Ch.37
(Rhaegar Targaryen POV)
As the battle raged on, it felt as though it was hours since it started, but probably an hour at best. Men and horses died all around me as screams filled the air and blood filled the ground. I looked around after cutting down the latest foot soldier attempting to kill me. Then I saw Robert Baratheon charging me on his horse through a stream, I met his charge with my own to slay him and end this battle.
"Rhaegar!!" I hear Robert say with a deep hatred for me while charging toward me with his great hammer held high.
As we reached one another he swung his huge two-handed hammer attempting to crush my head. I maneuvered my horse from the swing just in time to dodge it, while I countered with a swing of my sword. My swing connected making Robert grunt in pain, but my sword was unable to penetrate his armor. We both then readjusted ourselves to continue the fight.
We met each other in another small charge with Robert swinging his hammer toward my side. I had no choice but to block the sword with my shield and I thrust my sword into his one arm at the same time. Both of our strikes hit their mark, though mine was slower from bracing myself. Making my aim miss my mark by a few inches, so instead of piercing his armpit and doing serious damage. My thrust hit his bicep and pierced the mail slightly making Robert growl in pain.
Robert's strike though seriously hurt me as it crashed into my shield arm and almost knocked me off my horse. I could feel my brone cracking slightly from the strike as I grunted from the pain, trying my best to not show how much he just hurt me. I knew my one arm was now useless and so I dropped my shield and thrust my sword into Robert's horse's neck. Robert tried to strike me again seeing me drop my shield, though this time I was faster.
His horse screamed as it died and buckled, knocking Robert to the ground. He cried out as he fell and struggled to stand as it most likely knocked the air out of his lungs. I then charged my horse toward the fallen Robert struggling to stand. I swung my sword down to finish him off, but cutting his head off or atleast slicing his neck open. Instead, Robert was able to roll out of the way at the last second and get to his feet.
I turn around and we both stared at one another for a tense second or so, as I urged my horse into another charge. I let out an anger-filled scream as I charge one more time to run him down and end this battle. Robert matched my battle cry with his own as he charged me on foot. I swung my sword once again attempting to behead Robert, who jumped up and swung his hammer at me.
Both of our strikes connected as my sword met his chest plate doing next to no damage. His strike met my chest plate and the force behind it knocked me off my horse. As I fell to the ground I felt severe pain in my chest, as I struggled to breathe and coughed up some blood. I knew I was dying and I would never see my family or ensure the world survives the prophecy now. With a bitter smile on my face, darkness took over my vision.
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(Oberyn Martell POV)
It took me a few weeks to reach King's Landing, especially since I had to do it secretly. By the time I arrived, the Lannister army was waiting outside the city and the guards opened the gates. I also heard rumors that Rhaegar Targaryen was killed in battle at the Trident, along with my Uncle who was part of the Kingsguard and leader of our troops that accompanied Rhaegar to the Trident. A part of me was happy at this news and very worried now too, as this would mean the war will be ending soon.
The rumors also said that the King sent his pregnant wife and son to Dragonstone for the remainder of the war. Though I did not hear him sending my sister or her children with them. As he needed them to keep Dorne in line.
As I rushed to the Red Keep, I heard the Lannister army enter the gates and being to sack the city. I ran even faster now, to the Red Keep to reach my sister before the Lannisters do, as I am sure she would not live and if she did be used against my family. By the time I reached the Red Keep the Lannister army had already sent a few men to breach it as Targaryen guards littered the ground along with a few Lannister men.
Nervousness and fear took over me as the death of some of these men was made by someone of great strength. As the men were cut in half by a great sword or crushed by pure strength. The only person fitting that role in the Lannister army is Ser Gregor Clegane, also known as 'The Mountain That Rides' for his size and strength. The other stories about this man are all extremely negative, as he is known for his pure violence.
As I ran through the keep and saw the bodies littering the ground, I rushed past everything and everyone hoping to find my sister before anyone else. As I rounded the hall to my sister's courters, I heard her scream in fear. I saw Gregor and two of his men breaking down the door to her room.
I used two of my daggers that I had pre-poisoned and threw them at the two men behind Gregor. I could not find an opening in his armor to successfully pierce or even scratch him. The one man fell dead as my dagger pierced the back of his throat killing him. The other screamed in pain as the dagger embedded just below his neck into his right shoulder, though the poison acted quickly. As the man started to cough blood and fall to his knees.
