The skies had darkened again, ominous clouds looming over the sun. In its place emerged the Eye of Stormy Judgement - looking down on the land beneath it. It resembled a portal that had torn through the sky itself, the edges glowing a light purple while the inside was much darker. In its very core was a radiant golden tomoe with sharp edges no less luminous than the sun had been.
The Qartheen fleet's sailors observed in awe, terror and uncertainty in their hearts. First the miraculous charge, now this... while figure in the distance remained on the bridge of ships, seemingly challenging them.
Qarth's commander was a cautious one, avoiding risks where possible... and this anomaly most definitely was one of them. He ordered the fleet to retreat as the winds began to strengthen. The waves grew, smashing against ships and covering their crew in water before sliding back. Then, came the lightning.
Each time thunder rumbled in the skies, lightning hammered a ship's sails, and a fire erupted. The smaller vessels would sink almost immediately, while the larger ones fell into chaos. The waves were no less relenting, continuously growing and eventually breaking through the wooden hulls - filling the interior with water. Men would be taken by the sea itself, dragged down into its depths, while the wind threw others off their feet.
The entire fleet was collapsing in mere minutes...
Worst of all, the seas and wind forced the fleet to remain in a 'zone' - repeating a seemingly endless cycle of natural disaster. Smaller typhoons would form, gradually growing in size and wreaking havoc across the sea. Within only ten minutes, two-thirds of it was in the sea with the rest not too far behind.
After twenty minutes, it was all under the sea.
What was left of the Royal Armada sailed into Meereen after Edric opened a greater entrance through the bridge of ships.
[Edric's POV]
The difference had been like night and day. I felt my power gradually return with each passing moment, whereas before exhaustion meant being unable to do much at all for hours if not days. As for the length of time this would be the case... that was something I'd find out.
By the time we sailed back to Meereen, Raitei was still active, albeit slowly diminishing. Its golden radiance was dimming.
A little over thirty minutes? It was hard to say with the cloudy skies. I decided to manually release it now instead of being surprised later, returning the world to its natural state. Almost instantly, I felt like shit. It definitely had its downsides...
In a prolonged battle, if I didn't secure victory swiftly enough, I'd be a sitting duck.
Now, with Qarth's fleet defeated and my army adding to Meereen's garrison, it was only a matter of time...
I made my way through Meereen, into the Great Pyramid and up to its great hall. It was, indeed, one of the wonders of the world. Perhaps not among the greatest, but still very much spectacular... although, admittedly, getting up there was very much inconvenient. It was a good exercise, though.
There, I met with Dorian and Ser Barristan, along with whom I assumed were Daenerys' other councillors.
"It's been a while, Lord Commander. How are you doing?"
"... Better now, Your Grace, but..." He bent his knee before me, "I fear I've failed in my task."
"Failed?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Daenerys left the city on dragonback almost two moons ago... and her fate is left unknown."
"You shouldn't hold yourself accountable for her own actions, Ser," I shook my head. Foolish woman, if she just waited, she'd be right here. "We'll find her after we drive this Slaver's Alliance out with their tails between their legs."
"With you around, it should hardly take a day or two," Dorian nodded.
"Where does this great power come from?" Not the most pleasant looking amongst them questioned. "To sink such a fleet in so short a time... it must be the hand of the gods."
"It was my hand... and my hand alone," I answered. "As of now, until Daenerys' return, I will be taking full authority over Meereen in her place."
"... With all due respect, you are an ally, not a-"
I turned to the man who had spoken, and he froze up immediately.
"You were saying something? Go on, do finish."
"It's nothing... we are glad to have you."
"I have no patience for treachery, remember that. As I do not know any of Daenerys' councillors, nor do I trust any of you, I shall name Dorian as my right hand. In my absence, he effectively rules Meereen."
"..."
There were some looks of protest, but no words were spoken.
"He has done much for this city, from what I've heard. Do be grateful for his efforts," I turned to Dorian. "Have any chambers been reserved for me?"
"You can take the queen's if you'd like," Dorian chuckled. "You may as well get used to it."
"... No, I'd rather my own."
"Well, we did purge quite a number of nobles not too long ago. You can have your pick."
With their siege engines destroyed, the Slaver's great army seemed almost lost for the rest of the day, leading into the night. Meereen slept peacefully, or well, as peacefully as she could under siege. Her people were still starving, and a bloody flux by the name of the 'pale mare' had swept the city.
Driving out the army would not be the end of it... if this disease spread through my ranks, it would be completely devastating.
My magic almost entirely revolved around destruction. Could I do anything about it? Was this venture to Meereen truly a complete mistake...
"I thought I'd imagine you to be in better spirits after regaining your strength," Arthur noted, joining me. "But you seem even worse off."
"You think so?" I questioned. "I'm just... determined. That is all."
"There's something heavy on your mind. Although... I will not pursue it if you do not wish to speak on it."
"I did give you a hint of truth before, I suppose. It is true that I did lose someone important to me - only that she was a ghost to the world at large. Only I could see her."
I believed that I could share any secret with him. That was one of the duties of a Kingsguard... and, more so, a friend whom I had complete trust in.
"... Is that the person you'd talk to at night?" Arthur questioned.
"... Heh," I chuckled. "And here I thought I was quiet. So you've known for how long now?"
"It's been quite some time; I just didn't mention it since you didn't. I didn't think too much of it, only I was a little curious."
"Well... to put it simply, she once was the source of my lightning. The kraken's defeat and my survival came at her sacrifice. And now, there's only one way for me to ever see her again."
"It sounds like you love her dearly..."
"It's... beautiful yet layered in tragedy. The stars never seem to align for us."
"Then you will make them align," Arthur smiled. "If there truly is a way, you'll most certainly see it through."
