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Chapter 182 - Chapter 22: Orys I

ORYS I

"Do you realize what you've just done?!!" Orys was shocked at how livid Jaenyx was. Usually reserved most of the time and assertive when need be, he had never seen him so angry and his dragonfire rivalled their father's and Aegon's. I should have made them privy to my plans, then they would understand. Thankfully, Visenya put her arms around Jaenyx's neck and kissed him on the cheek, which calmed him down considerably. But he still looked very incensed. 

"You know we love you, Orys," Aegon spoke while he crossed his arms. "But I have to agree with Jae here. You made a serious decision without telling us and now you put all of us in a situation where we can't get out of. I told you to make preparations to storm Bronzegate while I went to the bridge at cousin Daemon's request, but what do you do? You go behind our backs and essentially make us play by the Arrogant king's rules." 

"That's not what this is, Egg," Orys responded. 

"And what do you call this?" Visenya glared at Orys while her arms were still wrapped around Jaenyx. "We just eliminated the Swanns from the battlefield. We're talking about a marcher lord here, Orys, not just some regular house. In addition, Jae and I were having a lot of success in attacking their weaker forces and baggage trains, denying the Arrogant king's northern forces supplies while making them feel unsafe in their own home. The strategy that we agreed upon at Haystack Hall was working until you decided to ruin that." 

Orys knew that while Visenya loved him as a sister loved her brother, her first loyalty was to her husband and she supported Jaenyx without question. Like Aegon, Orys was happy that Visenya finally found someone who could really love and cherish her after so long, but his heart was tinged with dejection at her not understanding what he was doing. 

Orys nodded. "Yes, the strategy we agreed upon was working. You and Jaenyx stopped the first of the marcher lords from mustering with the other forces of the Arrogant king while attacking his supply lines. Meanwhile, Egg and I were able to keep the main forces of the Durrandons focused on Bronzegate while making them blind to all else. That being said and I didn't want to say this at Haystack Hall in front of our subordinates, this strategy would only work if the Arrogant king took too long to marshal his army." 

"Dear brother, would you care to explain exactly what you're thinking about?" Orys looked at Rhaenys. Like the others, she was very confused at Orys' deal with Lord Buckler, but she was gracious enough to hear him out and was able to keep Aegon from getting too vexed at him. For that, he was grateful. 

Orys sighed. "Sooner or later, Argilac will be able to assemble the full might of his army. We're not dealing with Black Harren here, whose lords hesitated at his call. He may be old, but the stormlords still admire and respect him as a warrior. Vis and Jaenyx may have stopped the Swanns from joining him, but we still have other marcher lords that would answer his call such as the Selmys, the Dondarrions, and the Carons. Unlike the Swanns, they spent centuries in closer contact with the Dornish and therefore are much more battle-hardened. Not only that, we have yet to meet the Tarths, the Conningtons, the Estermonts, the Morrigens, and the Wyldes among other houses, which is a good thing. However, we won't be fighting just a small portion of the Durrandons' forces forever." 

"So what is your point?" Jaenyx asked impatiently. 

"Before he can rally more forces against us, I thought of a way to have him come to us while giving him an opportunity that he can't refuse. Like me and Egg, Argilac has been trained in the knightly conduct of war and understands the importance of honor. The thing about knights is that they will always attempt to win in the field with as little bloodshed as possible and honor demands that an agreement be made between two knights before combat is initiated." 

Jaenyx looked bored. Orys' first instinct was to feel really annoyed by his lack of respect for Westerosi traditions, but was reminded that he was not of Westeros at all. 

"So," Orys continued. "By making that agreement with Lord Buckler, I ensured that Argilac will come to us. But we will have the advantage since we could choose the ground of the battle and Argilac will be so bound by honor and the need to show his potency before his sworn lords that he will not meet us with the sufficient forces." 

"What do you mean?" Rhaenys raised her eyebrows. 

"I gave Argilac one moon to relieve Bronzegate before Lord Buckler surrenders the castle. We might have been in the Storm kingdom for weeks now, but a moon turn is still not enough time to assemble, supply, and train the force he needs to defeat us. Most importantly, he is under time constraints more severe than ours since we've been inflicting defeat after defeat upon him. If he doesn't respond to us soon, he risks losing control of his lords. So, he'll ride out to meet us despite not having the necessary troops."

