(Aerion's POV)
I watched as several arrows flew towards the two and they hit the ground a couple of feet away from them. I was riding the horse down the hill and towards where they were.
"How the hell did they get so close???" I said as I drew my bow
"Aerion!" Luke said as they both got behind a boulder, "What do we do?!"
"Stay put!" I said as I nocked and arrow
About twenty meters away, I saw three archers drawing their strings and aiming at me. I drew my own and pointed my bow at one of them. I felt the horse galloping towards them, my aim swaying lightly.
I then released the string, firing off an arrow and watched as it hit one of them and dropping them immediately as they let out a pained yelled.
The others shot their arrows and I felt as they whistled past me, missing completely.
"Fucking assholes..." I said as I nocked another arrow
I watched as an arrow hit one of the other ones, piercing through their neck. I turned to my left and saw Willam on horseback, nocking another arrow and immediately firing it at the last archer.
"Aerion!" He yelled
I turned back and felt my horse buckle down and crash against the ground, hearing a loud pained neigh.
"Fuck!!" I said as hit the ground hard as well, rolling around, "What the...."
I saw that an arrow had struck the neck of the horse, it laid on its side, grunting with pain.
"Agghhh!!!!!" I heard a battle cry
I looked up to see a massive man swinging his battle axe at me.
"Oh fuck's sake.." I rolled out of the way and felt the dirt hit me
I then got up and saw the man pull the axe out of the ground as he glared at me, "Royce cunt!!!" He growled as he swung his axe at me once again
I dodged and immediately, I drew Lamentation and swung it at his arm, feeling the blade cut through the flesh and bone like nothing.
"Ahhhh!!!" He yelled out in pain as I plunged my blade through his belly
"Who's the cunt now?" i asked as I pulled my blade out of his stomach and watched him drop
I heard more battle cries as several tribesmen came down the hill, charging at me.
"Well..." I said drawing Lady Rhea, "A bit of exercise is always good."
As they ran down the hill, I saw several of them be dropped by arrows; Willam was shooting from above.
Several of them reached me and swung their weapons at me, I dodged and parried the steel, countering with swings of my own, cutting them down like nothing. In the span of ten seconds, I had dropped seven men like they were nothing more than lumps of meat.
My blood was getting hotter, this was something I hadn't done in a while; killed men. A proper fight to the death. There was an excitement that I was feeling, I didn't feel anything like this outside of fighting.
The tribesmen dodged arrows as they circled around me, their weapons raised as they looked at me with shocked faces.
"He's fucking good..." one of them said
"Yea, too good...." he said, "Who the fuck is this guy?"
"The Lord of this Land." I said seriously, "You lot have grown balls, huh? Just because my dragon hasn't been in the area for a while, it doesn't mean you can come this close to my Castle, you fuckers."
"Dragon?" one of them said, "Oh shit! You're the Bronze Dragon's Rider!"
I lunged at them, swinging Lamentation vertically down and cutting through one of them through his left side, feeling his body collapse like a sack of potatoes, blood splattering everywhere. I then spun around and slashed both sword at the other one, cutting through him like paper being ripped apart and flinging it to the air, slowly falling down.
I watched as the bodies dropped down and instantly parried the last one's sword, thrusting Lamentation at his shoulder, feeling it slide through his flesh with ease as I slashed Lady Rhea upwards, cutting his body from navel to throat, blood exploding outwards.
I then kicked him as his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he fell down, dead.
"Aerion, look out!" I heard Willam say
I turned around to see a final tribesmen was swinging his hammer at me but was struck with an arrow in the chest, falling down onto the ground.
I looked at the cliff where Willam was, he had his arrow nocked still, he didn't fire it. The arrow didn't come from his direction.
I turned to see Luke and Jace standing some meters away, Luke was holding the bow, aiming at my direction, a shocked look on his face.
"Luke?" I said as I heard the struggling grunts of the tribesman, "You did?"
Luke was shocked, looking at the savage, bleeding out, "I....." He said softly, "I killed him? What?"
