then he swung at his thigh where there was no armor, and even as he tried to pull back his leg the blade cut through the skin.
"AGHHH!" and Maekar grunted as he stopped his strike mid-move and pulled it back, as the mace caught him in the head.
"AGHHHH!" Matarys grunted in pain as his head began to spin, and he had made a mistake now as Maekar chose to pounce on him as he let out a swing after another.
THUNK! THUNK!
His world spun, as he stumbled back and ground his teeth, while the mace struck him on the side.
"AGHHH!" Matarys grunted in agony as the armor cracked and dented in, but he was not the only one taking damage for his own blade cut into his uncle's leg, as Maekar's screams filled the air.
"HAAAAA!" and then Matarys chose to use his own technique against him, as he struck with his own head.
"AGHHH!" his uncle was now on the backfoot, and without the full power of his leg, Matarys was quick to press his advantage even with a spinning head, as his blade cut through his left shoulder.
"HAAA!" and now it was a full, debilitating strike, as blood gushed out of the wound as his uncle screamed out in agony, and with a swift kick to his knee, the older man was on his knees as he struck his helm with the hilt of his blade.
THUCK!
But Maekar Targaryen was anything but resilient, as he swung his mace hard at Matarys's own leg, and caught him just around the knee.
"AGHHHHH!" and he felt his bone break as his own scream filled the air.
"AGHHH!" and his eyes spun, but he could not relent, and even as he fell down to the ground, Matarys plunged his blade into his uncle's thigh, as he caught his right arm and began to punch at his face.
"THUNK! THUNK! THUNK!
And he did not relent as he continued to bash in his head with his fists, until the helmet came off, and the man's bloodied face revealed itself, and perhaps seeing that face, he hesitated for a second.
A second, as a scream cut through the air.
"NOOO! HELP ME" and he looked up and saw Aerion crawling towards his morning star, as Lyonel stumbled towards him.
"You are done," the Baratheon lord shouted as he raised his blade.
"NOOO!" and this time the shout and scream came from under him as Matarys found himself pushed back, and he rolled on the ground as Maekar pushed himself off the ground, and despite his injuries, he rushed towards his son.
"No! My child!" he screamed, and just as Lyonel swung down his blade at Aerion's head, Maekar put himself forward, as he swung his mace at the Baratheon lord's face.
"AGHHHH!" and in the blink of an eye, he saw blood fill the air as Maekar's face struck true and Lyonel Baratheon fell to the ground like a broken tree.
Lyonel's helm was gone, and so the mace struck him in the face, and the man was sent rolling to the ground, and Matarys was chasing after his uncle even with his broken leg. He caught Lyonel's blade as it hit the ground and swung it at his uncle expecting him to parry it, but Maekar was simply too concerned with his son to pay any heed to the attack headed his way.
The blade cut through, and while it had spared his uncle before. It struck his neck this time and cut through half of his neck, as the field was showered with his blood.
"NO!" Matarys gasped, as he saw his uncle reach for his neck while he blinked at him one last time before he fell to the ground, and died it red.
"NOOOO!" Aerion screamed, and came at him without his morning star but he stumbled on the slippery ground and Matarys aimed the tip of his blade at his neck, and it took all of his patience to halt the blade before it could cut through his neck.
"Yield!" he ordered, as Aerion looked up at him with hate filled gaze.
"YOU! YOU KILLED HIM!" Aerion roared back, as Maekar's gaze haunted his memory, but he did not have the courage to look at his uncle.
"Yield!" he ordered. No he begged. As Aerion continued to glare at him.
"YIELD!" and now the blade inched closer to Aerion's neck as his cousin finally uttered the words in a whisper.
"I yield," Aerion whispered, and Matarys nodded as he turned towards the stands with some hope and screamed.
"BRING IN THE HEAL..." but before he had finished those words, Aerion pushed himself up, as a sharp pain tore through his side, and Matarys reacted on instinct as he raised his blade and cut through his cousin's arm.
"AGHHH!" Aerion screamed out in agony, as his arm was cut clean off, as Matarys himself stumbled back, while Aerion's dagger remains plunged in his side.
He felt blood fill his mouth, as he looked up and saw Aerion rolling on the ground as he bled out of his shoulder, while his arm still held the dagger pushed into his side.
"AGHHHH!" Aerion's screams filled his mind, and he felt his mind slow down.
"NO! MY PRINCE!" and he felt someone rush towards him.
"NOOOOOOO!" he heard the roars from around him.
"You," Matarys whispered as his head began to spin.
"You...dish..able....cur," and as his world began to turn dark, he felt a strong pair of arms grab him from behind to slow down his descent.
"NO! HOLD ON, MY PRINCE! HOLD ON!" and it was Duncan who was looking down at him with a bloodied face, as he pointed his finger towards Aerion.
"Fini...."
"NO! MY PRINCE! NO! HELP!" Duncan screamed out, but the world had begun to darken now, as Matarys welcomed the darkness as a respite from the pain.
"..sh this."
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