"Wait, how do you all know this, Orys?" Aegon asked, but he looked very impressed at Orys' reasoning. 

Orys shrugged. "It's what I would do honestly, if I were in his boots." 

There was silence in the tent, as Orys' explanations sunk in. Orys might not have been as sneaky as Jaenyx, as creative as Visenya, or as commanding as Aegon. However, he did understand how knights would conduct themselves in war, which extended to the lords and kings of Westeros. Orys then decided to utilize that knowledge towards making the Arrogant king march towards them instead of the other way around. He was not blind to the geographical obstacles of the Storm kingdom and if they had continued their advance, defeating the Durrandons would have been more difficult since they would be on the defensive. By switching their positions, Orys hoped to take away Argilac's geographical advantages by goading him into attacking them on grounds of their choosing. They could then prepare the ground and plan out tactics to maximize their own advantages. Hopefully, they recognize that. 

However, Jaenyx remained the detractor in the group. "You just had to do it, huh?"

Orys blinked. "What do you mean by that?" 

Jaenyx shook his head, apparently in disapproval. "I know that you didn't like how we were approaching the Arrogant king. You hated all these sneaking around and tip-toeing and that got you to force this on us because of your impetuousness." 

"Jae," Aegon growled. 

"We cannot just move around in small groups forever," Orys shot back. "We had to fight eventually." 

"And your response to do this behind our backs? I knew you were bullheaded, but I never thought you were foolish!" 

"Jae," Aegon repeated, but now with his voice raised. 

"Oh, I'm foolish?" Orys scoffed. "What about you? What happened to the man who fought at Wailing Willows? Was that man replaced by a craven?" 

Jaenyx snorted. "Only someone like you would confuse good sense with cowardice." 

Orys narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean 'someone like me?'" 

Aegon stepped in. "Okay, I think that's enough--" 

"No, no, Egg. Let's hear what he has to say to me," Orys waved him off. 

"You really want to know, Orys?" Jaenyx asked. But Orys sensed that he wasn't going to like what he heard. 

"Kessa," Orys responded while using the few High Valyrian words he knew. 

Aegon closed his eyes and shook his head, resigned to how this conversation was going. Rhaenys just stood there, anxious at the next words. Visenya obviously didn't like the direction of the conversation, but it was clear that she would stand by Jaenyx no matter what. 

"All right. I can see that you do resemble Lord Targaryen in a way, but you're too far disconnected from the blood of Valyria. Your mannerisms, your way of speech, your posture, how you think, it's all part of this backwater. I would think that someone of true Valyrian stock would not stoop so low to the ways of these mongrels." 

Aegon looked at Jaenyx with shock, as did Rhaenys. Visenya tightened her lips, but still held on to Jaenyx. 

"You have the blood of a great people flowing inside you, Orys, but you choose to throw that away to become accepted by those who do not respect us or our way of life. If you were truly proud of your heritage, you would not have allowed yourself to be affected by those lesser than us." 

"And what about you?!" Orys shouted back. "Yes, you're a dragonrider and what you've brought to our family can never be repaid no matter how hard we try. But you're clinging onto the ways of a civilization that already had its chance. And you think that you're so above those in Westeros that you don't have to conform to their ways? That attitude is a sure way of getting yourself killed and nobody will support you when you need them." 

"I already have people to help me. I don't need others," Jaenyx responded. 

"Huh!" Orys huffed. "You said to our father when you did that stunt with the dowry that we're all that's left of Valyria, but I don't think you really believe that." 

"What do you mean?" 

Orys pointed a finger at him. "You say you're proud of being a Valyrian, but you practice Yi-Tish combat arts and speak their language. If you really were so stuck in the ways of Valyria, you wouldn't have married Vis or treated Rhae and Egg with love in the first place since they're both of Valyria and of Westeros. Also, you wouldn't have taken the time to learn the common tongue if you truly disrespected the ways of Westeros. So the way I see it, just as I'm not strongly rooted in Valyria, the same could be said of you." 

Orys could see that a hint of doubt flash across Jaenyx's face, which meant that he was getting to him. He felt the need to press further. "Oh, that's right. Maybe you don't know this. But the world is different now and I thought you'd understand the necessity to adapt like our father did before you came. The Valyria as you know it is dead, gone from the face of the earth. And it's never coming back, just like your parents and brother." 

