Targaryen Who Turned Dragon

Chapter 63 - The Great Bending

"I'm glad that you've returned, Your Grace, the situation was getting slightly out of hand."

"My chimera would've handled any attack the Usurper could've possibly thrown. You should prepare the men for the upcoming battle, castellan. Robert will strike as soon as possible and in vicious fashion."

"But you'll fend him off?"

Aerion nodded. "Easily... but I must rest, for now. Wake me when the Usurper strikes."

"It will be done, Your Grace."

"Good."

Aerion went to his chambers (which he had chosen for himself) for some rest as he was quite tired after flying from Highgarden to Storm's End and wanted to cultivate in the dungeon. The journey only took him a day since he flew using the full speed of the 'Supreme Flying God' movement skill. He laid on his bed and closed his eyes.

~

After Aerion returned to the castle, Robert Baratheon was fuming with rage. He ordered the siege engineers to speed up and the soldiers to prepare for battle. He was planning to strike today, with everything he had. His army was slightly less enthusiastic about attacking Storm's End. Aerion could float in the air, kill a hundred men in an instant, send arrows back and move at inhuman speeds. Was there anything he couldn't do? Some believed that he was some kind of God... after all, he did come back from the dead. After calming down, Robert himself was unsure... but he wasn't going to stop now.

Aerion woke up early and started to think of strategies. He had a fifth of his men getting ready to perform these strategies, so that they may do what is needed when the right time comes. He also started to assign his men to specific locations so that they would be more effective.

The next day, a hail of stone was heaved into the walls of Storm's End first thing in the morning (roughly three hours after Aerion woke up). The besieged could do nothing but protect themselves as another wave descended upon the walls. The walls were strong, strong enough to take the impact with minimum damage. The men, however, weren't as lucky. Some died as soon as they were hit, others were injured, while most were untouched due to the poor accuracy of the trebuchets. Then the siege really began, a battering ram covered with hide was being pushed forward. Its wheels slowly rolled across the bridge. Beneath the hide were a dozen soldiers, behind the battering ram was a hundred or so. There was a limit to how much the bridge could contain and it was the only possible entrance.

Arrows flew down from the castle, down to the aggressors. About thirty were hit, although no great damage was done. The aggressors countered with their own volley, a far weaker and less accurate one. The high walls of Storm's End were no jest, they towered over those below. This made things easier for the besieged (as they could easily aim) and very difficult for those who intended to take Storm's End.

A lot of men died leading the battering ram, but it soon reached the gate. They only had one thing left to do and that was to break the gate! Unfortunately, it wasn't so simple. Some soldiers quickly moved to a lever and pulled it. Lit oil fell from the pot to the battering ram, heavily damaging it. For those soldiers who were caught in the fire... they were less fortunate, to say the least.

"An effective yet expensive strategy."

Aerion took his bow out of the Sky Poison Pearl and created an arrow of fire with his Phoenix Flame. Then he readied and aimed the arrow downwards, towards the battering ram. He let the arrow fly.

BOOM.

The battering ram went up in flames and quickly burnt to nothingness, so did the people around (and inside) it. Aerion stood on the highest tower, where he could see the entire battlefield. Robert's army was huge, covering the landscape. Most of his men weren't having the best time camping since most of the land was rough and uneven.

Aerion let loose another arrow... and another... and another, it was safe to say that the bridge was cleared of Robert's soldiers after that. Aerion flew down to the wall.

"That was one great display of your fiery might, Your Grace!" One soldier stated.

"You all didn't do so bad, either. I don't think stepping in was necessary."

"We did well because of your instructions, Your Grace" One of the knights responded.

Aerion looked down and saw Robert himself walking down the bridge with a lot of men around him. Wise, protection is always important. Though he didn't look very composed, he was more of a furious bear than a noble stag.

"I CHALLENGE YOU TO TRIAL BY COMBAT! STOP HIDING BEHIND YOUR WALLS AND FACE ME ON THE FIELD."

Aerion laughed. "You don't know what you're getting yourself into. Take Storm's End first before you start thinking of facing my sword."

Aerion returned to his tower and watched Robert furiously walk back to his camp.

~Two weeks later~

Robert lost a lot of men in the following assaults on Storm's End, while Aerion only lost a hundred or so. How many did Robert lose? Well... about fifteen thousand. Aerion didn't use anything too destructive, he could've done a lot more damage. Aerion repelled everything Robert Baratheon threw at Storm's End. The Usurper failed to make any progress. Aerion once opened the gates and calmly confronted the soldiers attacking Storm's End, eventually killing over three thousand men in a single day (with just his sword, no less). Aerion's courage, strength and countless victories resulted in him gaining the impressive title 'The Sword Of The Warrior' which later turned into 'The Sword Of Calamity'.