Gregor turned around and glared at me with his bloodied greatsword and armor. While the door to my sister's room was in splinters having almost completely been destroyed. Gregor and I stood across from one another for a split second, before I ran towards him with my third and fourth daggers, both of which have been poisoned too.
As I ran toward him, my only advantage was the small courters making his ability to use the greatsword very limited. I side-stepped his downward swing and aimed my thrust toward his armpit. Though he is much quicker than his size would suggest as he used one hand to backhand my thrust knocking me back a few feet. From the strike alone I could tell he was as strong as the stories suggest.
He rushed toward me thrusting his greatsword out, as I threw my one dagger forcing him to block or dodge instead. He dodged the dagger and gave me an opening, which I used to strike at the back of his knee. Once again the man somehow moved faster than I expected and kicked me in the stomach. I felt some of my ribs break at the impact and the air leave my lungs.
I flew a few feet and smashed into the wall nearby, my vision got fuzzy as I hit my head against the wall. I sat there gasping for air and in immense pain as Gregor walked toward me with eyes that promised a painful death. My sister finally looked out and saw me with eyes that showed fear and shock at my appearance.
"Oberyn!!" Elia yells seeing me and on the verge of breaking down.
"R….R…RUN!" I manage to yell out trying to atleast have her escape the mountain while he kills me.
Gregor looks back toward Elia and seems to decide to kill her first before killing me, seeing this I scream in pain and anger as I force myself to stand up and distract him long enough for her to escape.
"I'll kill you!!" I scream as I stumble toward him and make his attention refocus on me. He grunts and swings his sword at me, I gave one last look to Elia and I tried to express to her to run as I knew I would die here.
Though the sword does not reach me as I hear a surprised grunt from Gregor and Elia's shocked face. I look back to Gregor and see the sword has been stopped by Valtaris and he used just one unarmed hand to catch the blade.
'Fuck he really was holding back this whole time,' I think as I see how he has easily stopped the man known for his immense strength, plus he looked at the Mountain with pure anger. A look I have never seen from the man before, even when we found ourselves in situations where you would expect him to be angered.
"Stand down or I will put you down," Valtaris says to Gregor whose anger is only rising.
"Fuck off!" Gregor says while using one hand to punch Valtaris in the face, which Valtaris catches with his free hand. Once again surprising everyone, but then again the man caught a greatsword with one hand.
"Seems you must be taught some humility," Valtaris says as Gregor lets out a cry of pain for the first time in his life probably as Valtaris crushes his hand.
Valtaris then kicks the kneeling Gregor in the chest caving in his chest plate and sending him crashing into the wall nearby. The sound of crunching metal and bones, plus the rag doll pill of limbs that is now Gregor Clegane suggests he is dead or very injured at the least. Valtaris then turns to me with a look of worry his hands then turn golden white as he casts a spell on me healing my injuries instantly.
'Fuck I forgot to use some of the spells he taught me just now,' I think to myself realizing I could have used more of my abilities to fight the Mountain but seems my worry for my sister clouded my judgment.
"I came as quickly as I could. I assume we must escape with your sister and her children. We must leave now," Valtaris says to me while walking over to my sister who came out with her kids in tow and hugged me while crying from the fear she just experienced.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you," Elia kept repeating as she hugged me and then Valtaris who smiled at her.
"Do you have a means of escape? Or should I begin teleporting everyone out?" Valtaris asks me and I think quickly.
"Can you teleport us quickly?" I ask him and he nods.
"Take my sister and the kids first," I say as we stand inside my sister's room I grabbed my daggers and stood guard at the door.
Valtaris nodded his head and grabbed my niece first teleporting away. My sister yelped in surprise as she was not aware of Valtaris's magic capabilities.
"Relax sister he is saving us," I say while turning back to look down the hall for any signs of enemies.
Valtaris then comes back and grabs my nephew teleporting away with him. A few seconds later he grabs my sister and then comes back to me just as I hear more Lannister men rounding the corner. We teleport away just as they round the corner to my sister's room. As we reappear I see my sister and her kids waiting in the middle of a forest south of King's Landing.
"There should be a horse farm nearby, there we can grab horses and ride back to Dorne," Valtaris says to us and we all nod our heads as he leads us there.
"Valtaris, thank you. Dorne and–" I begin to say trying to say just how much we owe him and what this means to us.
"Worry not. Remember how I said you are a true friend of mine? Well, those I consider friends, I will help anytime they need me to," Valtaris says cutting me off and I just smile at him happy beyond belief as too is my sister.