Chương 60: Teamwork Makes The Dream Work
Arthur used various techniques to bypass Ballio's armour, fighting like a man possessed. While Ballio was stronger and more durable, Arthur was a great deal faster which was an advantage he aimed to abuse. Nightfall sang time and time again, making cuts in Ballio's armour and even precisely unfastening certain parts.
"Damn you-"
Slash.
He had sliced off Ballio's gauntlets, aiming to cripple his hand. Ballio responded by hitting Arthur's chin with the back end of his halberd. Arthur stumbled back, feeling a great deal of pain despite his helmet. It was then that Ballio raised his halberd to the sky and aimed to slam the axe-head right on Arthur's own head.
It was then that Arthur drew the second sword at his side, the same one Edric had forged from him.
CLANG.
He raised both swords to hold Ballio's halberd.
Ballio frowned, stepping forward and exerting even greater force.
BANG.
It was then that Arthur smiled slightly, letting go and slipping to the side while Ballio's halberd slammed down into the ground.
Slash.
He proceeded to slit through one of his wrists with the more ordinary sword while aiming Nightfall for a gap in his armour.
Slash.
He slashed his armpits, drawing blood again. He then stabbed Nightfall right into the chest plate while Ballio was dazed, aiming to tear it apart.
"I… concede! I concede!"
Ballio's voice erupted as he turned tail and ran away, clutching his wrist. Arthur took a deep breath and looked around with focused eyes. He didn't even take a moment to celebrate ake this time because he knew it was far from over.
At the same time, Valaegor had defeated Ser Balon and it was back to an even split. Eight remained in total, four from each team.
"Hmm…"
Thing about the horses was that most of the ones from Rhaerra's side were unharmed as Loras had only aimed to unhorse their riders. Arthur ran to the closest one, rearing it in. He took an unbroken lance and mounted the horse
"What a splendid idea."
Valaegor, free from combat like Arthur, took a horse for himself as well.
Arthur proceeded to ride towards the closest combatant; Raedor - who was preoccupied with Brienne. By the time he looked back and realised what was happening it was too late.
Clang.
Arthur crashed his lance against the armour of Raedor, slamming him to the ground. It was then that Brienne capitalised on the dazed warrior and started beating him down.
"I concede!"
Arthur turned, seeing Valaegor do the same to the Hound except instead of a lance, he was swinging around his poleaxe. The Hound, despite being overwhelmed, defended himself well enough.
That was… until Valaegor's poleaxe lit up on fire.
The Hound's eyes widened in fear as the fire swung around his head. He saw it again, his face being pressed into the fire. He took several steps back before turning to run.
"How fire can make a coward of such a tough dog…" Valaegor remarked. "It's almost pitiful."
He swung the poleaxe on Sandor's back, sending the Hound to the ground while delivering a devastating blow. The blunt force was great enough to crack into his armour, even.
"VAL!!!" Gaegor roared, unusually furious. "I was in a duel against a worthy opponent!"
"You're battle-hungry again." Valaegor rolled his eyes. "Maybe don't take five centuries fighting your opponent? Besides, it's a teambattle-"
"Do something like that again and I'm carving THIS AXE into your horse's fucking ASS!"
"Okay, okay… I'll go find someone else."
…
Meanwhile, Edric glanced at Rhaerra.
"You knew of the Hound's weakness?"
"I know a great many things." Rhaerra replied with a slight smile. "Do you think I'd send my men to battle ill-prepared?"
"Hmmm…" Edric began to feel slightly concerned regarding his bet. "Who would've thought that Valaegor is also a red priest. It seems like he is talented in many facets of life."
"Of course, he is. Valaegor comes from the same bloodline as I do."
"Cousins?" Edric raised an eyebrow.
"Indeed. Most of my men are related to me, somewhere down the tree."
"You certainly have a preference." Edric chuckled. "Keeping it in the family and all-"
"I appreciate your curiosity, but I am very much a maiden."
"Uh-huh. You're saying it like that matters to me." Edric raised an eyebrow.
"Do not get the wrong idea, it is not my intention to court you."