The morale of Robert's army was low... VERY LOW. They didn't even want to go to battle anymore, it seemed so pointless. The silver-haired Demon of Storm's End would just send them straight to their graves. Robert himself was considering surrendering the throne and bending the knee, but Aerion's army had arrived before he could do so.

"Robb, you took your time."

"Leading a hundred-thousand man army isn't an easy task, My Lord."

"I understand."

Aerion gathered his army outside of Storm's End. The cavalry was in front of the rest of the army and they were led by Aerion himself. Robert's army was soon organised as well, slightly prepared for the battle. Then Robert Baratheon did something shocking; he walked towards Aerion, with his most powerful lords behind him. Aerion dismounted his loyal destrier who he had trained with for quite a few days. Aerion took Robb, Duncan and Jon with him. Aerion and Robert met in the middle of the field, their armies behind them.

"I will bend the knee, on two conditions."

"And they are?" Aerion replied, amused by the idea of Robert Baratheon bending the knee.

"You exile me and spare my brothers, you promise to do that and I'll bend."

Aerion nodded. "Very well, I'll consider it. But what about those behind you... will they challenge my authority?"

"No, they too will bend."

Aerion was conflicted. He wanted to avenge his father but sparing Robert would result in less bloodshed and a much swifter transition into him becoming King. Then he thought of his father and how little he knew of him. He left his own children and wife to chase for Lyanna Stark... which resulted in Robert's Rebellion. Lyanna was promised to Robert... imagine if your fiance was kidnapped by another man, wouldn't you do the same and try to get her back?

Aerion could see how Robert was, in fact, the victim... no, how he and Robert were both victims of Rhaegar's actions. He ruined most of Aerion's life and the rest of Robert's life. If he didn't run off with Lyanna then things would've been so different. Aerion looked at the man before him, Robert looked so tired... and broken. Did he even want to be King? An exiled man is as good as dead... so he wouldn't cause any trouble. What would Aerion gain from killing a defeated man?

After thinking it over and over again, Aerion finally decided that he would be merciful. "Then bend the knee."

And so it happened, the Stag bent to the Dragon, Robert's reign came to an end. The Lords soon followed, including the Lord Paramounts. Eddard Stark, Renly Baratheon, Kevan Lannister (though he wasn't really the Lord Paramount, he was more like the leader of the Westerland force) and Edmure Tully (representing his old father) all joined his forces. The others had no choice but to join him as well. Now there were only a few Kingdoms he had to conquer, these were; The Westerlands, Crownlands, Iron Islands and the Vale. Two of which were left almost defenceless because Aerion had taken their armies under his banner.

For his first order, he commanded that the Lords take the Crownlands in his name.

Meanwhile, Aerion had a certain thing to do... something he wanted to do for a long time and nothing was going to stop him. He flew to Casterly Rock by himself, at a steady pace. It took him around two days and the third night was spent exploring the castle. He decided that he would humiliate Tywin Lannister before killing him.

~

Tywin Lannister woke up and did the usual things any Lord would do in the morning. This day was different, but he didn't know that... not yet. He entered his study, the place where he would write letters and manage the Westerlands. Someone sat in his chair... he never saw the young man who sat before him, but his features were more than enough for Tywin to recognise him.

"Such sweet good wine wasted on a sour old man like yourself, such a waste... don't you agree?"

"... It can't be... you're meant to be in Storm's End..."

"Oh, that? The battle was over three days ago and it ended with my swift victory."

"Gua-"

"You need not worry about your guards... in fact, you need not worry about anything because you'll be a corpse soon enough."

Tywin tried to run outside but Aerion appeared in front of him and kicked him to the floor. Aerion drew Blackfyre and stabbed its blade into his knee, making him unable to move. Tywin screamed in pain but Aerion couldn't care less.

"That was for the backstabbing of my Grandfather."

Aerion took out Blackfyre and stabbed it into Tywin's other knee.

"That was for the death of my mother."

Aerion slashed down at Tywin's left arm, separating it from the rest of his body.

"That was for the death of my brother."

Aerion then separated the other arm.

"That was for the death of my sister."

Then he grabbed Tywin's face and fire emerged from his hand, burning Tywin. When Aerion was done, his face was unrecognisable. Then he grabbed him by the neck and dragged him to the top of one of the towers. He had prepared a spike there for Tywin previously. Aerion had completely destroyed Tywin on the way, so much so that Tywin was only alive because Aerion wanted him to be... for now.

Then he forced Tywin down onto the spike, in a very painful position. The spike went straight through his body and left through his mouth. Aerion looked after him for several minutes, making sure he feels the pain.

"Burn."

Aerion burned most of his body into ashes, except his head. He remembered his promise.

'One day, I will slay him with my own blade... one day I will see his head on a spike. This, I promise.'

He froze his head with the coldest ice he could muster.

"Your head will forever be with the spike. For trash like yourself doesn't deserve a burial, you deserve to suffer... for all of eternity."

Aerion left Casterly Rock and flew to Clegane's Keep.

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