Rhaenys gasped. Aegon's mouth dropped, horrified at what Orys just said. Visenya sucked in a mouthful of air, upset that Orys would be so unwise as to bring Jaenyx's deceased family and thus her family into this. 

But nothing prepared Orys for when he looked at Jaenyx. Usually calm, his face twisted and turned while he was aggressively grinding his teeth. Every part of his body vibrated while his fists tightened into shaky balls. As for the eyes, Orys never seen such intense flames and such rage emerging from behind his sharp amethyst eyes, making him flinch. What's more, he heard a dragon screech outside, specifically from Cloudwynd. But unlike the others, this was a cry filled with pain. Dragons were bonded to their riders and would understand instantly what their riders were feeling. 

It was only then that Orys finally understood what he had just said. "Jaenyx," he began, eyes widening as he felt horror and shame burst through him. "I didn't… I…" 

His self-control vanished, Jaenyx moved to launch himself at Orys. The only reason why he was not bashing his head in was both Visenya and Aegon moving to restrain him. Rhaenys was just too shocked by what was happening to respond. 

"Jae, come on! He didn't mean it!" Aegon tried to reason with him. 

"I don't care! He brought my family into this!" 

"But he's our brother and thus our family. I won't let you hurt him," Aegon responded while struggling to push him away from Orys. 

Then, Visenya whispered something in his ear. Orys didn't know what she said, but it apparently calmed him down. As for Orys, he stood there with his shoulders slumped and head downwards, mortified at what he just said. 

"Everyone!" Aegon came to the middle of the group after Jaenyx was calmer. "Let's not forget about why we're here in the first place. What's done is done and we have a battle to plan. Let's just focus on winning against Argilac and we will sort this all out afterwards. Can we agree on that?" 

Although ten years younger than him, Aegon was more assertive and commanding than Orys could ever hope to be. Others would have their pride hurt at being surpassed in such areas by their younger siblings, but Orys was mature enough to know when to let those able take the reins. Leave it to Aegon to reassert control over a volatile situation. 

Jaenyx sighed, but still shot daggers at Orys. Before he said anything, Visenya spoke up. "We agree on that, Egg. Let's win first," she nodded before dragging Jaenyx out of tent. 

As for Aegon, he moved to Rhaenys and put his arm around her shoulders as they also left. 

"Egg, I--" 

Aegon shook his head. "Not now, brother. You're in the wrong as much as Jae is. But we have more pressing matters to attend to. After we fight against Argilac, we'll all talk together." 

Orys opened his mouth to protest, but closed it out of shame for what he said and seeing the sense in Aegon's words. Nodding, Orys saw Aegon and Rhaenys leave the tent. 

Orys collapsed onto a chair as he gazed upon a map of the Storm kingdom. Oh, the gods. Please forgive me for my foolishness, Orys prayed in the hopes of willing his shame away. 

 

 

The last time he and Jaenyx exchanged any words still weighed on Orys' mind. Aegon and Rhaenys still talked to him and while Visenya gave him no ill will towards him through her soft gaze, she kept her distance from him out of respect for her husband. He wanted to defend his reasoning for getting Argilac out onto the field of battle, but he instead endangered the tranquility in their family. But as Aegon said, they will sort all of this out after the battle. 

They still kept a small force surrounding Bronzegate to prevent Lord Buckler and his garrison from intervening while moving the majority of their forces towards an elevated position southwest of the castle. It was far enough from Bronzegate to prevent any of its archers letting loose on them while close enough for its defenders to bear witness to the battle. 

Their elevated position, which in reality included many hills with many boulders, sloped down to a field that had creeks on both sides of it. This grassy field ran from the forests that stopped just south of Bronzegate towards the various mountains that surrounded Storm's End, and a large portion of this field was utilized as a bread basket for both Houses Buckler and Durrandon. The hills where they were positioned on ran from one creek to the next and coupled with the forests behind them and on their sides, this was a perfect defensive position. 

The dragons began constructing wooden stockades to position their archers and other missile weapons and placed wooden stakes in front of them. While the hills could slow down a cavalry charge, they weren't taking any chances and both the stakes and the stockades would blunt any charge by armored knights against their more lightly-armored troops. Like in the other battles, the archers would use armor-piercing arrows but were also told to use broadhead arrows against infantry. Although not as fast as their other arrows, broadheads were particularly nasty in that their main purpose was to cause as much damage to the flesh as possible and any attempt to pull them out would result in massive bleeding. Even if they were shot in the arm, their enemies would certainly be incapicitated enough to get them out of the fight. 