"Indeed, I will..." I nodded. "And what of your love life? You dissapointed me a little earlier."
"I did?" He raised an eyebrow. "Kingsguard gets lashed at for keeping his oaths... that must be a first."
"I set you up so well, and you blundered," I shook my head. "Aaand made me look like a fool."
"I understand what you tried to do, Edric, but... I am just a knight. Even if I wasn't a Kingsguard, or you chose to 'permit' me, I'd rather not. She is a beautiful young lady with all the courtesies, the oldest daughter of a Great House and all too refined in womanly arts. The perfect lady. Meanwhile, I am the second son of a minor house in the Stormlands set to inherit nothing."
"The perfect lady, you say?" I raised an eyebrow. That was high praise.
"I was harsh because I didn't want to complicate matters in the future... but I do admire her, only from a distance. I believe it is better this way."
"You are the greatest knight in the world, Arthur. If you want a castle, I'll give you five. If you want land, I'll give you a kingdom."
"Hahaha..." Arthur laughed, shaking his head. "You are too generous, Your Grace, but I prefer a simple life."
"Arthur, one of my greatest regrets was not being honest with myself, stalling for the 'perfect' moment... but then it was already too late. Don't make that same mistake. Seize the moment, and if it's right, you will know."
"... What of my oaths?"
"FROM THIS DAY!" I announced, "Kingsguard can father as many children as they like as long as they fulfill their duties, they may also marry and hold lands with the King's permission. I'll write up the royal decree now if you wish."
I patted his shoulder.
"You're unbelievable..." Arthur shook his head. "... Very well. I'll try seeing the truth of my heart."
"Good. If it's right, you'll make each other happy - twice the blessings." I smiled. "Be sure to get ready for tomorrow as well, we're sending those slavers home crying."
"Indeed..."
[Arthur's POV]
After Edric went off to rest, Arthur encountered Ser Barristan while on watch.
"You've come a long way, Ser," Barristan said with a look of respect. There was a rush of joy from that, quite unlike anything else. "A great knight and leader, from what I've heard. I see now the bright future of the Kingsguard that Edric hoped to build... and you leading the way."
"You still have plenty of years, old man," Arthur smiled. "Don't place that weight on my shoulders already..."
"You've been wearing it already, Serjeant. Lord Commander will suit you more than it ever suited me."
For a moment, Arthur felt like a boy again, receiving the highest of praises from one of his heroes. He didn't know what to say.
"I... still have much to learn."
"And you will, in time."
The following day, Edric would show the world why he had never lost a battle... and especially a siege. The sky once again was covered by that golden symbol, and Edric began lighting the horizon with storm and fire. Men by the thousands were perishing. They had no way of fighting back, how could they?
Their only choices were to run forward or back... staying still only meant death. The Dothraki were quickest to abandon the battle, for it was the least of their concern. They only stood to gain gold and slaves. Soon enough, the rest followed. It was hopeless for them.
However, by the time the Slaver's Coalition had left Edric's reach, their army had dwindled to less than half. Tens of thousands had fallen. It was a slaughter quite unlike anything else he had ever seen in his life. The horizon was littered with fire, remains of lightning, blood and corpses.
The siege had been broken, and Meereen was free once more in no more than a day - solely because of one person. Person was a grave understatement, of course. Certain groups in Meereen began to worship Edric as a god. Arthur couldn't blame them... his strength had become almost godlike.
'Be sure to be ready', he said... then won the battle singlehandedly.
...
While making some rounds in the city and seeing the people suffer from the terrible pale mare, Arthur truly felt helpless. His flames were meant for burning, whereas his stone abilities only defended from physical and elemental attacks. Disease? He could do nothing about.
He prayed to the Gods for protection, yet doubted that they would hear his prayer. If any of the Gods cared, they would not sentence so many thousands to death.
Taking Edric's words to heart, he went to search for Sansa Stark. He would find her in one of the many chambers in the Great Pyramid, singing to herself. Arthur had slowly opened the door and silently observed. He didn't want to disturb her.
"They laughed at him, the jester knight,
But still he held her hand so tight.
And in her eyes the world grew still,
When love she gave to poor Jonquil.
Oh, sing of love, so pure, so true,
Of foolish hearts that bloom anew.
For crowns may fade, and thrones may kill,
Yet love lives on in fair Jonquil..."
She turned to him, stopping. Her auburn hair spilt over her deep blue eyes as the wind from the window swayed. She looked surprised, while Arthur felt something strange.
"A beautiful song, and an even finer voice to sing it," Arthur spoke his thoughts. "I'm sorry to have disturbed it, my lady."
"You did no such thing, Ser. Although I am surprised to see you."
"I have chosen to see matters in a different light."
"Edric can be a little too convincing," Sansa japed, smiling.
"Tell me about it," Arthur chuckled. "He won't leave me alone, that stubborn King. It's his way or no way."
"Well..."
"More specifically, I... don't believe your heart was misplaced. I would never mistreat you. Even so, I have nothing to offer for a lady of your name. You should understand that part full well."
"Nothing to offer? I don't care for lands, titles or castles. I seek a good husband to share my life with. I do happen to know one man... he's a true knight, honourable, dutiful, mayhaps too dutiful. His word is as good as gold, and he would rather uplift those around him than himself."
"You are too swifty, my lady. In my mind, this still feels... wrong. I believe a better approach would be to try to court each other first. If it works, well, my mind might be changed. I do not know."
"You are helpless in romance," Sansa remarked. "Though, I suppose, so am I... I've missed twice."
"I've yet to miss, then again, I've never tried... the sword and lance have been my wives ever since I could lift them."
"Is there room for one more?"
She offered her hand.
One part of him was uncertain, while the other wanted to take it.
"I'll have to see."
He gently took her hand.