Capítulo 84: Reverse Situation
[3rd]
"Why did you wish to parley, then?" Edric looked Mance Rayder dead in the eyes. "You thought I'd open my gates to you out of kindness and let your unruly kind run free - doing whatever they wish in my lands?"
"The Others." Mance Rayder spoke. "We have a common enemy, and killing us will mean there will be fewer men to stand against them. Living down south, you wouldn't know about them, would you?"
"Oh, I know plenty. More than any of you." Edric shook his head. "That is why I am willing to accept your kind if you kneel."
"You are not a good listener. As I said-"
"What is stranger, a wildling who kneels or a king who lets them pass the Wall?" Edric tilted his head slightly, interrupting Mance. "I don't have to do any of this, you see. I could just as easily slaughter all of you and burn the bodies. I'd have far less trouble that way…"
"..." Mance Rayder knew it wasn't just a threat.
"Indeed, that would be better." Edric grinned, doubling down as Mance remained silent. "You wildlings make for good practice, after all. However, as a King of reason, I believe there is some worth in your people."
"So… will you kneel?"
"Even if I did, that would not mean much." Mance Rayder shook his head. "Each man would make his own choice. As their king, I stand for their principles. If they do not kneel… why should I?"
"Such bone-headed stubbornness." Edric's eyes flashed purple. "Remind me, what do wildlings follow? What unites them under you?"
"Freefolk, do not care about who your grandsire was, what your name means, and what little animal you carry on your cloak. They won't dance for coins; they don't care how you wish to be addressed or what all your titles mean. They follow strength. They follow the man."
"You're talking my language, for once."
Edric found reason to smile slightly, drawing his Warhammer from his chest through the Plane of Euthymia. There was a joint sound of confusion amongst the wildlings. He proceeded to rest it on his shoulder. The wildlings once again raised their weapons in preparation.
"If they follow strength, then why don't we fight?" Edric stepped forward, towering over Mance. "It would save everyone the trouble."
"I am no fool." Mance retreated a step.
"I beg to differ. You're a coward, a fool and a pigheaded king. What sort of king denies his people salvation - denies them protection from the very thing they fear so much? Your pride and idiocy alone shouldn't doom thousands of people…"
He lowered his Warhammer, pointing it from one side of the wildling group to the other.
"That is why I'm giving them a choice - rather than you. A choice to kneel under my might or have their knees crushed in denial. That is what their so-called freedom amounts to… this choice!"
"If any of the free folk wish to kneel to you, they are free to do so." Mance turned back. "Who will it be - will anyone kneel to this King and abandon their freedom?"
The wildlings looked at each other with uncertainty.
"I will!" One of them said, stepping forward. "I'm not a man who ever knelt to nobody, not you, not no other freefolk. But this King… he is no ordinary man. He commands the lightning from the skies. Bloody nature kneels to him, and you want to tell me I shouldn't? I'm not an idiot. This is not a man, this is a God, and I'm dying trying to fight him!"
"Kneeler." One of them scoffed, moving in to attack him.
BANG.
Edric narrowed his gaze and a bolt of lightning struck down the assailant in an instant. The man who decided to kneel looked only more determined, running over to Edric's side and kneeling - almost too quickly.
"You have my axe, King." He put his weapon to the ground. "I only follow the strongest… and you are mightier than any man who is alive today."
It was only a matter of the first turning to Edric before more and more joined him. In mere moments, Mance's guard halved before halving again and then some. Now, he only had four men - which included Val and himself. Really, he only had two men.
"What is your name?" Edric mused, turning to the wildling who knelt first.
"Gerrick Kingsblood, my King."
"You are brave and have some wit. I will be paying attention to you."
Edric smiled slightly. He was braver than any of the wildlings that came after him, that was for sure. The peer pressure to stand his ground was great beyond measure. He was the one to break the floodgates, allowing everyone else to follow.
"A bit of knee-bending to follow someone like you is a small price to pay."
"All of you who kneel, feel free to rise." Edric shrugged his shoulders. "You are just as free to stay kneeling, however."
Some of them laughed, Gerrick being the loudest amongst them. Mance Rayder furrowed his brows. These weren't just his 'guards', they were chieftains and leaders of the warbands under him. The fact that a majority had knelt to him…
"So, the rest of you stand against me?" Edric observed his opposition. Mance Rayder, Val, Soren Shieldbreaker and Varamyr Sixskins. Varamyr was accompanied by three wolves, a shadowcat and a large snow bear - which he actively rode.