As they were constructing the wooden stockades and further studying the field before them, Rhaenys and Visenya rode on Meraxes and Vhagar to scout out the enemy. When they came back, they discovered the forces of the Durrandons marching towards Bronzegate and estimated them to be a week away. Regarding their numbers, Rhaenys and Visenya both estimated at least fifteen thousand troops were converging on their positions, an impressive host to have assembled within a moonturn. Just yesterday, scouts on the ground had returned to the position on the hills and informed them of the oncoming host while confirming that at least fifteen thousand troops were indeed approaching them, with at least eight thousand cavalry. Facing them were eleven thousand men coming from various houses such as the Tarareons, the Blackwoods, the Rosbys, and the Stokeworths alongside two thousand cavalry. But Argilac would be foolish to assume that they were green, as the core had fought from Rook's Rest to Haystack Hall while the Blackwoods had fought with them from Wailing Willows to their fight in the woods against the Swanns. Whatever disadvantage they may have had was compensated by how battle-hardened their troops had become.

That night, Orys, Aegon, Jaenyx, Visenya, Rhaenys, Chrass Rivers, Rhaedar Tarareon, Jon Rosby, and other commanders convened at a tent in the forests between their position on the hills and Bronzegate to go over their tactical plan. The creeks and the forests would prevent Argilac's cavalry from conducting an effective charge, which was the greatest asset available to them. They could not outflank them, as the creeks and forests would such movements and would force them to form up within the space between the creeks. So essentially, they only had one way to attack them and that was to advance towards the hills. 

At the same time, they would be remiss to think that they cavalry was the only asset they had. From what Rhaenys and Visenya found out, they had scores of infantry, men-at-arms, and bowmen accompanying them. It was possible that they could begin the battle with an arrow barrage and if any of those bowmen came from the Dornish Marches, many would die. And if their infantry and men-at-arms were able to get into close contact with their own troops, they would be hard pressed to push them back. More importantly, there was a possibility that Argilac might not attack at all since he would know better than to attack an army on higher ground, in which he would elect to delay the battle until substantial forces from his bannermen came to his aid. 

But their problems didn't stop there. While atop Meraxes, Rhaenys saw storm clouds coming from the southeast over the narrow sea. They all then cursed themselves for not taking into account the possibility of rains during the summer years, given how humid the Storm kingdom was. Rain during battle could work for and against both sides, as the attackers might be slowed by mud but that meant the defenders wouldn't be able to use their more mobile assets in the battle. The dragons could undoubtedly turn the tide of the battle, but no one had used them in rain before and they could be in serious trouble if their dragonfire was somehow affected by water. 

Thus, their only option was to force Argilac to attack him. They would position most of their forces behind the stockades while placing a few forces in front of them as bait. But in order for the enemy to spring the trap, they had to put a couple of their leading commanders in order to make the bait more enticing for Argilac. Orys volunteered, with Aegon following. Rhaenys kissed him hard on the cheek before telling him to come back safe while Visenya and Jaenyx silently told them "Good luck," but with Jaenyx avoiding eye contact with Orys. 

Once the enemy got close enough to the bait, they would fight for a few moments before retreating to the stockades and within lethal range of their archers. They expected Argilac to send his cavalry forward, which would allow the archers to take out his best assets in the first moments of the battle. Hopefully, the rain would create enough of a muddy bog to slow them down and their subsequent infantry charge before they made their own attack. Once the enemy charge had been blunted, they would move forward with an infantry advance filed with pikes, axes, and swords under the cover of arrows. They would then use the bog to their advantage against the enemy and work their way through. Meanwhile, the dragons would be used to take the archers, any reserves, and cut off any retreat. 

By the morning, they had went over the plan again when they saw the enemy host emerge from the mountains and on the opposite end of the field. Orys could make out banners such as the Estermonts, the Tarths, the Penroses, and even two marcher houses in the Selmys and the Dondarrions. That was quick, Orys thought, even though he saw less forces than he would expect of marcher lords, which meant they only had the forces they could muster at short notice. 