There was a strange look in his eyes, one of guilt. I recognize that look, I saw it in my reflection when I killed my first man. He was not ready for that, I can tell. He's too young, too good for this feeling.
He then lowered his bow and began to gasp for air, gagging as he turned around and hunched over.
"Luke?" Jace said as he grabbed him, "Luke! You okay???"
I was right.
I turned to see the tribesman, he was clutching his wound, it was bleeding profusely as he looked at me with anger in his eyes.
I walked towards him and plunged my blade through his throat, finishing him off.
"He's dead." I said as I pulled my blade out, "I killed him."
I saw that Luke was on his knees, his eyes red with tears due to the gag-reflex, he had a surprised look on his face.
I walked over to him, "You guys okay?" I asked
Jace nodded, "Y-Yea...." He said
"Good. Let's get out of here." I told them,
"You're Mother is not going to be happy."
*****************************************************
"What?!?!" Rhaenyra exclaimed as she walked up to the boys, "What do you mean you were attacked?!"
She held the boys, checking if they were okay as she looked at me with a scowl.
"I...." I said rubbing my hair, "Well, it happened out of nowhere."
Genna was scowling, "Willam! Get Yohn and the others!" She exclaimed, "Get them to go out on patrols and make sure those savages are nowhere near the Castle!"
Willam was waving her off, "I'm on it..." He grumbled, "No need to yell."
"No need to yell? You imbecile!!" She shouted, "This is the first time in a while we get to see the Princes and Princesses and this shit happens!? You a fool???? Ah, sorry for the language, Princess."
"It's okay." Rhaenyra said as she looked at me, "What happened, Aerion?"
"They attacked us, I took care of it." I said while shrugging
Genna walked up to me, "You took care of it? That's all you gotta say???" She said, "You just took care of it? I bet you were looking forward to some action, were ya?"
"Whoa, I didn't want to get the boys in danger, okay?" I said as I raised my hands, "Take it easy."
She grabbed my shirt, "I'm gonna make this clear with you, Aerion." She said with a scowl, "I don't get to see you nor the babies at all....and the only time I do, this shit happens???? The least of your worries are those savages out there, it's gonna be me, ya hear me?!"
I rolled my eyes, "Relax, nothing happened to the boys..." I said
"They look like they saw ghosts, Aerion!" She exclaimed, "Look at them! I know you're used to all the blood and death, cutting down a hundred men in War, but they're boys!"
I scratched my cheek, "That's a good point."
"Go to your chambers." Rhaenyra said to the boys, "Now."
Jace sighed, "Okay, come on Luke." He said as he gave me a glance, "You're on your own, Aerion..."
They both walked away, I noticed Luke had an awful serious look on his face.
"Yep." I said as Rhaenyra crossed her arms, "Genna let go of my shirt."
"No." She replied
"I knew something like this might happen." Rhaenyra said, "I had my doubts, but I still looked forward to come, I enjoy Genna and Andrea's company."
"Ah, you flatter me, Princes..." Genna smiled as she held my shirt, "But this boy.....he's always been the reckless fighter.....fighting a Bear and all at such a young age..."
"Willam was with me..." I muttered
"Yea, but you were a boy!" She exclaimed
"Nothing happened to the boys, Genna." I gently pried her hand off me, "I killed them all, okay? I protected them. Nothing will happen to those boys while I'm around. Rhaenyra knows that..."
"Hmph." Genna said, "Still, you're a fool."
"They got my horse, though. Such a shame." I said rubbing my hair and walking towards Rhaenyra, "I liked that horse. Hey, don't be mad..."
I grabbed Rhaenyra by the waist as she looked away.
"How do you want me to feel, then?" she asked, "My sons were in danger."
"They're fine." I leaned in and kissed her on the cheek, "You forget that I've been dealing with these tribesmen most of my life."
"Yea, but they haven't." She said
"My Love....." I said patting her cheek, "I didn't take them with that intention, I'm sorry....."
"It just happens."