"So many of you are quick to abandon our traditions." The small Varamyr scoffed. "You would rather live your lives kneeling and following laws you do not agree with than fight. Cowards - all of you!"
"A land where you can't force yourself on any woman that you fancy." Gerrick Kingsblood chuckled. "Must be terrible for you, Varamyr, for no woman would come to your bed willingly."
"You are a greater leader than I ever expected." Mance Rayder spoke with a tone of acknowledgement, closing his eyes as he took a deep breath. Once he opened them, his lips curled into a slight smile. "So swiftly, you've taken most of my army. Your father would've been proud."
"He had a habit of making friends from enemies," Edric remarked, shrugging his shoulders. "Let's not waste further time, Mance. This parley is over. Your men have made their choice."
"... Is that so?"
"Yes… it's time you showed me your strength."
Edric glanced back.
"If there were any doubts about my strength before, I'll show you all today, here and now. I'll fight all four of them - and the animals - by myself. First, I'll break the unbending king's knees; then snap the tall one's neck; after that, I'll drag that dwarf off his bear and choke him out with one hand…"
Varamyr struck first, while Edric had his back turned. He led an attack with his snow bear, three wolves and shadowcat. Edric nonchalantly waved his right hand, and a strong gust of wind took all six of them twenty metres west. He gave his warhammer a twirl with the left, looking at Soren with his great axe and Mance Rayder, who had drawn his sword.
He deflected Soren, who came in first with a downward swing. He countered with a blow to the ribcage before pushing him off to the side as if he were a second thought.
Then he dashed towards Mance, deflecting his sword swing with ease and smacking the sword out of his hand with one warhammer strike. With a cracked right hand, Mance couldn't resist as Edric smashed down at his right knee. He fell to his knees while Edric grinned slightly.
"Looks like you can kneel."
All the while, Varamyr's eagle soared for his head. Freedom intercepted the eagle, punching it into oblivion at 200 mph. The midair impact severely damaged it, leading to the eagle crashlanding.
Next came Val, Soren and Varamyr's three wolves.
Edric dragged Mance off the ground and tossed him at Val with an additional sway of the wind, leading to the broken-kneed king accidentally tackling her to the ground. Two of the wolves leapt at him, going for one arm each. Edric used hyper-focus, smacking one midair as if he were wielding a bat. He struck with great strength, leading to the wolf flying into the other one. Soren had went around, going for a hit on Edric's back.
He managed to spin around in the last moment, barely dodging the axe.
BANG.
He countered with a thunderous blow to Soren's back, making him kneel from pain. Then he struck his head, snapping the wildling's neck from the impact. Meanwhile, Varamyr's shadow cat and two living wolves went for his legs. Edric drew a dagger from his belt, impaling the wolf and using its body to block the shadowcat. After drawing his dagger out from the wolf's neck, he tossed it right into the shadowcat's eye with a flicker of lightning.
Varamyr's snow bear pounced Edric from the back right as he turned to face it, toppling him down and trying to maul through his thick armour. When it went for his head, he tilted it with precision. Ser Loras drew his sword and was ready to cut it when he saw Edric spark with electricity - beginning to lift the snow bear along with Varamyr off the ground!
"... What am I seeing…"
The wildlings on Edric's side couldn't believe their eyes.
Nor could Edric's southron men.
"HOW'S THIS FOR STRENGTH?! CAN MANCE DO THIS?!"
Edric roared, tossing the snow bear forward a dozen metres.
"Seven hells…" Arys Oakheart muttered to himself.
Afterwards, he got back on his feet and grabbed his warhammer.
"Phew…" He took a deep breath, chuckling as if he made a usual lift. "That one's a bit on the heavy side."
Val came next, attacking him from behind as well. Edric turned, blocking her blow with his gauntlet. The bone dagger struck true… but didn't do much in terms of damage. Edric smiled, tilting his head.
"That tickled."
He grabbed her wrist and twisted it lightly, forcing her to drop the dagger. He then swiped at her leg and made Val fall to the ground.
"Do me a favour, and don't get in my way again."
Meanwhile, Varamyr's snowbear had turned tail and ran with a seemingly unconscious Varamyr on top.
"There goes my prophetic speech…"
Edric stretched out his palm and grabbed hold of the snow bear - pulling it in. Meanwhile, Val retrieved her dagger was about to ram it into the back of his knee - which was one of the least protected areas. Edric shifted his leg and kicked her in the chest. Afterwards, he kicked away the bone dagger a dozen metres.