But what was intriguing about the host was who was in the front. There were twenty knights with yellow sashes over their plate armor flanking a man dressed in elaborate plate armor. Unlike the knights who wore helms, he wore a golden coronet that seemed to have been fashioned from stag antlers. Although his bushy gray beard and his fading black hair growing past his shoulders betrayed his age, this man held his head up high and looked towards his adversaries with a steel gaze. Age may have taken away any good looks he was known for in the past, but both his blue eyes and his posture told his enemies to disregard his warrior capabilities at their own peril if they thought that age made him impotent. He had what seemed to be a greatsword strapped to his left side and a yellow cape lined with black clasped to his shoulders. With this particular entourage carrying the banners of a black stag against a field of yellow and a crown around its neck, Orys had no doubt in his mind on who this was. 

The Arrogant king himself. He really came, Orys thought with glee. His plan had succeeded in drawing him out. If they could capture or even kill him, it would be over. 

Orys and Aegon both mounted their horses and led a group of pikemen and men-at-arms to the front of the stockades. Jaenyx and Visenya remained behind them to coordinate their arrow volleys and infantry advance when the time came. Like at Wailing Willows, Rhaenys would command the dragons until later and because her abilities in the bow would probably not hold up well in battle yet. Their roles confirmed, they moved into position. A strangely dead silence flooded the field as both armies got into formation and waited for the other to make the first move. 

But as they both prepared to end their stand off, Orys looked up and saw grey clouds forming over the field. Then, the distinctive crack of lightning pierced through followed by a deafening thunder. The storms coming in would only make the battle more difficult to fight and there were so many things that could go wrong whenever rain came down on the fighting. 

"Nervous, brother?" Orys asked to Aegon. Orys could sense that he was a little anxious, which Orys admittedly also felt. 

"Of course," Aegon nodded. "But I believe that's what will keep you alive, because why else would we fight harder if we didn't want to live?" 

"Well, Egg, you have Rhae to fight for. You have someone to return to," Orys stated. 

But Aegon sensed his other meaning. "Don't worry, Orys, you'll find someone," he grasped his shoulder. Orys wanted to say more, but the battle and the rain were more pressing and he just nodded his thanks. 

Just then, another bolt of lightning cracked through the clouds followed by even more piercing thunder. Orys felt a raindrop splash on his face before what seemed like a drizzle turned to a heavy pour. Nodding to Aegon, they brought down their helms to keep their faces as dry as possible. The heavy rain turned to the field into a muddy bog, just as they knew it would. I pray to the gods that this works

What they did not expect was cheering from Argilac's host and the Arrogant king himself riding along his army. Both Orys and Aegon were able to hear his words. 

"You feel this rain? You hear this thunder? I am the blood of Durran Godsgrief, who even the gods couldn't destroy with their storms. I have fought with you all in Dorne, at Summerfield, against Black Harren, and at Volantis. For many years have I led you all against those that would take your homes and families away from you, and now the gods have decided to reward your loyalty with this storm. Those dragonspawn shits may have burned Harrenhal, but they will stand no chance against the might and valor of those who would fight under the banner of the Durrandons. This storm is only the gods giving their blessing to coat this field of battle with their blood. Will we let these foreigners take our lands?!" The soldiers of the stormlords all yelled "No!" "Will we allow them one more inch onto this field?!" Another "no." "Will we let them burn our homes like they did to Black Harren?!" Another "no." "Then, let us fight and show them all what true warriors are!!!" Argilac drew his greatsword to more cheering from his men. 

Aegon sighed. "They really don't understand, do they?" 

"Only one way to make them understand, brother," Orys replied. "And unfortunately, you'll have to spill their blood." 

"Let's get into position," Aegon nudged his horse towards the left side while Orys went to the right. Both made sure to make themselves as visible and identifiable as possible so as to make their enemies come to them. 

After Orys got onto the right, he saw a knight charging towards him, his lance lowered and his destrier galloping as hard as it could through the mud. The forces of the stormlords had grown quiet as they watched one of their own galloping onto the field ahead of them. Judging from how Argilac was watching, this knight was apparently acting against orders and the impatience of youth pushing him to ride ahead of his brothers. 

