After deliberation, it was decided that Monterys and the blue dragon would remain in King's Landing to help manage relief efforts in the surrounding disaster areas. Meanwhile, Daenerys took the other five dragons and set out for the Wall.
A whole day had passed, yet the sky remained cloaked in an eerie darkness. It wasn't day, but it wasn't truly night either—a perpetual twilight that unnerved even the most hardened souls. This was one of the reasons Viserys had opposed Daenerys taking such a risk. But Dany, as always, had her own mind.
While everyone at the Wall waited anxiously, the sentries suddenly raised the alarm: a massive horde of wights was approaching. Hastily, everyone assembled on the battlements to get a better view. Though the light was dim, the eerie blue glow from the eyes of the White Walkers and wights illuminated the advancing army. The bluish haze from their combined glow almost resembled a mist spreading across the icy wasteland.
The numbers were staggering. Even from the Wall, over 100,000 wights could be counted, and that was merely what could be seen. Viserys, riding his dragon to scout nearly 500 miles beyond the Wall, had seen the unrelenting march of White Walkers and their undead legions stretching far into the horizon.
Two million? Three million? The figures were inconceivable. What terrified him more, though, were the countless Icebone Towers visible in the distance, ominous and foreboding. He couldn't help but wonder: Would the Night King vanish like in the stories from the show? Would his death cause the army to crumble? Or would the White Walkers adapt, with another stepping up to become the new Night King?
If the latter were true, humanity would face not just an army of the dead but the emergence of a new intelligent species—a terrifying prospect.
The advancing undead halted about 300 feet from the Wall, standing just outside the range of the Night's Watch's crossbows and explosive-tipped arrows. The sentries reported that even this close, their bowstrings were becoming stiff and brittle in the extreme cold. This rendered the hundreds of thousands of obsidian-tipped bolts they had painstakingly stockpiled virtually useless. If battle was to be joined, it would mean hand-to-hand combat against an endless tide of monsters.
Adding to Viserys's unease was the knowledge that Daenerys was pregnant. Despite her assurances, seeing her fly on dragonback in such perilous conditions was enough to fray his nerves. Thankfully, she arrived safely at the Wall with her five dragons in tow, bringing with her more than 500 explosive packs.
The sight of six dragons perched atop the Wall brought a measure of relief to the beleaguered Night's Watch and the Free Folk. Their fear began to subside, replaced by awe and a glimmer of hope. Viserys had also informed Ned Stark and the others of the "new weapon" they had brought, sparking both curiosity and skepticism.
When the explosive packs were unloaded, however, the initial excitement dimmed. The Night's Watchmen and Free Folk examined the odd devices with a mix of intrigue and doubt.
"When I carried those things just now, I noticed they were soft," one of the Watchmen remarked. "They didn't feel like they'd pack much of a punch."
"Soft? So what, we're supposed to just throw them?" another chimed in, shaking his head. "Doesn't seem very effective."
The murmurs of doubt spread among the gathered men. Even Ned Stark and the other nobles, who were entirely unfamiliar with such weapons, shared the same apprehensive curiosity. All eyes turned to Viserys, waiting for him to demonstrate and explain it.
Viserys held up one of the explosive packs, pinching the fuse between his fingers as he addressed the gathered crowd.
"This thing will explode when used. Blow up!" he said, emphasizing the final words.
"Blow up?" The men looked at each other, their expressions a mix of confusion and skepticism. In this world, where such weapons were unheard of, the very concept of an "explosion" was alien. Even among the literate, there was little understanding of what Viserys meant. The closest point of reference they had was the fiery destruction of Robert's fleet, but this phenomenon was something else entirely.
Melisandre, however, seemed to sense the potential danger instinctively. She kept her distance from the mountain of explosive packs, her expression guarded. Her intuition warned her that these devices were far more dangerous than they appeared.
Daenerys, on the other hand, remained calm. She had witnessed the creation of the gunpowder and understood the destructive power of these weapons. After seeing a demonstration of their capability, she had even remarked that there would be no need to construct castles in the future if such weapons became commonplace.
Viserys had also prepared specialized carrying baskets for the dragons, ingeniously designed to hold the explosive packs without hindering flight. With these, the dragons could deliver the weapons to the enemy with precision and devastating effect.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Viserys climbed onto his dragon and took to the skies. He ascended high above the advancing horde of wights and White Walkers, their eerie blue eyes turning skyward to follow his movements. But Viserys wasn't interested in engaging them. His true target was the Night King.
Guiding his dragon northward, Viserys flew swiftly toward the Fist of the First Men. Within an hour, he reached his destination. There, looming over the frozen landscape, stood a massive Icebone Tower, over 100 feet tall.
The Night King, perched atop the tower, seemed to sense his approach. He wore ice-blue armor, and the crown of frozen spikes on his head appeared to be a natural extension of his skull. His pale white hair fluttered lightly in the frigid wind. The horse beneath him was unlike the decayed mounts used by the wights; it was muscular and alive, a beast of frost and death.
As Viserys drew closer, the Night King raised his hand. In response, several White Walkers armed with enormous shields formed a protective line around him. This creature clearly commanded not just an army but his own personal guard.
From high above, Viserys observed the scene through his binoculars. This was his first clear look at the Night King. His moon-pale skin and fully blue eyes—both pupils and sclera—set him apart even from the other White Walkers. The Night King's gaze remained cold and calculating as he watched Viserys from the ground.
Careful to stay out of range of the frost spears, Viserys prepared his first strike. From the carrying basket, he pulled out an explosive pack. He quickly calculated the trajectory, lit the fuse, and hurled it downward. The device plummeted through the icy air, trailing gray smoke and bright sparks.
One of the White Walkers raised its ice spear and hurled it at the descending explosive pack in an attempt to intercept it. But the throw was off, and the spear missed its mark. The explosive pack hit the ground about ten meters from the base of the Icebone Tower.
BOOM! The explosion was deafening, sending a shockwave through the area. The blast shattered the nearest White Walker, its icy body splitting apart like a fragile icicle. Cracks spread across its form before it disintegrated into shards of ice and snow with a final, thunderous crack. The surrounding wights and White Walkers paused momentarily, their glowing blue eyes flickering as they turned toward the source of the destruction.
For the first time, the Night King's expression shifted slightly, his piercing blue eyes betraying a flash of unease. But Viserys was far from finished. With a sharp motion, he grabbed an entire basket of explosive packs and hurled it downward. As the packs fell, he snapped his fingers, igniting the fuses in rapid succession.
The dozen explosive packs tumbled toward the Icebone Tower, trailing sparks and smoke. Realizing the immediate danger, the Night King signaled his guards to take cover. Despite their shield wall, the ensuing explosions were devastating. Seven or eight of the packs struck the Icebone Tower directly, their combined blasts creating a series of earth-shaking detonations.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The tower erupted in a storm of fire, smoke, and flying ice shards. White Walkers and wights near the base were obliterated, their forms reduced to frozen debris. The towering structure itself was left a shattered ruin, its 100-foot height reduced to a jagged spire.
The Night King, now visibly alarmed, issued an eerie, guttural command. His dry lips moved as he spat out words in a language incomprehensible to mortal ears. In response, the surrounding Icebone Towers began to vibrate ominously. Moments later, a barrage of milky-white ice spears erupted from them.