When the snow bear got close, Edric suddenly blanked out.
…
He opened his eyes to the Plane of Euthymia, where Varamyr stood before him.
"What is this?!" Varamyr looked befuddled. "Who is that… goddess?"
"Did you… try to skinchange into me?" Edric chuckled, glancing at Raiden. "Can you believe the gall of this man?"
"He's very bold." Raiden nodded, drawing out her sword.
"Well, since you're here…" Edric chuckled. "I'll get to choke you out, after all."
What proceeded that was a double team like no other. Poor Varamyr didn't stand a chance as Edric and Raiden tag-teamed him into oblivion until his very soul was no more. In the end, Edric grabbed hold of his neck and electrocuted him into nothing. It was a short but awful fifteen seconds for Varamyr.
Meanwhile, the snow bear still didn't want any more of that smoke and kept running. Val had gotten Edric's body to the ground and began to punch him in the face with all her might. When he finally woke, she had gotten a solid five hits in.
"Wildling women sure are fierce." Edric blicked, grabbing both of her fists before she could do anymore. "It's our first meeting, and you're already on top of me. Isn't that a little fast?"
She frowned, struggling to break free from his grasp. It was no use as his grip was all too strong. Effortlessly, he pushed her to the side and stood up. Meanwhile, Mance managed to stand up off his good leg.
"I forgot the left knee…"
Edric grabbed his warhammer and engulfed it in lightning, tossing it at Mance with just enough strength.
It soared, smashing right against his left knee. All of the bones that were impacted shattered on impact. Once Edric's warhammer fell, so did the kneeless Mance Rayder. Edric used the wind to raise the warhammer off the ground, grasping it mid-air.
He glanced at the snow bear in the distance and sent down a bolt of lightning from the heavens, striking it down instantly.
"Practice makes perfect."
He grinned, looking around at the ten combatants he had defeated. Out of all of them, the only one who could still put up a fight was Val - who he had been merciful with. Beyond, there were wildlings in the forest who had been roused by the uproar…
He looked back at his band of wildlings.
"Do not think that I will trust you at a moment's notice. Consider this… a test of fealty." Edric spoke, dragging Val off the ground by the hair as he looked at his wildling leaders. "I want all of you to return to the host and convince your people to join me. The more, the better. I have no desire for more bloodshed than necessary."
"You are in luck, my King." Gerrick Kingsblood puffed up his chest slightly. "We are all the free folk leaders of Mance's host. With our command, the rest will follow swiftly."
"Good, that works in your favour," Edric turned back. "Kill the rest. If you force the opposing wildlings down south, my men will join the battle…"
The free folk leaders returned to the host and acted in accordance with their new King's wishes. With his displays of might, he had done more than enough to win them over. They gathered their men and took position north. Despite a few compelling speeches, a good portion of Mance's men refused to kneel.
A battle broke out.
Harma, one of Edric's new vassals, led the vanguard as she had once done for Mance. Gerrick Kingsblood showed bravery as well, cutting a bloody path. Before long, Edric took the riders of the North and smashed the flanks of the wildlings with warhammer in hand - leaving them nowhere to retreat. Sandwiched between riders and hordes of wildlings, Mance's remaining host crumbled to nothing. Those who didn't surrender in time fell to sword, axe, arrow, lightning or warhammer.
Edric alone had crushed over a hundred men with his warhammer, rallying even greater support amongst the wildling forces under him.
…
It would be remembered as a decisive, legendary victory, as King Edric I Baratheon turned more than half of Mance's remaining faction to his side while slaughtering the rest. All that remained were the smaller hosts in the far west and east… almost an afterthought to his new, vast host.
He would form numerous great wildfires, using his wind magic to whirl and grow the flames, and make his new army burn all of the bodies - as wildling tradition dictated. Though, this was more of a personal matter as he did not wish for the Night King to add to his army. To Edric's kneelers, however, it was seen as an act of virtue and consideration.
…
"All hail Mance Rayder, the unbent King-Beyond-the-Wall!"
Edric announced, tossing the kneeless Mance Rayder to the ground. The men of Castle Black cheered and laughed. Even Edric's kneelers, who once fought for the man, joined in. Mance Rayder would play the fool for an entire night of celebration, being tortured by whoever had the desire and will. He'd get hit, spit on, kicked, mocked… everything under the sun that wasn't too extreme.
Such was the price of defeat.
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