Orys could tell that this knight was very young despite his lowered helm. He had a rather modest stature, which he made up for with a well-maintained set of plate armor, a longsword at his left side, an axe on his right side, and armor on his horse. This knight's war horse was powerful, made more evident by how fast it was moving despite the mud. As he got closer, Orys could make his sigil on his armor: three stalks of yellow wheat. If he remembered correctly, this was the sigil of House Selmy of Harvest Hall, one of the marcher lords. Judging from this knight's age and how recklessly he was acting, he must not be directly in line to inherit any lands and was thus seeking personal glory by striking at one of his king's enemy's leaders. 

Orys shook his head, his displeasure at killing a man who seemed to have just earned his spurs hidden behind his helm. However, it was either him or Orys, so he prepared himself for the Selmy knight, Ser whatever his name was. 

Orys and his horse stood completely still, waiting as the knight galloped closer to him. He fought at a few tourneys on the mainland years ago and knew how this went, but he could tell that this knight must've confused jousting with a real fight from how he kept his lance steady and maintained his direction. If Orys was fighting a few years ago, he would have done the same thing, but the recent battles made him wiser on the differences between tourneys and the real thing alongside the importance of approaching battle with solemness. 

Orys stood his ground until the last moment, when the Selmy knight's lance almost touched him. Orys then maneuvered his horse quickly to one side, stood up in his stirrups, pulled out his Valyrian steel axe, and slammed Selmy so hard that his helm was pierced through and Orys could hear bone cracking and blood spattering. Pulling out his axe, he saw that the knight's head was split in two and he was thankful for the helm covering what was left of it as the knight's lifeless body fell into the mud. He killed before, but Orys felt something strange for this young knight that decided to act against his king's orders. 

However, just as he sat back down on his horse, Orys heard cheers from behind him. Turning around, he saw that the troops on both sides of the stockades and thrusted their weapons high and shouting "Hurrah" for their commander. He looked upon Visenya, who smiled at him with pride. He looked at Jaenyx, who still stared at him with hostility but whose gaze slightly softened at Orys' undeniable courage. He looked towards Aegon, who gave him a nod but Orys knew that despite the helm he was smiling. 

Then, Orys heard four dragon roars pierce through the stormy skies, all of them roaring in approval. He had no doubt what Rhaenys felt as all four dragons descended upon the Argilac's host. A mixture of blue, black, orange, and yellow dragonfire came upon the stormlords' bowmen, consuming them and turning them all into ash before they even got a volley out. Balerion and Meraxes also shot their flames at the rear of the stormlord host, cutting off the enemy's retreat just like at Dragonstone and at Wailing Willows. This was to force the enemy forward while taking away their bowmen. The mud and the rain would slow them down as they advanced towards the stockade. 

Two wings of heavy stormlord cavalry advanced ahead of the main host before galloping into a charge, no doubt to avenge their fallen brother but also to destroy troops that seemed out of place outside of the stockades. 

"Form up!" Orys ordered as the pikes got into a schiltron. Although they were also deep in the mud, they didn't have to worry about moving as much as their mounted adversaries. As long as they held position, they could withstand the first charge. They were also out of range of their own bowmen, but that was the point as their purpose was to draw more of the enemy close before they unleashed their missiles. 

"Steady!" Orys ordered as the cavalry came closer. But as they did, they were slowed by the muddy bog and only their persistence kept their horses going forward. 

At last, the enemy cavalry slammed into Orys' schiltron, but many were unhorsed as the troops stood fast and their pikes stabbed into their horses while many fell into the mud. Scores of horses and knights fell into the mud while the knights that could stand attempted to fight their way through the pikes. However, they were cut down by the pikes' thrust and struggled to move through the many horses and knights that were struggling to wade through the bog. Orys looked to the left and saw the same result. 

Orys then looked back towards the field and saw two more wings of heavy cavalry galloping towards them. Their purpose served, Orys yelled, "Withdraw, men! Withdraw!" Raising their pikes, the schiltron troops moved fast towards the creek on their right and ran along its shores to reposition behind the stockades. After seeing most of them making it, Orys himself withdrew and made it to the center stockade, where he met Aegon, Visenya, and Jaenyx. 

"Good job, brothers," Visenya said. "Now comes the next part." 

"Indeed, Vis," Aegon nodded. The remnants of the first cavalry charge attempted to reform themselves while the second cavalry charge came closer to the stockades. 

"Archers, nock!" Visenya ordered. Jaenyx also ordered the Tarareons to ready their javelins, who would throw them over the stockages while the archers would let loose their volleys over them and through its openings. 