"I prefer it that way." Edric chose to change the topic. "You bought them from slavery, right?"
Rhaerra nodded.
"... Its understandable that you don't want others to live that life but you should realise that you only fuel their business further." Edric shook his head. "They'll keep breeding new slaves over and over, refusing to sell all of them at once. Hell, they'll even increase the price knowing that you want to free them to extort you."
"I know how business works, Your Grace." Rhaerra rested her head on her hand. "Never is there enough gold for those slavers. You could give them a hill of gold and they'd only seek a mountain after."
"I know one way to make any man content with what he has."
"I am well aware." Rhaerra glanced at his left hand, which sparked with a small bit of lightning. "That is why I asked you if the thought of conquest had ever crossed your mind. With the banners of the Seven Kingdoms and you at the head of it all, Lys wouldn't last a single moon."
"I'd likely get all of the Free Cities looking at me like a warmonger and potential threat, too." Edric smiled, stroking his chin. "Wouldn't that be fun?"
Rhaerra smiled slightly at his sarcasm.
"It is during times like these that a truly great man preservers and builds a bridge so that others may cross it to greener pastures."
"Can't say I'm all that experienced at bridge building." Edric mused with a jestful tone.
"You have plenty of time to learn."
Arya had been rather silent, listening keenly. She couldn't find the right time to interrupt them without forcing it.
"So… which one of your men do you consider your best fighters?" Arya questioned as Edric's conversation grinded to a halt.
"The strongest would be Baegel, Daman has the best mind for battle and defence while Gaegor has the most formidable warrior instincts with a strong body to match. Overall, Valaegor is the most impressive athletically and in terms of skill. There are those who might be better in a few aspects such as strength, speed, skill, endurance, yet no one can match him in a combination of all the factors that make a warrior."
"Now I regret not fighting him." Edric sat back. "His big mouth had something behind it, after all."
"So you could injure him and ensure the Kingsguard's victory here?" Arya raised an eyebrow.
"What?" Edric scoffed, waving his hand away. "No way I'd ever be that underhanded. I just would've liked an exciting duel."
"Uh-huh."
…
"Stealing our horses, are we?!" Valaegor turned to Arthur, riding towards him.
Arthur sped up, preparing his lance. Valaegor rode slightly off-angle, to his left. Arthur managed to shift his lance just in time, only to realise that his horse had a fear of fire. It reared out of control, leading to Valaegor smashing his poleaxe against his plate armour.
Arthur fell from his horse all the way to the ground.
"Time to put you to sleep."
As Valaegor raised his poleaxe, Arthur awakened from his daze and swiftly drew Nightfall, slashing through one of the horse's legs. Before the horse could fall, he rolled out of the way.
"... I'm still wide awake."
Arthur remarked, getting back on his feet and running over to Valaegor who was still under his horse. He tried to push it off but Arthur took his fallen poleaxe and smashed it against his hand.
"Kingsguard cunt… where's your honour?!"
"In this victory."
He aimed to hit his other hand, but Valaegor drew a sword and waved it at him. Arthur withdrew, using his longer reach to hit his outstretched arm and slide his sword to the side.
Then he raised the poleaxe, aiming to smash it against his head.
"Concede!"
"I'll see you in the duels, tresy hen nykeā līve." Valaegor cursed in High Valyrian, frowning as Arthur kept lowering the poleaxe . "I concede… are you deaf?"
"Speak plainly next time."
"Maybe I should since you're so brainless."
Arthur lowered the poleaxe and helped him off the horse. Valaegor glared at him, considering continuing the fighting. Then he looked to the side and saw Edric grinning. Even though he doubted that anyone other than Arthur had heard him, it would look too obvious.
Valaegor bumped his shoulder against Arthur's before spitting on the ground and walking off with his poleaxe.
Arthur definitely felt that bump.
'These valyrians…'
Meanwhile, on the other side.
Where the Hound had fallen, Gaegor stood with a look of despair.
"You have lost your fighting spirit, my friend."
"I'm not your bloody friend."
The Hound managed to get on his feet and grab hold of his Warhammer. He saw the fire once more, his heart quickening. It had been right next to his chest. He could imagine it burning him.