"Volley, loose!" A stream of javelins and armor-piercing arrows slammed down onto the combined knight charge, cutting many of them down while incapacitating many more. Man and beast alike were not spared as arrow and javelin buried themselves in both. The knights who by some miracle managed to remain mounted were stopped from going further by the stakes planted in front of the stockades, before they were cut down by arrows shot through the openings. All the while, the rain poured on them and thunder continued to echo in the skies. 

Eventually, the combined arrow and javelin barrages and the mud slowing them down caused combined waves of Argilac's mounted forces to break and retreat. Their enemies had attempted to outflank the stockades, but strong responses on both ends prevented them from doing so. Upon seeing that Argilac had used his mounted forces, they all got out from behind the stockades and formed up schiltrons while their own mounted forces began to gallop along the creeks. 

Orys would lead the right flank while Aegon took the right and Visenya and Jaenyx took the center. Their dragons remained behind the stockades as Rhaenys would not be able to guide them with the rain slamming against her face. 

Orys then saw that the enemy infantry was advancing towards them, with Argilac and his personal entourage leading them while still on horseback. He prepared himself, fighting the urge to fight him head on and focusing on maintaining formation. The schiltrons marched forward steadily, their pikes lowered while the enemy infantry suddenly broke ranks and charged at them. 

"Hold, men!" Orys shouted as the enemy infantry came closer. Then, came the crash as they collided against each other, pike meeting sword and axe. However, the pikes stood true as weeks of instilling discipline into the men had paid off. As scores of the enemy infantry were cut down, the schiltrons simply stepped over their corpses as they pressed forward. At the same time, their archers had formed in front of the stockades and let loose at will against the enemy, bringing more of them down. 

Slowly but steadily, they pushed the enemy force towards their end of the field as bodies of both forces littered the field behind them. But it was clear who was keeping steady and who was slowly losing ground. Adding to their problems were the Tarareon mounted archers forming their customary circle and shooting into the enemy's flanks. 

Finally deciding that he had enough of waiting, Orys shouted, "Break ranks! Engage the enemy!" Bringing up his axe, he moved through the schiltron and slammed his axe down onto an enemy footman's head. Prompted by their leader, the schiltron broke ranks, dropped their pikes and started engaging the enemy at their own will with their swords and axes. Soon, the other schiltrons followed suit as thousands engaged in close combat, turning the field into a muddy brawl. 

Careful not to slip on the mud, Orys buried his axe into an enemy's chest before moving onto another. He parried another's sword thrust by grappling onto the blade with his axe's head, pulling on it and ripping the sword from his hand before swinging it upwards towards his left leg, chopping it off and allowing Orys to finish him with slam against his chest. 

Orys waded through the mud, cutting through many other enemy infantry before he came across a knight with a yellow sash. With his longsword drawn, the knight then attempted to thrust at Orys before he slid to the right and used his shaft to strike at his face, stunning him. Orys then spun around and buried the axe against his back, making the knight yell in pain as he collapsed on the ground before Orys then threw his axe down onto his head, cutting through his helm and splitting his head in two like he did with that Selmy knight. 

What Orys did not expect to see next was the Arrogant king himself. His antler crown still adorning his head, he was covered in mud, his white hair and beard drenched in rainwater, and his greatsword slashing through one of their men's throats, a Stokeworth by the looks of him. Even in his old age, he could still kill and using a greatsword took skill and strength to handle. It wasn't long before the Arrogant king turned around and noticed Orys.

Orys saw a fury behind his eyes as the Arrogant teeth made visible his teeth. He gripped his greatsword tightly as he readied himself. 

"You!" the Arrogant king bellowed. "You killed my nephew, my sister's son!" 

Orys knew that he was talking about the Selmy knight. "I'm sorry," he simply offered as he readied his axe. 

"No matter," the Arrogant king shook his head. "He shall be avenged." He charged through the mud and struck at Orys, who just managed to avoid his thrust. 

Orys parried the Arrogant king's greatsword as he swung downwards. However, he proved his warrior reputation true by bringing his helm to Orys' face, stunning him and making him step backwards. He then thrusted again, this time stabbing him through the opening in his armor over his waist. 

Yelling in pain, Orys grasped his waist as he saw blood coming out of it. 

"Hurts, doesn't it, bastard?" Argilac taunted. "Oh, I know who you are. The bastard of Dragonstone, the one who can't even claim a woman for his own. This day will show why bastards are never meant to outlast their fathers and why no one spills the blood of Durran Godsgrief." 

"If it is your wish, King Argilac, I shall save you from the fires that have consumed Harrenhal. I will give you a soldier's death," Orys shot back as steadied himself and brought his axe back up. 

"You can try, bastard," Argilac said before he brought up his greatsword and charged at him with a yell. 

Orys brought his axe up, but as Argilac closed the distance, he feigned striking from above and instead ducked as he avoided the greatsword's swing before using the axe's shaft to push him away and throwing him off-balance. Orys then swung his axe downward and struck him in the right foot, prompting a painful cry from Argilac. 

Orys took out the axe before he heard, "Protect the king!" He prepared himself to fight more of Argilac's entourage, only to see Aegon, Visenya, and Jaenyx intervene alongside Chrass Rivers, Rhaedar Tarareon, Kenzou Haru, and others. With all of them keeping his personal guard busy, Orys continued the fight. 

Argilac still had powerful swings, but he couldn't move as much with his right foot destroyed. Seeing his chance, Orys parried another of his swings before bringing the shaft up to his face, stunning the Arrogant king again and breaking his nose before he used his axe's head to grab onto his greatsword and force it out of his hand. Orys threw a final punch at his face, knocking him to the ground and making collapse into the mud. 

Orys let the moment sink in for a short moment. He had just disarmed and incapacitated Argilac Durrandon, one of the great warrior-kings of Westeros and the one who slayed Garse Gardener at Summerfield. The whole fight seemed so… dreamlike to him, as knights rarely fought and won against a king and even rarer for bastards to do so. Shaking out of his daze, Orys pulled out his dagger as the Arrogant king got up and brought it to his throat. 

"Yield!" Orys yelled as loudly as he could so that the rest of the enemy army could hear and see their king on his knees. Gradually, the fighting stopped as all looked upon Orys, the bastard of Dragonstone, holding the Durrandon king at his mercy. 

"Well, what do you know? The bastard of Dragonstone managing to wound a king. Would you like my crown?" Argilac dryly remarked. 

"Yield, Your Grace," Orys decided to afford him the respect he deserved. "I have no wish to kill you." 

"If you believe that I will allow myself to be taken prisoner to be ransomed, by a bastard no less, you are gravely mistaken. You promised me a soldier's death, so give it," Argilac asked strongly. 

Orys looked at Aegon, Visenya, and Jaenyx. While Jaenyx looked as if he didn't care what happened, both Aegon and Visenya looked at him with trust, showing that they would support his decision at that moment no matter what it was. Such was why Orys would fight and die for his family no matter what, as they treated him as their brother and not as a bastard. 

Taking a breath, Orys stared back at Argilac. "For the crimes against Dragonstone and our ally House Belaerys, you are now in our custody." 

"KILL ME NOW!" Argilac shouted, now out of desperation. 

"No," Orys shook his head. "If you think me a man to kill another on his knees, you thought wrong. You will come back to Dragonstone with us and you will be valuable in negotiating an end to this pathetic war, one that you started." Orys sheathed his dagger and turned around. 

However, Orys heard Aegon yell, "Look out!" He turned around and just avoided Argilac's dagger thrust. Pushing the dagger away, he brought up his axe and pushed the sharp edge of his axe's head towards his chest. Flesh and bone was cut through as the axe buried itself further into Argilac's heart. With blood coming out of his mouth, there was no doubt that Orys delivered a killing blow. 

As Argilac collapsed back onto his knees, for good this time, he gave Orys a sick smile before the light left his eyes and his body hit the mud. As for Orys, he stood there, shocked that the Arrogant king would be so desperate to die in battle that he would force Orys to kill him even after the battle was over. 

As Orys tried to take his axe out, he saw that the shaft was near snapping, no doubt the strike against the Selmy knight and against Argilac's chest stressing it beyond what it could take. He would have to ask Aevor Rahitheon for another axe, or he might use this opportunity to finally get a warhammer. 

Orys walked away in silence as their troops cheered for their commander and the enemies dropped their weapons and surrendered. He noticed that the rains and thunder had ceased, with calm grey clouds remaining. He didn't know if he should be glad that his strategy paid off or disturbed by how much Argilac wanted to die after losing to him. Regardless, he would take a full day's rest as the battle was finally over.