His grasp tightened.
"Fuck fire. Fuck your axes. Fuck everything."
"So, I would be right."
"The big ugly bitch is coming for your head."
Gaegor turned to see Brienne approaching them. It was then that the Hound struck… only he was a tad bit too slow. Gaegor managed to block with one of his axes and countered with the other - aiming for the Hound's head.
Clang.
He connected, dropping him to the ground.
Before he could deal the finishing blow, Brienne waved her chained Morningstar forward. Gaegor deflected the blow, wrapping the chain around his axe and countering with the other.
Brienne stepped back, being forced to let go of her weapon.
The Hound tossed his warhammer in her direction before forcing himself to get off the ground. He then looked at Brienne.
"I get the bastard on the ground, you hit him."
Brienne watched the Hound charge forward like a bull. She wasted no time grabbing hold of the warhammer and charging forward right behind him.
Gaegor raised an eyebrow, sidestepping the Hound and hitting him in the head once again. It was then that Brienne surged forward to tackle him. He saw through that attempt, stepping around her and countering with a lethal combination.
It felt like Gaegor was completely untouchable in terms of defense and inevitable in terms of offense.
Before long, he finally forced the Hound to submit while pushing back Brienne. It was then that Arthur joined her, his white cloak looking quite withered from all the fighting.
"Let's finish this, Brienne." Arthur spoke with a tone of absolute confidence. "He can't beat us both."
"..." Brienne smiled behind her helmet. "Let us."
In a joint dance of Morningstar and Nightfall, Gaegor found himself overwhelmed. Ser Arthur was faster while Brienne was stronger. He found it strangely difficult to balance his twin axes against this combination.
Brienne eventually hit his hand, leading him to losing grip on one axe while Arthur cut off another piece of his armour.
They continued attacking him, almost in perfect synch.
This display of teamwork eventually overwhelmed the Valyrian warrior as his wounds began to accumulate.
He was forced to his knees.
"I… concede."
"One more." Arthur looked at Loras and Daman in the distance. "To victory."
"To victory."
When they arrived to the rescue, Loras surprisingly didn't scoff.
"Looks like you need some help, Knight of Flowers." Arthur remarked.
"Does it?" Loras smirked slightly as his breath sounded laboured. "I'm doing just fine…"
"Yeah, right. It's not like you've spent this whole time trying to get past his defense."
"I'm on the cusp… of defeating him." Loras replied taking a deep breath.
"It seems to be the other way around to me."
"To think that it would come to this…" Daman looked at the three and chose not to waste his energy. "I concede."
"Tactfully saving himself for tomorrow, I see." Arthur remarked. "Wise."
"I would not be able to hold off all three of you." Daman nodded.
And so, the Kingsguard (plus the Hound and Brienne) won the team melees. Edric left his seat and walked over to the center of the tourney grounds where they all threw champions kneeled at his feet.
"You've all made me proud today… but there can only be one true champion who will be walking away with ten thousand gold dragons." Edric placed his hands behind his back. "You can decide amongst yourselves or fight for it. Eh, if you all agree on it, the prize can be split evenly too."
"I am not worthy." Loras said, shaking his head. "They have both contributed to this victory more than I have."
"So you concede?"
"Yes, Your Grace."
"You may rise and step to the side."
"Ser Arthur accomplished far more than I did in the entirety of this melee." Brienne said, lowering her head. "It would not be fai-"
"I concede." Arthur took off his helmet and smiled as he looked up at Edric. "Gold is of no consequence to me, Your Grace. All that matters is that my sworn brothers brought you victory and honour on this day."
"You guys are hopeless." Edric chuckled, shaking his head. "I suppose that makes you the champion, Brienne."
"I don't wish for gold, either."
"..." Edric raised an eyebrow. "It would not look well on me if the champion was left unrewarded. Speak, and I will grant you a worthy reward, so long as it is within my power."
Brienne hesitated for a moment before taking a deep breath and letting her desire be heard.
"If I may… I wish to join the Kingsguard."
This was a sentence that caught everyone off guard.
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